Train as a Practitioner

A variety of international and UK based instructors, each with a well rounded education in the Tellington TTouch as well as other modalities, teach 3, 5 or 6 day Practitioner clinics in the UK. While these provide the teaching required for those looking to qualify as a TTouch Practitioner, not all participants at the clinics may want to attend the full programme but may be looking to learn new skills to incorporate into their professional work with animals such as a dog training, veterinary work, rescue centres or simply for personal interest to help their own animals.

Recognising that attendance at clinics for the full programme may be difficult for some people due to time or financial constraints, a distance learning Professional Certification option is now available that can be used in conjunction with our current Tellington TTouch Practitioner Programme. Information on this and other online learning opportunities are available on our online learning page.

Each clinic is well staffed with knowledgeable assistants who are always there to answer questions, help with concerns or lend a hand with more challenging animals. While the main focus is likely to be working with dogs, depending on the venue, participants may have the opportunity to observe and work with cats, rabbits or any other animals that might be available.

In each of these trainings, attendees will include students from all levels of the training programme – from the first through the sixth. For more than twenty years, we have found that this combination has provided a rich exchange of ideas and experiences to all participants. Participants attend with or without their animals, the choice is up to you. Every TTouch Companion Animal or Equine training is a little different. The dogs. horses and other animals that are brought by the participants add a unique flavour to each week and no matter how many clinics you attend, you always walk away with some new insight in animal behaviour and new tools to help solve common as well as not so common issues.  The human group is comprised of diverse experiences, backgrounds, and interests, enriching the entire group and the learning experience as a whole.  TTouch trainings provide a safe, relaxed, learning atmosphere where sharing information and ideas is encouraged. 

The Tellington TTouch philosophy is very complimentary to all forms of positive training.  TTouch believes that physical, mental, and emotional balance is interconnected.  Helping dogs and horses achieve self-carriage (physical balance), leads to an increase in self-confidence (mental balance), which allows them to make better choices (emotional balance).  For this reason TTouch goes beyond “training” and actually helps the animals learn to act rather than simply react.  

Dogs represent the majority of animals at most clinics and you will learn to see their posture, body language, calming signals, gait and behaviour with new eyes. The same assessments are applied to other animals with minor variations. Observation and evaluation are followed by a hands-on exploration of the animal’s body (if the animal is ready to be touched safely) to find areas of tension, soreness or change in the body. During the week the clinic participants will get the opportunity to TTouch many different dogs or horses and, depending on the clinic and venue, perhaps other animals honing their observation skills and using the TTouches to help the animals overcome issues, physical and emotional.

The ground and leading exercises get everybody moving and teach the horses, dogs and handlers to move in balance. The confidence course teaches both dogs and horses to slowly negotiate a series of obstacles and use their bodies in a new way. Suddenly incorrigible leash pullers are walking carefully over a series of boards on a loose leash and dog aggressive canines are passing each other in the labyrinth without concern. Dogs that were glued to their owners the first day of the training are happy to go for a walk with a stranger.

Clinic participants enjoy the light-hearted, positive learning environment and lifelong friendships are often formed. They share fun and laughter, practice the TTouches and leading exercises on each other in a supportive environment.

Participants who are striving to become practitioners have the opportunity to work with clients and their animals in a supportive environment. Other sessions may include marketing, client relationship and setting up an animal business. It is impossible to walk away from a TTouch clinic without a new understanding and appreciation for the animals in our lives.

Practitioner training clinics are held throughout the year with a variety of instructors, check the Workshop and Online Courses pages for more information and contact details.