Deb Merton didn’t start her professional career doing
anything with animals. Instead, she earned her master of education degree from
the University of Minnesota in 1996 and was a teacher of the deaf and hard of
hearing for five years. After surviving a life-altering bout with cancer, Deb
decided to explore a career change, and in 2005 became a certified dog trainer
through the Animal Behavior College in California.
Deb became interested in Tellington TTouch® after adopting McGregor, a deaf, touch-sensitive Border collie. While the positive reinforcement obedience classes she took with McGregor worked well for teaching him basic obedience, Deb decided to search for something that could help her work through McGregor’s touch-sensitivity issues. After attending a one-day TTouch workshop with McGregor, and seeing how much TTouch benefited him, Deb enrolled in the Tellington TTouch training program, and in April of 2008 became a certified Tellington TTouch practitioner. She now uses TTouch with private clients, foster animals, and her own cats and dogs.
Deb lives with her husband, three dogs, and numerous cats in rural Wisconsin.
The Tellington Method is a gentle, positive training method
that can be used with animals of all types.
The foundation of the Tellington Method is a form of light touch, known as TTouch. There are three types of TTouches: circles, lifts, and slides. These touches can help animals increase their body awareness and relieve tension. This is important because there is a known relationship between tension patterns and an animal’s behavior, and if the tension is relieved, the behavior can change.
Another key aspect of the Tellington Method is groundwork. Groundwork consists of leading an animal through a set of obstacles at a slow pace. The movement exercises improve the animals’ focus and attention, while also helping to develop their mental, physical, and emotional balance. By using the TTouches and other TTouch tools, we help animals experience a sense of confidence in situations that were previously stressful for them.
Finally, TTouch builds trust and is a wonderful way for you to deepen your bond with your animal companion.
