Tapping for dogs

In a successful experience with TFT, I was retained to work with a Jack Russell Terrier who was dismissed from the Conformation Ring for growling at the judge and biting him when he examined the dog’s feet.

Could TFT cure this problem? I wondered.

After some basic obedience training using positive reinforcement, I found the pup only 80% reliable. By using TFT, I was able to break through that final 20% and he went on to earn his Championship.

I started with desensitizing handling, then had strangers handle his feet while he was on a table. When he growled at them and showed his teeth to the handler, I started TFT.

At first, the pup was not receptive to the tapping. That is to say, he resisted it. I started by tapping him in the middle of his forehead, a technique I have used for many years (prior to my knowledge of TFT) to calm hyperactive dogs. After getting his attention, I used the eyebrow, under eye, under arm, clavicle, and gamut tapping sequence.

At first he looked surprised, and then calm.

After several treatments, the pup seemed to invite the tapping as though aware it was making him feel better.

I’ve also used TFT with other dogs including, recently, two Labrador Retrievers who were rescued from very abusive homes. Both dogs were fear-aggressive, lunging, barking, snapping, then retreating. After working with the dogs for several days, gaining their confidence, I had a stranger approach the dogs to maximize their trauma. I then applied the treatment, tapping the forehead, under eye, clavicle and sternum. The dogs calmed noticeably.

I have also used TFT many times briefly when working with students in classes. As I approach the pups, I signal them with the calming signals and then tap them on the forehead, under the eye, and on the sternum or clavicle, whichever is easiest to find. The only times I do not feel successful are when the owners interfere with or are not willing to try the treatment.

I believe TFT works when the dog is confident in the person applying the treatment. It should not be tried with a dog who is frightened of everyone and who has no “ally” in the room. In this situation, I find that dogs are not receptive to treatment and it is very difficult to tap the appropriate spots. —Lee Wells

TFT and Horses

While visiting a friend’s farm recently, the farmer’s daughter shared with me the story of her 7-year-old mare, who was extremely fearful of people—and especially hostile to men. The horse had been mistreated by its previous male owner. By now, it needed veterinary treatment to trim its hooves—which were overgrown and causing the horse extreme discomfort.

Unfortunately, the local veterinarian is a man and couldn’t get near the horse, even to examine it. Not wishing her mare to be sedated, the farmer’s daughter shared with me her dilemma.

Could TFT help calm this anxious horse, I wondered?

I explained briefly about TFT, then asked the daughter to stroke the horse’s forehead, and tap gently under its eye. I then asked her to tap behind the horses foreleg (as close to where I imagined the arm point would be), then tap the horse’s chest—as close to the collarbone as she could get.

Since it was impossible for me—a man—to get near the horse initially, I asked the daughter to tap out the algorithm instead. As she tapped away to my instructions, I could see the horse calming down from a distance. I entered the field and slowly walked to the animal, repeating the algorithm where the daughter left off.

In just a few minutes, the mare was almost asleep.

I asked the farmer’s daughter to walk away and leave the field. By then, she was extremely surprised to find the horse calm, receptive and unaffected by her departure—particularly when the mare had not been bridled in any way, nor had I used any treats.

Later, as I walked about the field, the horse followed me, nudging me in the back—her fear of people (and men, in particular) completely resolved. Even another male visitor to the farm that afternoon couldn’t change the anxiety-free state of the mare.

Of course, the veterinarian was able to treat her hooves with ease. But getting her to hum a tune while tapping was a different matter entirely! —Brian Ewart as told to Ian Graham

TFT Tpping and dogs

I have been visiting an animal rescue center and recently had the opportunity to work with a dog that was traumatized. She was at the center for re-homing and was lying shivering in her basket. She would not move from it and braced her feet against the side so that it was almost impossible to move her.

As she lay trembling, I talked to her and tapped using the trauma algorithm. I next used algorithms for complex trauma, anger and rage. Gradually she became a little more interested and did not tense her body quite as much. I was able to lift her to a sitting position and then, after some more tapping, she stepped out of her bed and came with me for a walk. It had taken about 30 minutes. She was still very nervous, had her tail between her legs and pulled back when she saw another person or dog.

However, she seemed to enjoy the walk!

The next day, I found her—again—in her basket, trembling fearfully. But this time she picked up her head and looked at me, and even wagged her tail a little. It took 5 minutes to get her to step out of her bed and go outside with me. The next time I visited the center, I saw her running in and out of her outside pen and jumping up to greet people!

After that success, the staff asked me to work with another dog—only a few months old and already biting and snapping.

“He’s a challenge,” said the staffer. “Be careful of that one.”

After listening blithely to advice that I’d have to ‘lasso’ him by dropping a loop of lead around his neck, I found the dog cowering in the corner behind his bed.
I sat on the floor and focused my attention on him, using surrogate tapping to calm him. Eventually he got up and walked over to me and sniffed my hand. He went away and came back a few times, and I was gradually able to stroke his head and begin touching the tapping points on his head.

He didn’t make any attempt to growl or bite, and after a short while I was able to tap gently through the sequence and put a collar around his neck. I took him outside, although he was obviously not used to walking on a lead so I carried him some of the way and sat with him, continuing to tap whenever he seemed uneasy.  He yawned the way some people do after a TFT session.

Later, one of the staff tried her own puppy in the dog run with him. And 30 minutes later, she had both puppies on leads on the grass outside the building! —Jo Cooper

Tft and babies

Settling in for the 16-hour flight on my way home from presenting at the Pacific Rim Energy Conference, I had an amusing experience. The huge airliner was filled to capacity, and several families were traveling with infants on board.

When I requested a bulkhead seat so I could stretch out my legs, I had no idea that—during long flights—this section was also used to hang baby beds off the bulkhead.  As a result, I found myself surrounded by infants including an adorable baby boy and his family traveling next to me.

Before the flight, I had noticed the parents in the lobby—playing with their happy infant, while awaiting boarding instructions.  Unfortunately, by the time we boarded, it was 9:30 p.m. and the babies were already tired and stressed. Of course, when the airplane took off, the crying began.

I expected that.

Yet when the plane leveled off, the cries simply escalated. Mothers and fathers took turns walking their babies around. Nothing worked.

Hoping to help, I turned to my seat mates and told them I thought I could calm their infant.  Of course, they didn’t believe me. So I went on to explain I had just come from Singapore, where I was teaching energy therapy, and that I was pretty sure it would work on their son.

By this time, they were willing to try anything (and so, I imagine, were the passengers). Tapping on myself to illustrate, I showed them how to tap out the simple anxiety algorithm (eye, arm, collarbone). They did it twice and the baby calmed down immediately. In fact, he was asleep within minutes. Placed in his hanging bed, he slept almost 12 hours.  And when he awakened, he remained calm for the rest of the flight.

Another parent had been watching and asked me to show him the same tapping sequence. I treated yet another infant with the same result.  Mission accomplished.

Peace was restored —Susan Wright

tft-class

Discover the full power of Thought Field Therapy® in a high-intensity 1-day workshop to share the proven tapping sequences of Thought Field Therapy.

All profits will go towards the UK Foundation trauma relief missions.

Friday May 3, 2013 – Birmingham, UK
Only £149

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