Dogs are indeed man’s best friends as they love unconditionally, remain loyal and protective and have been a constant source of joy because of their amusing and affectionate ways. There is no doubt that dogs have given pet owners invaluable companionship thus a massage is the least an owner can do to pamper the pet. All dogs would love to receive attention from their owners. Similar to the effects of massage to humans, dogs would get loads of benefits from massage too.

The therapeutic benefits of a dog massage have helped a lot of dogs with various medical conditions. This kind of deep massage though is best conducted by well trained massage therapist using a variety of techniques. Nonetheless a short daily massage session can improve the flexibility and reduce joint and muscle pains associated with aging.

Massage can greatly benefit physically and emotionally stressed dogs. Pet parents resort to massaging the dog stressed by the rolling sound of thunder and by the resounding sounds of New Year and 4th of July celebrations. Most importantly massaging the dog would also be a good opportunity to bond better with the pet.

A dog would love a massage thus a pet owner should not hesitate to pamper the pet . Bear in mind that the goal of the massage is to give the pet relaxation thus a pet that is not comfortable with being touched must not be forced. Dogs that hate to be petted and touched are mostly mature dogs adopted from animal shelters. Small pets can be massaged while lying in your lap. However, bigger dogs would need a firm but well padded surface like a table or a couch. Give the dog soft slow strokes from the head to the tail. Using light pressure, gently scratch the dog behind the ears, the cheeks and the chin taking extra care in rubbing the area between the eyes.

On large dogs, you can use the heel of the hands to make circular motions on the neck. With the same circular motion but with a little more pressure, move the heel of the hand to the shoulders and chest of the dog. For smaller dogs, you can use three fingers instead of the heel of the hand. This light touch should follow the hair growth direction. The inner side of the legs can be stroked against the direction of hair growth.

Read more about how to massage your dog and if dogs can have apples at Sarah’s Dogs.

Tagged with: • • • •

Filed under: Uncategorized

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!