How To Massage Your Dog
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. A massage is one of the ways by which a dog owner can pamper the pet to repay the dog for the difference it has made on the quality of people’s lives. A dog is a social animal that would love to be petted and to receive attention from its master. Dogs too will get the same benefits humans get from massage.
It was proven that dog massage have improved the health of dogs suffering from a variety of medical conditions. This kind of deep massage though is best conducted by well trained massage therapist using a variety of techniques. However, a five or ten minute daily maintenance massage can make a lot of difference to aging dogs stressed by joint and muscle pains.
Physical and emotional stress are achieved when a dog is massaged. Massage has a calming effect that allows a dog to get through the sounds of thunder or the deafening noise of the 4th of July or New Year festivities. Massaging the dog is a great way to establish pet-owner and pet friendship.
A good massage that will pamper the pet can be learned easily . One of the objectives of massage is to calm a highly stressed dog thus dogs that are not accustomed to being touched should not be forced to submit to being rubbed down. This situation is most common in dogs adopted from rescue centers. Small pets can be massaged while lying in your lap. To massage a large dog, you have to make the pet lie in a firm well padded surface like a couch or a padded table. Start the massage with slow stokes from the head to the tip of the tail. Gently scratch the area behind the dog’s ears and apply light pressure on the cheeks, chin and on the area between the eyes.
Use the hell of the hand to make circular motion on the neck of large dogs. 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. Stroking against the direction of hair growth must be done only on the inside of the legs.
Read more about how to massage your dog and if dogs can have apples at Sarah’s Dogs.
