How To Give The Dog A Massage
It is not surprising for dogs to be viewed as man’s best friends because these animals have proven their worth as affectionate, loyal and protective companions that have also provided the family with an unending source of joy. Giving the dog a massage is one of the ways by which an owner can repay the pet for all the wonderful things it has given. All dogs would love to receive attention from their owners. Dogs too will get the same benefits humans get from massage.
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. However, a five or ten minute daily maintenance massage can make a lot of difference to aging dogs stressed by joint and muscle pains.
Massage relaxes the muscles and consequently relieves physical and emotional stress. The comforting touch of an owner’s hands calms a highly dog stressed dog during a thunderstorm or during a 4th of July fireworks display. Most importantly massaging the dog would also be a good opportunity to bond better with the pet.
A pet owner should not be daunted with the task of massaging the pet as it can be learned . In spite of the fact that dogs love to be petted, other individuals not accustomed to being touched would not enjoy a massage. This situation is most common in dogs adopted from rescue centers. Massaging a small dog would not be too much trouble as you can have the pet to lie on 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. Applying a little more pressure, move the heel of the hand in the same circular motion down to the shoulders and to the chest of the dog. For smaller dogs, you can use three fingers instead of the heel of the hand. The stroking must follow the direction of hair growth. On the inside of the leg, the stroking should be against the direction of hair growth.
Tagged as: dog massage, Dogs, how massage your dog, PetsView the original article here
