Giving The Dog A Massage
Aug 17th, 2010 Posted in home | no comment »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. Dogs would appreciate all the attention and petting from its human family as these are social animals. Dogs are similar to humans in a lot of ways thus these animals will get loads of benefits from massage as well.
Dog massage has therapeutic benefits that can help a pet with a medical condition. The services of a well trained massage therapist are necessary if the objective is to improve the health of a dog with a serious medical concern. Nonetheless a short daily massage session can improve the flexibility and reduce joint and muscle pains associated with aging.
Physical and emotional stress are achieved when a dog is massaged. 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. Massaging is quality time that will enhance the bond between owner and pet.
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. To massage a small dog, you simply let the pet lie 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. 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.
Make circular motions with the heel of the hand to massage 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. Be sure to follow the hair growth direction so as not to cause the dog discomfort. 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 at Sarah’s Dogs.
