Giving the dog a massage

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. 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.

It was proven that dog massage have improved the health of dogs suffering from a variety of medical conditions. 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.

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. Massaging the dog is a great way to establish pet-owner and pet friendship.

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. This situation is most common in dogs adopted from rescue centers. 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. Get the dog accustomed to long slow strokes from the head to the tip of the tail. With light pressure, scratch behind the dog’s ears, rub the chin and cheeks taking extra care to rub 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. Massage technique is a bit different on smaller dogs thus instead of the heel of the hand you can use three fingers. Be sure to follow the hair growth direction so as not to cause the dog discomfort. The inner side of the legs can be stroked against the direction of hair growth.

Read more about how to massage your dog at Sarah’s Dogs.