Thursday, April 22, 2010

Why Massage Your Dog?

Have you ever had a massage? If so, I bet you felt wonderful afterward! Even if you haven’t had a massage, chances are you know what it is; the manipulation of skin, muscles and joints for the purpose of affecting physical or emotional changes in the body. While massage for humans has been around for millennia, canine massage as a practice is relatively new. The benefits of massage on humans are well documented, so why shouldn’t the same benefits apply to dogs as well?

Studies show that consistent massage will enhance your dog's comfort, emotional stability, general fitness, and overall health. Massage on a regular basis may add years to any dog's life and delay the onset of old age. It is an effective tool to improve the physical, emotional, and mental health of your dog. Massage is focused time with your animal, completely different from casual petting, and has the proven ability to reduce stress and promote a feeling of calm in both you and your dog.

Massage is easy to learn, and becomes easier the more you practice. So how to you learn? You can buy a book, such as “Healthy Dogs, Your Loving Touch: Acupressure Massage for Your Dog.” You can buy a DVD, or you can take a class if offered in your area. Or you can simply try it. Just by gently stroking your dog focusing on helping him will give him some of the benefits of massage. Give it a try today!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Thoughts on canine massage

Now that taxes are done, I can get back to doing one of the things I love - writing!

I've been thinking recently about canine massage and why many people view it as a luxury rather than a necessity. In the human world, massage is routinely prescribed by doctors these days because the medical benefits are so clear and are growing daily. Why isn't the same thing true in the canine world? Why don't veterinarians routinely prescribe massage? Is it because we as dog owners can't feel the results the same way we can when we have a massage? Perhaps since our dogs can't tell us how good they feel afterward, we as humans don't have any conclusive evidence that regular massages can help. In the human world, massage can dramatically improve one's quality of life, helping give relief from pain and stress, increasing circulation and flexibility, removing toxins from the body, and much more. It's such a gift it gives us.

Why not give your dog the same gift? Learn how to massage your dog, and then integrate regular massage into your weekly routine. That's one of the big reasons I wrote my book "Healthy Dogs, Your Loving Touch: Acupressure Massage for Your Dog" - because I want to help people learn how to massage their own dogs. As I said above, the benefits are clear - give your dog a better quality of life starting today. It doesn't matter how old your dog is. Your dog will love it!