Everyone can benefit from a relaxing massage, even your pups! Dogs can be stressed and anxious, too. The best way to ease your pet’s fears is to give him a good kneading. Here’s how:
Preparation
If your pup is visibly frazzled, (say, after an intense thunderstorm), try to calm him down first. Give her a nice cuddle, talk to her soothingly, tell her that everything is going to be okay because mommy (or daddy) is here. Let her lie on her side. Start massaging when she begins to relax.
Start with long, simple strokes
Use your hands to gently stroke your pup’s head down to her hind legs, then her toes. Do this for a few minutes while soothing your pet with loving and encouraging words. Use your thumbs to knead lightly on her forehead (just between where you imagine her eyebrows to be), work your way upwards, down the base of her neck, her body, then hind legs.
Knead specific points
This is the part where you begin to make concentrated massages on particular parts of your pet’s body. Remember, dogs require less pressure than us humans (even the large dogs), so when doing your massages, only light pressure is needed.
Start with the jawline. Make circular motions with your finger pads along the jaw, then on the throat. You can do light strokes on your dog’s ears now if you want. Work the length of her body (take your time, no need to hurry!) and take extra moments to knead your pet’s joints. Check for signs of pain, cold spots or hot spots, and strange bumps.
Be sure that your skin touches your dog at all times
Unless the dog massage is over, make sure that there is skin contact with your dog throughout the session.
See a dog massage demonstration below. You can see that the pet is in doggy heaven!
