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Permalink Reply by Jackie (Lilu & Loki) on November 21, 2011 at 11:38am

I don't have any books but the puppy class I took Lilu to covered a little bit of puppy massage. The technique is really basic - just massaging the muscles, maybe in circles. Probably similar to what you do now. It was more about the sequence the trainer did... She started at the head, there's a pressure point right behind the ears. You'll know it 'cause it feels like a soft spot, and she said when you hit it a dog will either instantly relax or kind of wiggle like "Oooh that's a spot." Then over the scalp and even onto the snout, then you can come down the chest or shoulders, then the back and hind quarters. On the legs, even go all the way down to the pads of the feet. She had us hold the dogs sitting on the floor between our legs, facing away from us. If they lay down and kind of start to zone out, then you're definitely doing a good job.

 

All in all I don't think there's necessarily a right and wrong way to do it, as long as your dog is enjoying it. A couple of things she also said about the massage - more than just a way to relax your dog, it can also be a gentle way of asserting dominance, especially when you rub over that snout 'cause it's something their moms would have done. She also said giving your dogs regular massages can just help you know what your dog's body feels like in case you find something abnormal - like cancer. I think this can be true for dogs of any age, puppy up to adult.

 

Hope this helps some. Sorry I don't have any book resources, but I say if your dog enjoys it, then you're probably doing it right. :)

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