Massage is great to soothe an anxious dog

When ever you sense your dog tensing up or perhaps observe them behaving stressed and anxious (pacing, head turns etc) or just acting hyper. Try moving away from the "trigger" you believe making them anxious (car, person, dog etc) and sit or kneel down beside them. Begin to gently massage their back side, near the tail area. Use light strokes.  A dogs hind side is analogous to our neck/shoulder area. Like us they hold all the stress in this  area. Doesn't it feel good to get a neck and shoulder massaged?  Breath slowly and deeply, massage your dog in the same rythmic way. I promise you your dog will immediately relax. They may move their rump closer to you inviting you to rub them a little more.  This helps them decompress. Its a great way to diffuse trigger stacking (consessive cummulative occurances of events that cause stress ). This weekend I'm participating in a  a day long Tellignton Touch dog massage workshop. I look forward to folding what I learn into my practice working with dogs. I will be learning more massage techniques by a certified TTouch practicioner. 

WHAT IS TTouch:
TTouch consists of light, non-invasive massage movements and guided walking exercises designed to enhance the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of your dog, cat or other companion animal. TTouch exercises improve an animal’s confidence, balance and focus, relieve stress and fear, and allow thinking before reacting, thus breaking the cycle of repetitive behavior patterns. Developed more than 30 years ago by internationally renowned equestrian trainer, Linda Tellington-Jones, this work complements massage therapy, veterinary care, training, and behavior modification while creating a deeper rapport between humans and animals through increased understanding and more effective communication.

Tellington TTouch Method consists of light, non-invasive massage movements and guided walking exercises that are easy to learn and use. These movements effect the body’s nervous system, resulting in increased awareness and range of motion, tension and pain reduction, and a re-patterning of habitual ways of holding the body which can have a profound effect on a dog's behavior.

• Puppies who are very mouthy, lack focus or don’t like to be handled Adolescent dogs who are over stimulated, rambunctious and hard to control on leash
•  Aggression issues with people or other dogs
•  Separation anxiety, noise sensitivity and other fears and phobias
•  Service, show or athletic dogs who underperform due to nervousness or lack of confidence
•  Dogs who are recovering from injury or illness
•  Older dogs with stiffness or pain from arthritis or hip dysplasia... and much more