Subtitle: Taking the Mystery Out of Massaging Your Dog
Author: Natalie Winter
Format: Paperback, Full Color
Length: 112 pages
Release Date: Fall 2009
We owe it to our dogs to give them the best care we can possibly give. Massage is much more than just a tool to help your dog relax and feel good. It has important health benefits. Massage can:
- Ease chronic pain
- Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow (the body's natural defense system)
- Increase joint flexibility
- Improve range of motion
- Decrease recovery time for injuries
- Reduce post-surgery tissue adhesions and swelling
- Help canine athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous activity as well as decrease the risk of injury
- Calm dogs with stress or behavior problems
- Bring both you and your dog benefit through the power of touch
This do-it-yourself book is presented in a step-by-step format to give you the tools you need to massage your dog. And, you don't have to understand canine anatomy to be successful. The techniques are presented in plain English with easy-to-read directions and over 125 color photos to guide you. The information is broken into sections, so if you don't have time to give your dog a full body massage, you can spend 5 or 10 minutes working on specific areas. This sensible approach to canine massage is a must for all dog lovers and will encourage even the most skeptical readers to give it a try.
For participants in agility, flyball, hunting tests, lure coursing, obedience, and other dog sports, Canine Massage in Plain English contains a complete chapter dedicated to the performance dog. It includes information on getting your dog fit as well as warming up and cooling down your dog.
About the Author
Natalie Winter has been a full-time, certified Canine Massage Therapist since 2001, earning her certification through Equissage in Northern Virginia while living in the U.S. for four years. She has been involved in the performance side of the canine world for over 19 years, gaining more than 80 titles in two countries for agility, obedience, confirmation, and endurance. She has competed with Border Collies, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and now has added a rescue dog to her family. She and her husband Geoff live in Nowra, New South Wales, Australia. She has successfully worked on hundreds of dogs including some of the best canine athletes on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S., as well as Australia and does a number of presentations to assist in prevention of injury to canine athletes, which is where her passion lies.
Canine Massage in Plain English contains the following chapters and sections.
Chapter 1: The Basics
- Why Massage?
- What Is Massage?
- What Is Your Dog Trying to Tell You?
- Hot Areas on Your Dog: What Do They Mean?
- Massage May Not Be the Way to Go, If...
- The Dos and Don’ts
- What Do You Need to Massage?
Chapter 2: The Muscles
- How Muscles Work
- How Muscles Get Injured
- Why Injured Muscles Need Increased Blood Flow
- Tendon and Ligament Injuries
- Speeding Up Post-operative Recovery Time
Chapter 3: The Strokes
Chapter 4: The Sequences
- The Dog’s Position
- The First Massage
- The Head
- The Chest
- The Neck
- The Shoulders and Front Legs
- The Back and Spine
- The Side
- The Hindquarters
- The Finishing Sequence
Chapter 5: The Performance Dog
- What’s Your Sport?
- Is Your Dog Fit Enough?
- Exercise 1: Bump Playing
- Exercise 2: Walking on Lead
- Exercise 3: Fetching a Ball
- The Warm-up
- The Cool Down
- When to Massage the Canine Athlete
- Tugging: The Right Way and the Wrong Way
A Real “Dog God” Moment
About the Author
"Thank you CR for publishing this wonderful book and thank you Natalie Winter for writing Canine Massage in Plain English. This is a MUST for all agility enthusiasts; actually for anyone who owns a dog, whether you do herding, flyball, or disk. Like the title says, it is written in plain English. Natalie Winter takes you through the process step by step with pictures. The information is invaluable and you will be surprised to learn that maybe what you thought was a great exercise for your dog is actually not so beneficial. This book is as important, if not more, than any agility book on the market. Big bonus... the photography is excellent. Five paws up!" —Lisanne, Canada
"Kudos to Winter and the publisher for putting together this absolutely clear and well-illustrated book. Not only is it functional, but, with its more than 125 color photos and clean layout, it's also attractive and fun to read. As its subtitle—Taking the Mystery Out of Massaging Your Dog—proclaims, it gives us the tools we need to help our dogs relax and feel better. Give your dog a full-body massage or, if time prohibits, a quick pick-me-up. The information is presented step-by-step in sections, so you can choose what works for the specific situation literally at hand." —Bark magazine, Nov '09-Jan '10
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