How to Massage Your Dog

Massaging your dog is a good way to bond with your pet as well as to detect his health problems before they get out of control, such as tumors or wounds. . A dog massage is different from a human massage; Instead of a deep massage to relax the muscles, the goal is gentle movements that help the pet relax and feel comfortable. Combine massage and brushing to help your dog feel healthy, happy, and loved.

Table of Contents

Massage The Right Way

Let’s start with gentle patting. Pet your dog in the places you know he likes best. This will help it calm down and relax enough to enjoy a massage. Rub your head, belly, back, and elsewhere with gentle strokes.

Have your dog sit, lie down, or stand in a comfortable position.
Stay calm, relax, and talk to your dog gently to help relieve his stress.

Massage the dog’s neck area. Use your fingertips to make a circular motion on top of it. Apply gentle pressure, don’t be too strong as it can make it uncomfortable.

If you have a puppy, use small movements. With a larger dog, the movement needs to be larger.
Do not press too hard on the dog’s body causing it to contract. Remember, you are doing a gentle massage. You just want to rub your dog’s body to calm him down and create a bond with him.

Gradually move to the shoulder area. Gently massage down the neck and between the shoulders. This is usually a dog’s favorite spot, because it’s a place the dog can’t reach on its own, so spend some time there.

Next, massage your legs and chest. Many dogs do not like being touched; If your dog shrinks, remove your hand and move on to another part of the body. If your dog likes it, see if he enjoys a paw massage.

Massage the dog’s back. Slowly massage up between your shoulders and slowly down your back. Use your fingers to make small circular movements between the sides of your spine.

Ends on the hind legs. Continue massaging until reaching the tailbone. Slowly massage down the dog’s hind legs. Continue massaging the paws if your dog likes to have his paws elevated.

Make Your Dog Comfortable

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Get a massage at a quiet time of day. Get a massage when you and your dog are at ease, like at the end of the day after dinner. This will help your dog relax while you pet him.

Do not massage your dog when he is feeling strong for any reason; Best to wait until it calms down.
Don’t massage right after your workout is over; Give your dog about half an hour to rest first.
Do not massage your dog when he is not feeling well; A simple caress is enough, but it won’t have the strength to get a massage.

Try to do a 5 or 10 minute massage. Your dog may not like a massage at first, and it may just be because he’s not used to it. Observe if your dog enjoys the massage for about 1 minute, and continue with longer massages. As long as your dog likes this, there will be no limit on massage time, but 5 or 10 minutes is enough to massage your dog’s whole body.

Stop if your dog doesn’t like it. The purpose of massage is to help your dog feel happy and comfortable, so don’t do it if he doesn’t like it. If it is happy to be massaged, it will relax and breathe easily. If not, it may have the following manifestations: ^{[1] X Research Source}

Stiffness when switching from caressing to massaging
Shrink back
Growl
Bite your hand
Escape

Include brushing in your massage. Since your dog is calm and comfortable enough, this is also a good time to brush his coat. Only do so if your dog enjoys being groomed. Otherwise, it will assume that the massage period is a time of discomfort and anxiety. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Brush your dog’s coat from head to tail
Trim its nails if it’s too long
Trim the hair if it grows too long around the dog’s face, legs, or tail

Make Massage a Healthy Habit

Alleviate your dog’s joint pain. If your dog is old and has arthritis, massage is very beneficial. Massage gently around the inflamed area, using a massaging motion to help relieve pain. Do not press too hard, and do not massage directly into the inflamed area. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

You can also gently stretch your dog’s legs to help relieve the pain.
Not many dogs like this.. If your dog is hunched over, don’t continue the massage. Trying to force a massage will make your dog feel worse instead of better.

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Recognize tumors and areas of inflammation. Massaging your dog regularly is an effective way to check for injuries that require a veterinary examination. Keep in mind any lumps or wounds you haven’t seen before. Pay special attention if your dog purrs when you touch certain points on his body. If you see anything worrisome, take your dog to the vet for a checkup.

The best way to see lumps is by long and gentle strokes over the dog’s body. Feel the dog’s belly, legs, chest, and back. Make sure you don’t miss any points.

Let the expert do the deep massage. If you think a deep massage is good for your dog, schedule a vet appointment. Deep massage can be beneficial for animals, but if you’re not familiar with dog anatomy, you could end up hurting your pet.

Advice

Don’t forget that your dog needs time to rest too!
Removing the dog collar will make it easier to massage the entire neck area.
Dogs love to be scratched, so spend a little time petting and loving them too.
Use only your fingertips with small dogs, but still have the necessary force.
Massage is also a good time to groom them.
Dogs love getting ear massages too!
Do not press hard or massage the German Shepherd’s lower back as they are vulnerable.

Warning

Never forget to put on your dog’s collar after the massage is over! Especially when your dog often runs around unattended.
Do not use too much force when massaging.

Steps

Massage The Right Way

Make Your Dog Comfortable

Make Massage a Healthy Habit

Advice

Warning

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