Dog Massage: A Whiskers-to-Tail Guide to Your Dog's Ultimate Petting Experience

by Maryjean Ballner

Overview

Since we don't speak "Basic Bark," the best way to canine-communicate is through touch. Regular Dog Massage sessions give dogs the attention they crave and the affection they need, and the techniques explained in this book are designed to:

- Relax tense, overworked muscles
- Help puppies benefit from touch, especially during their prime socialization period
- Aid early detection of health problems
- Improve sociability and help calm a "Rowdy Rover"
- Promote cooperation during grooming and visits to the vet
- Enhance that loving bond between you and your dog

Recommended by veterinarians and dog experts, massage is an essential part of your pet's health care. Dog Massage gives you all the skills you need, including:

- Basic Massage Motions, Hand Positions, Speeds, Pressures and Moods
- Over 50 Massage Techniques from Whiskers to Tail
- Advanced Techniques and "White Glove Treatments"
- How to "Voice Massage"

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312267278
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/02/2001
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Maryjean Ballner is a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist who now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the author of Cat Massage and producer of the video "Your Cat Wants a Massage!"

Editorial Reviews

For those who love dogs, licensed massage therapist Maryjean Ballner (Cat Massage) offers "upgraded petting that generates amazing results" in her new step-by-step, dog-approved, do-it-yourself Dog Massage: A Whiskers-to-Tail Guide to Your Dog's Ultimate Massage Experience. Intended specifically as a means of enhancing the relationship between dogs and their human friends (never try to give a massage to a strange dog, Ballner warns), this fully illustrated guide advises readers on various techniques (petting the pecs, thigh thumbing and the paw-claw caress) with cheerful encouragement, important cautions and tips on how to tell if a dog does not like a particular form of massage. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Ballner lives in San Mateo, CA, but is a New York State-licensed massage therapist. She has written this book, as well as one titled Cat Massage, to help people develop a stronger bond with their pets through touch. The reader is cautioned not to use these techniques on unfamiliar dogs and to seek appropriate veterinary care when required. Introductory chapters cover what dog massage is, various "no-no's," when and where to do massage, simplified anatomy and physiology, special considerations (such as senior dogs and post-surgical dogs), and important tools of the trade (hand parts, hand positions, motions, speed, pressure, and moods). Most of the text is devoted to specific massage techniques; arranged by area of the body, they are well defined and well illustrated. Each section is easy to read and understand, and each is accompanied by cautions. Done correctly, dog massage should be an enjoyable experience for both dog and owner. This book can be used by the average pet owner. Recommended where interest in dog books runs high.--Edell M. Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., WI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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