Zen Chien : The Benefits of Dog Massage

Tout Pour Le Toutou Point of View

My 5-year-old dog gets at least one massage per month. I can testify of how great the effects have been for her and how relaxed she feels after a session. As a doggy with a tough past, she developped arthirtis on her hip at an early age that was not actively painful but more of a stiffness I would notice after long walks. I had the chance to meet Marion, a professional canine masseuse and introduce her to Malka, my Shih-Poo and muse and I can tell you she apwoofed right away. She was genuinely curious about the touches on her body and loved the specific movements. The first time she had a massage I could tell she was not only emotionally relieved but also stimulated on the areas that are painful or tensed for her. As a therapy I really admire, I wanted to be able to offer the opportunity for more pet owners to find talented and trained people around them. We are very proud to partner with the Masseurs Canins (https://www.masseurscanins.com/) - their masseurs are certified professionals by Pauline Arnt of the Chien-Zen School, pioneer of dog massage in France. They gather talented and passionate therapists all around the country that graduated from their training and we are very pawnored to try to promote this technique, which is still new to many. 

 

History of canine massage

Massage for humans has been around for millennia. As early as 5000 years before Jesus Christ, the Indians practiced Ayurvedic massage. Based on the circulation of energy in the body, Ayurvedic massage aims to strengthen the physical and mental balance.

If many techniques have been developed over the centuries for humans (Californian, Thai massage, shiatsu and others) it was not until 1995 that Jonathan Rudinger first came up with massage techniques suitable for dogs.

It was in 2007 that dog massage arrived in France, thanks to Pauline Arnt. A pioneer in the field, she created the following year the association and the training organization Chien-Zen in order to transmit her knowledge to individuals and professionals who wanted to get training.

 

What are the benefits of canine massage ? 

A Canine Massage is a set of precise and measured touches and movements on various areas.  As with humans, a canine massage aims to support the dog in its physical and emotional balance, also called homeostasis.

Warning: even though it can be a great addition to veterinary care, the massage is IN NO CASE a veterinary act. Do not hesitate to ask your veterinarian for advice before a massage.

The massage will allow:

• To ACTIVATE the circulation of fluids (blood, lymph, energy) 
• To RELIEVE muscle mass
• To HELP and ACCOMPANY the dog in his mobility, his aging, his activities (sport dogs, working dogs)
• To DESTRESS, to relax the do

Beware, if it can come in complement of veterinary care, the massage is a technique of well-being. It is NOT a veterinary act. Do not hesitate to ask your veterinarian for advice before a massage.