How to Massage a Dog With Anxiety
Living with an anxious dog is tough; you literally feel like the world is going to harm you. As a dog trainer, my heart hurts for dogs with anxiety because I completely understand the “tug” of your conscious mind fighting the “pull” of your panicking mind. Massage is a wonderful tool that will calm an anxious dog. When trying to massage a dog with anxiety, it’s important to teach your dog that massage is harmless, and touch is actually relaxing.
Introduce Touch First
Most dogs with anxiety flinch or step away when someone reaches out to touch them. Anxious dogs are scared, and usually move away from fast movement, which includes hands reaching out to pet them. These dogs have learned that people will try to reach out and touch them even if they don’t want to be touched. Think about it this way: If you’re scared of spiders and one tries to reach out and touch you, that’s scary!
It’s important to teach your anxious dog that hands make good things happen. Instead of reaching out to your dog, play a game of “touch.” The “touch” game teaches a dog to walk over and touch your hand. Choices are super rewarding for dogs, and “touch” gives dogs choices. If they want a treat, they can walk over and touch a person’s hand. If not, that’s OK too. Giving dogs with anxiety choices is paramount.
Now, slowly reach toward your dog (but don’t touch her yet). As you extend your hand out 1-2 feet from your body, say “yes” and toss her a treat. Continue to practice, slowly increasing the distance between your hand and her body. Once your dog will stand still and actually walk toward your extended hand, it’s time to touch her.
Start with your fingertips first, and reward her as you’re touching her. Say “yes” and give her super yummy treats. Continue practicing until she’s comfortable with hands touching and petting her.
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Start Where She’s Most Comfortable
When sitting down in a chair or on the floor, your dog will likely walk over and present her head or butt for petting. This is the area she’s most comfortable for a massage. Place both hands on the area and slowly move one hand a couple of inches up and slowly slide along her body. Your other hand should remain in the same spot.
If your dog presents her face for petting, then start with slow hand slides along the side of her neck (move over ear, neck, shoulder). For your dog’s behind, place your massage (moving) hand on your dog’s side (where the ribs end, and on the side of the spine). Move your massage hand toward you (move over midsection, hind legs, rump).
Be Conscious of Your Hand Movement
Keep strokes short, slow and gentle. Apply just enough pressure to move your dog’s skin, but not muscle. When your dog is comfortable, take longer strokes. When stroking, place your entire hand on your dog with your palm touching her. Keep your fingers together, and stroke with your entire hand. Be conscious of your hand movement and refrain from pushing inward (you’ll see your dog’s body move the opposite way).
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Allow your dog to decide when the massage is over. [/perfectpullquote]
Take a deep breath in as you stroke her side, and exhale as you lift your massage hand up to continue another stroke. Breathing will create a constant rhythm, which is important for relaxation.
Let Your Dog End the Massage
Allow your dog to decide when the massage is over. In the beginning, your anxious dog will walk away after a few seconds or minutes. Slowly, she’ll learn to enjoy massages and will stick around longer though. Now, if your dog becomes a massage junkie, end the massage once your dog has relaxed. Then, pat yourself on the back for teaching your dog with anxiety that massages are wonderful.
Goal of Massaging a Dog With Anxiety
Massage goals are different when massaging a dog with anxiety. Your main goal is to relax your anxious dog instead of releasing muscle tension or giving your dog an entire body massage. Relaxing massages teach a dog with anxiety that hands make good things happen. Remember to always use slow strokes to promote relaxation and to take deep breaths. It may seem odd, but dogs do respond when pet owners take deep breaths, and they’ll likely take one shortly after you do.
Breathe deep in through the nose, and slowly exhale out through the mouth.