The power of teamwork

Another busy couple of weeks.  I've picked up 2 new case study clients; Maggie, the 3 year old Rottweiler, and Elvis the 7 year old Tibetan Spaniel.  Neither Maggie nor Elvis are really too sure what to make of massage, but we’ll get there!  At the moment we’re focusing mainly on trust building which is essential.

On Tuesday I was lucky enough to attend my first canine physio session with one of my clients.  It was sooo interesting!  What was also really cool was that the physiotherapist was supportive of massage and recommended some areas to focus on….The power of teamwork ;)

I met up with Kingston and his pet parents at WaterWoofs over the weekend when he had his first session on the underwater treadmill.  He handled it beautifully.  When you think about it from a dogs’ perspective it must be a bit unnerving at first…you are encouraged into an open topped glass box, the door is closed, water starts coming in round your feet and then OMG the thing starts moving under your feet.  It’ll be so good for him though, it should really help strengthen his muscles in his bad leg.

Asha and I went on an awesome walk last week on some farmland over in Mangere – check out the photo of Asha and Kelly preparing to cool off in the cow trough.  And yes, they did go in…and yes they were smelly!

Since I got back from Chicago I have been giving Asha regular massages (which she loves!) and in one of these sessions I felt a little lump at the back of her hamstrings that I hadn't noticed before.  I watched/felt it for a couple of weeks and yesterday we popped into the vet so it could be checked out.  Initial tests were inconclusive so she’s heading in for some minor surgery next week to have it removed – rather be safe than sorry.  If I hadn't been giving her regular massages it may have taken longer to notice it so I’m definitely going to be offering Pet Parent classes when I’m properly up and running so people can learn how to perform an assessment massage on their own pooch.  Not only does it help relax them, strengthen the bond between you, feel fantastic, but it also means you will identify anything that doesn't feel quite right!

Other big news, I've FINALLY landed on a logo design so will be sharing that soon….:)

There once was a dog called Asha...

There once was a dog called Asha who was a beautiful, soppy, loving, lazy, SPCA special.  Asha didn't complain about much, but when it came to nail trimming time she was having none of it.  Her owners weren't the most skilled at trimming nails when they first got her, so Asha may have been a bit surprised by the first ever nail trim…but she wasn't hurt.  She was fine with having her paws touched but following that first trim, she wouldn't let them do it again.  They tried all sorts - treats, holding her etc - but the only way they could cut her nails was when she was fast asleep on the sofa with her paws in the air.  There she would be, snoozing away blissfully dreaming of chasing rabbits (or Pukekos) when all of a sudden there would be a click and she’d be a nail down.   Damn those humans…now she’d have to leave the sofa and go and sleep somewhere where they couldn't get her.  This little routine went on every few months for about 3 years.

Once she even went to the Vet to have them clipped because only being able to do a claw a night at best, her owners had left it too late and they all needed doing before visitors arrived.  It took 3 people to hold her in place and she looked so scared that her owner decided never to put her through that again.

Then one of her humans read this book by Dr Sophia Yin called Low Stress Handling for Dogs & Cats. 

One of the chapters was about desensitization to nail clipping, so Asha found herself one evening lying on her side on the floor being fed yummy high value treats by one human, while the other one held her paw.  As soon as her paw stopped being held, the treats stopped so she enjoyed having her paw held.  The next evening there she was again lying on her side being fed the same yummy treats while the other one touched the clippers to her paw, then clipped in the air so she got used to the sound.  Again, lots of treats but slowly the length of time paw holding was going up and she was getting the treats now when the hands came off.

The next evening, she knew the drill so she led there patiently waiting for the treats, while the other one played with her paws…and clipped her nails!!!!  All of them that needed doing, front and back!  Awesome J She was jack-potted with treats for that.

The moral of the story…go at the pace of the dog, don’t hurry, let them get comfortable with what you’re doing in their own time…and always always associate it with good things.

I can’t believe we’re at the end of the first week in January already

We had a wonderful time in Perth over Christmas and then went camping with friends in Ocean Beach for NY.  We even took the pooch camping which was an interesting experience…we now have half a fly screen between the 2 rooms of our tent.

This week I was lucky enough to spend 2 full mornings at Complete Canine Care building up my observation hours.  I 'observed' from inside the big dog section, the medium dog section and the small and puppy groups.  On my first session I wanted to run away with a Ridgeback and on the second one I was torn between a young Vizsla and an Irish Wolfhound :).  It was a fantastic experience and I have learnt SO much being immersed and surrounded by so many dogs. CCC have a great facility and the handlers are super knowledgeable about canine behaviour.  I loved it!

Over the holiday period I was given some advice on the “right” way to discipline my dog.  The person subscribed to the method of feeding your dog once all family member have already eaten, to show it who’s boss.  Now I’m sure that there will be some evidence out there that could show me how this works but honestly it just doesn't make sense to me.  Each to their own so I am not telling people how to train their dogs, but for me, this is nonsense and I can find far more sensible ways for Asha to understand who the leader is.

On that note I’m reading a brilliant book by Suzanne Clothier called “If a dogs prayers were answered bones would rain from the sky”.  It’s fascinating, loads of interesting and useful information but written in a non-textbook way with humour, stories etc.  I definitely recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about how to build their relationship with their dog(s).

I also saw my newest case studies this week – a gorgeous GSD and a Moodle (MaltesePoodle).  I've finished case study sessions with the dynamic Tusk and I've continued with sessions on Aggie, Kingston and Mako.

For the rest of January I am focusing on finishing all my home study exercises so that I can get my Certificate showing I've completed 300 hours in Advanced Canine Massage – woo hoo, can’t wait!!

Possibly the last blog post of 2014

This is the 3^rd time in almost as many months that I’ve been sitting here in the Koru Lounge at Auckland International writing my blog :)

So, what’s been happening over the last 11 days???

Well I’ve now finished my formal case study sessions with Benny and Dukey.  Benny chilled right out in his last session and was less distracted than he was in the previous 2 so that was rewarding, and Dukey has come on in leaps and bounds!  Following his first session when he was very unsure about it, I used a Kong filled with cheese slices for the following 2 sessions to keep his mind off me, but in his final session I didn't have to use anything at all – what a total star!!  It just goes to show how important trust building and patience are, and going at the right pace for the dog.  Hopefully that’s not the last I see of either of them ;)  I had 3^rd sessions with Dotty and Stan so more on them and Tusk in the new year.

I’ve spent another 2 mornings observing behaviour at D’for Dog.  I went on an awesome dog walk with 6 dogs in Whitford Forest – perfect for observing their behaviours.  One took on the role of Fun Police, barking at them when they started to go a bit nuts, and one took on the role of setting the others off…very amusing.

I read a brilliant article by Suzanne Clothier titled “He just wants to say Hi!”…an absolute MUST for anyone with a dog.  I was also introduced to the work of Sue Sternberg, and her YouTube clips of behaviour at Dog Parks makes for fascinating viewing.

What else have I been up to….well I've had 2 sessions now with Mako and will be seeing him again in the new year; I've started with a new client Aggie and her Pet Parent, Rhona which is great experience as Aggie has recently been diagnosed with arthritis in her hips; I did my normal volunteering at the SPCA which I've missed for a couple of months..[see pic below for the less glamorous job of scrubbing the pens (actually…pretty sure there isn’t a glamorous side!!)]; I met another new client yesterday – Kingston, who is a 5yr old Great Dane.. what an absolute beauty he is; I've looked at the possibility of renting a room from a Human Physio in Ponsonby; And I attended the Project Jonah committee meeting…crikey, it’s all go!

And what has made me smile sitting here (apart from the glass of Champers)….an email I just received from my accountant saying that my company “Auckland Canine Massage” is now incorporated woohoo!!!!  Logo, website and Facebook page coming soon in 2015!

                                                                                                                                         

That’s all for now…off to board a flight for Perth..Happy Christmas everyone :)

 Gorgeous new client Kingston:

Fun in the sun

What a fab few days!

I met a gorgeous German Shepherd called Mako on Monday night who was referred to me as a case study by my vet – thanks Jody Burchall :).  He’s in great shape but has got some hip issues so the goal from massage is to continue to make him as comfortable as possible.  It took him a few minutes to get into it but he relaxed nicely and I managed a really good amount of time working on him. 

He has such beautiful manners, chattering away to me as only a GSD can!   

We've got another session on Thursday so that’s something I’ll be looking forward to.

Then today I got my first real experience of dog walking.  

D’for Dog were kind enough to host me again for some of my observation time so helped out on a walk with 3 terriers.  Brilliant.   It was a beautiful day, not too hot and they were all delighted to be out running around.  Plenty of sniffs…and when the rookie dog walker dropped a few treats by accident they thought it was Christmas - had to move swiftly to get them before they did.  I also got the opportunity to observe 3 other dogs at the centre with their individual play styles ;)

Tomorrow I’m off to help dog walk again, this time with 6 dogs…should have some fun photo’s tomorrow!

Feel like I'm hitting my stride

It's hard to believe I've been back less than 3 weeks yet I've already completed second sessions with the majority of my case studies.

In the last few weeks I've also had a variety of responses to my new career. Some examples: "you do what????"; "did you say dogs?"; openly guffawing in my face; and my own personal favorite...someone looking interested, asking questions then in the end saying "oh you're serious...I thought you were joking with me"!!

I had the gorgeous Dukey again this week.  We made definite progress from last time and he was much more comfortable which was hugely encouraging.

I also had sessions with Benny, Stanley and Tusk.  Benny was a bit more distracted this week than last time; Stanley was similar to before; and Tusk I managed to give a pretty good Sports massage to whilst she was preoccupied with a cheese slice filled Kong!
I have never used a Kong so much...they're great for keeping busy minds occupied and Asha loves it when I stuff it with cream cheese and freeze it :)

Yesterday I managed to miss the rain when I visited the dog park to practice some more observation.  I felt a bit mean as I didn't take Asha when all her friends were there...I made it up to her with an extra long massage this afternoon.  

I also got to practice my low stress handling techniques on a visit to the Vet with Asha.  It's not as easy as the books make out...whilst she doesn't mind going to the vet, in fact she's quite happy with the whole experience and happily takes treats, it's when we need her to hold still that she gets concerned.  In the new year I'm going to take her into the Vet on random occasions so she can get used to it a bit more.

So to top off my week I went to Water Woofs for an hour with a friend to watch her pooch on the underwater treadmill - great way to finish the week!

Having fun with Case Studies and Observation

So I have now had initial sessions with case studies 4 & 5.

On Sunday I went to visit Tusk who is a 9 year old Dalmatian.  Tusk is fabulous and we know her from weekend walks along Point Chev beach.  She is very active - mind and body, so I figured I would have a bit of a challenge calming her enough to have a massage.  I was pleasantly surprised how easily she came into my space at the start and laid down...she got easily distracted though ;)  A few treats help re-engage her so we had a pretty successful session.  Hopefully next week's session will be even better :)

Benny the Beagle is case study number 5.  Benny is 3 we think, and has been with his current home only a matter of a few months.  Whilst having a reputation as a bit of an escape artist, the Benny I met was a total chill out merchant.  He flopped down for me, and I probably spent a good 35 - 40 minutes working on him.  He let me do some PROM, skin rolling, ischemic holding etc.  He is in an awesome home now but he's probably still learning the ropes so hopefully his ability to switch off and relax like he did with me will settle him in that little bit quicker an easier.  Next session with Benny is on Friday so watch this space for more updates on him!

And Today......I spent the morning at D'for Dog Training where I was learning to hone my observation skills.  
Observing canine body language is a huge part of my work - I need to be able to notice physical cues and nuances that when considered in context indicate signs of stress, fear, aggression, playfulness, and relaxation.  I was able to watch a couple of puppies interacting and training which was wonderful...and I even managed to give one of them a massage at the end of his school session...he was so relaxed he fell sound asleep :)
D'for Dog have a fantastic indoor venue and a really positive approach to training and behaviour - thank you for letting me hang out with you!