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Ami Moore Knows that Canines Need Massage Too
Chicago, IL
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
CHICAGO – Like humans, sometimes all animals need to lift their spirits or calm their nerves is a caring touch.
Chicago-area "Dog Whisperer" Ami Moore possesses knowledge about several pet massage techniques which could provide her clients' dogs with the special attention they need.
While massage therapy for humans has been increasing in popularity for several years, the concept of pet massage is catching on as well – and it's being praised as a "holistic," even "spiritual," experience for dogs and their owners.
Ami Moore, the Chicago Dog Coach, recently attended a three-day PetMassage Ltd., seminar with instructors Marsha McClellan and Denise Theobald to learn concepts such as canine therapeutic massage and gait analysis.
Gait analysis, ami Moore explained, is "a method of determining a dog's physical disabilities by watching how it moves"
Jonathan Rudinger, RN LMT, creator of PetMassage, Ltd., says a dog's gait, along with a multitude of additional characteristics, can help determine the type of therapy that is needed.
"If, in massage, we were to work with animals depending only on our five outward definable and measurable senses, our work would be severely limited," Rudinger has said.
"We start with what we can understand. We can observe the animal's gait, the symmetry of the body, and the tonality of muscle tissue. We can feel knots in muscles, taut ligaments, and cool and warm areas on the coat or hide.
We can hear the animal's breathing and whether it is labored or not. We can see hair patterns. We can see the sheen or dullness of the coat. We can feel and see the patches of raw skin and coat or partially healed wounds. We can smell the aromas emanating from a dog's ears, mouths, and other orifices.
We take all these things into account when we begin our sessions with animals, but then … some other level of awareness takes over to guide our hands and our attention to specific parts of the animal's body. This super-awareness guides us to know where and how to touch, which directions to press the tissue, and when to stop our compressions to allow the tissue to unwind"
PetMassage should not take the place of proper veterinary care, and it is not considered to fall into the categories of medical or sports massage. The technique's developers refer to PetMassage as "complementary animal health care"
PetMassage uses aspects of equine and human massage therapy for the benefit of dogs, applying combinations of traditional massage, acupressure, positional release, and animal communication.
Ami Moore says the techniques she learned during the PetMassage seminar are similar to a method she already employs with her clients' animals – the Tellington Touch, or TTouch, method. TTouch uses circular movements of the fingers and hands over an animal's body to activate cell function, awaken cellular intelligence, release tension, and increase body awareness.
The method claims to promote self-confidence in dogs, allowing them to more easily learn new, appropriate behaviors.
Moore's experiences using both PetMassage and TTouch have allowed her to see "an increase in physical flexibility, emotional stability, and an increased bonding between owner and dog," she said.
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Ami Moore is a Chicago-based dog behaviorist, dog coach, educator, speaker and author. Visit her Web site at www.dogwhispererchicago.com or www.amimoore.com. ami Moore can be reached by calling 847-284-7760.
Chicago-area "Dog Whisperer" Ami Moore possesses knowledge about several pet massage techniques which could provide her clients' dogs with the special attention they need.
While massage therapy for humans has been increasing in popularity for several years, the concept of pet massage is catching on as well – and it's being praised as a "holistic," even "spiritual," experience for dogs and their owners.
Ami Moore, the Chicago Dog Coach, recently attended a three-day PetMassage Ltd., seminar with instructors Marsha McClellan and Denise Theobald to learn concepts such as canine therapeutic massage and gait analysis.
Gait analysis, ami Moore explained, is "a method of determining a dog's physical disabilities by watching how it moves"
Jonathan Rudinger, RN LMT, creator of PetMassage, Ltd., says a dog's gait, along with a multitude of additional characteristics, can help determine the type of therapy that is needed.
"If, in massage, we were to work with animals depending only on our five outward definable and measurable senses, our work would be severely limited," Rudinger has said.
"We start with what we can understand. We can observe the animal's gait, the symmetry of the body, and the tonality of muscle tissue. We can feel knots in muscles, taut ligaments, and cool and warm areas on the coat or hide.
We can hear the animal's breathing and whether it is labored or not. We can see hair patterns. We can see the sheen or dullness of the coat. We can feel and see the patches of raw skin and coat or partially healed wounds. We can smell the aromas emanating from a dog's ears, mouths, and other orifices.
We take all these things into account when we begin our sessions with animals, but then … some other level of awareness takes over to guide our hands and our attention to specific parts of the animal's body. This super-awareness guides us to know where and how to touch, which directions to press the tissue, and when to stop our compressions to allow the tissue to unwind"
PetMassage should not take the place of proper veterinary care, and it is not considered to fall into the categories of medical or sports massage. The technique's developers refer to PetMassage as "complementary animal health care"
PetMassage uses aspects of equine and human massage therapy for the benefit of dogs, applying combinations of traditional massage, acupressure, positional release, and animal communication.
Ami Moore says the techniques she learned during the PetMassage seminar are similar to a method she already employs with her clients' animals – the Tellington Touch, or TTouch, method. TTouch uses circular movements of the fingers and hands over an animal's body to activate cell function, awaken cellular intelligence, release tension, and increase body awareness.
The method claims to promote self-confidence in dogs, allowing them to more easily learn new, appropriate behaviors.
Moore's experiences using both PetMassage and TTouch have allowed her to see "an increase in physical flexibility, emotional stability, and an increased bonding between owner and dog," she said.
---
Ami Moore is a Chicago-based dog behaviorist, dog coach, educator, speaker and author. Visit her Web site at www.dogwhispererchicago.com or www.amimoore.com. ami Moore can be reached by calling 847-284-7760.
Ami Moore
Founder
Chicago, IL
847-284-7760
