Pettales: Massage can rub dogs the right way
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A golden retriever named Cori looked totally blissed out as trained fingers rubbed her neck, back, legs, hips and tail. Her eyes were half-closed and her tongue lolled out of her mouth.
Cori was one of the 450 service dogs that accompanied their partners to a national meeting of the American Council of the Blind, held in Pittsburgh in 2003. The guide dogs had their own hospitality suite where they could rest, play with other dogs and get massages.
That's the only time I've seen a canine massage therapist at work. I can't speak to the physical benefits, but I can say those guide dogs really enjoyed their rub-downs.
Now a local woman is offering free monthly canine massage therapy to any dog that "works for a living." That includes dogs that lead the blind or assist the hearing impaired and K-9 dogs that work with police officers.
The offer comes from Judy Moscov who started her Paws Massage business 18 months ago in Point Breeze. She has received training and certification from Mary Schreiber of Equissage.
Ms. Moscov is passionate about the benefits of massage. Because she doesn't expect to make much money by massaging dogs, she continues to work full-time in administrative and support positions for doctors who treat people.
She strokes, rubs, kneads and taps muscles and soft tissue to improve muscle tone, increase range of motion and to relax clients.
"There is never any twisting or pulling," Ms. Moscov said. "I never force a dog to do anything."
She doesn't have a dog of her own to practice on but she does love Lucy, her reddish-orange cat named for Lucille Ball.
"Lucy's health has improved and her temperament has completely changed since we started massage," Ms. Moscov said, though she can't guarantee that other cats would sit still for this.
First Published August 13, 2011 12:00 am
