Upcoming Massage Events for Lively Dog & Friends
Posted by lisa on Jul 10, 2010
Bancroft School of Massage Therapy is having its Animal Program Open House on Saturday, July 24 from 4-5pm. Come meet me and Marlene, the founder of the program, and see a massage class in action. RSVP, please.
Cabela’s Dogs Days of Summer event in East Hartford, CT. July 24 (9am-4pm) and July 25 (10am to 4pm). My fellow BSMT graduate, Erica Dwyer, will be massaging on Saturday and I will be there on Sunday. It looks to be lots of fun. We’d love to see you and your dog!
Becky Therian, my old Anatomy instructor at BSMT, is giving an Intro to Canine Massage workshop at DoggoneU. It’s a nice first taste of Animal Massage.
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Higgins at Pet Rock Fest 2009
Posted by lisa on Sep 21, 2009
Last weekend I massaged at Pet Rock Fest and it was a blast. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many dogs in one place, and I got to work on some wonderful pups. I want you to meet Higgins, my new best friend.
Here is Higgins’ mom’s description of his Pet Rock experience:
We brought Higgins, a beagle-jack russell mix, to the Pet Rock Fest in Worcester. Higgins loves people but is quite shy around other dogs. As soon as we brought him through the gates of the festival, he made a bee-line to the exit… twice; he was so uncomfortable with the hundreds of other dogs around, he truly wanted to leave.
We had almost decided to take him back to the car when, thankfully, we saw Lisa’s booth offering massages and Reiki and that it would specifically help anxious, fearful, stressed out dogs. If it would help Higgins enjoy what should have been a dog mecca, we would try it. The moment he went on the table and Lisa sat next to him and started her massage, he was a different dog. He leaned into her and allowed her to work out all his worries and stress. She took her time and didn’t touch any part of him that he wouldn’t willingly give her so he felt comfortable.
After the 15 minute treatment we took him back into the milleu of barking dogs and crowds of people and he happily walked next to us, enjoying his time there, allowing other dogs to greet him without shying away and snatching toys out of every bin within his reach (it became quite expensive!). It really was an amazing transformation! Thank you Lisa for allowing us to spend a fun day with our beloved friend without worrying that he hated ever minute of it and that we would pay for it later when he would destroy our couch!
Another gratuitous picture of Higgins:
How sweet is Higgins?
I can’t wait for next year’s Pet Rock!
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Third Prettiest Dog in Brooklyn, CT
Posted by lisa on Sep 1, 2009
We went to the fair in Brooklyn this weekend to watch an agility dog demo and they were having a prettiest dog competition, so of course we had to enter. Fergus was feeling pretty mellow so I thought it was worth a shot. Here’s my boy holding up pretty well:
Pretty terrier/ husky/ briard/ deerhound/ thing
There were about 25-30 dogs and the whole thing took way too long– I thought we might have to bow out to save Fergus’ psyche. He was fine as long as we were moving, but long stationary waits were difficult. You can see here that he’s starting to get nervous:
Getting a little anxious
His mouth is still open, which is usually good, unless he’s panting. His ears are starting to point back, and his tail is down, both signs of anxiety. Shortly after this he started to pull to get out of the ring. I used some massage, Reiki, and even TTouch to hold him together. Luckily they announced the winners, and Fergus won third place! There were some beautiful dogs there, so I’m very pleased, and very proud of how well he behaved. (And I know now to never wear that outfit again. Luckily only Fergus was being judged that day.)
Congratulations to Fergus!
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Help to pass dog devocalization bill Mass H 344
Posted by lisa on Jul 8, 2009
- A complications of devocalization surgery
A request from Shirley Moore of Save A Dog rescue:
We’re in the 11th hour: Now’s the time to protect dogs and cats from having their vocal cords cut for profit and convenience. In a few weeks, it could be too late.
An Act Prohibiting Devocalization, H.344, will be heard July 14 and could be decided by the 31st. If we don’t generate significant phone calls from constituents to legislators on the Judiciary Committee–breeders and vets who oppose the bill are–this humane legislation will be killed, leaving dogs and cats unprotected.
This is an unfunded, all-volunteer, grassroots effort. It is up to each and
every one of us to get the word out. Please don’t let the animals down.
We’re all they have.Devocalization is Brutalization.
Use Your Voice to Pass House Bill 344!
A good analysis of the bill and it’s issues can be found here:
http://www.willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1766
The comments on this page include both sides.
What you can do:
Download this pdf for more information on what you can do. I’ll post the contact info for members of the Judiciary committe in the comments.
Let’s speak for the dogs so they can continue to speak for themselves.
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Loving my new life
Posted by lisa on May 2, 2009
This was the view from my bed as I was enjoying my coffee this morning:
Click to see the northern pike on the line
Fergus and Smitty were so excited to be going they jumped all over me in bed. This is a picture of Ferg in the boat with us the other day:
Ferg modeling his Outward Hound life jacket
Though his tail is down in this picture, so he must have been momentarily nervous about something. There are lots of dogs on the lake, and we get told off a lot as we make our way around. We’ve also made some doggie friends on our walks.
I still don’t have a single new client in CT, but the non-work life part of life is pretty great. I’m going to be lecturing in equine anatomy and physiology at Bancroft School of Massage Therapy (where I was certified), which is also pretty great. I just need to get on the stick on the massage side of things.
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After long silence…
Posted by lisa on Apr 21, 2009
I am finally back. I’ve made a few changes (as if quitting your business job to work on dogs isn’t enough!) that will hopefully allow me to keep up with my blogging obligations.
Our new backyard
I moved to CT, where the dog massage logs are coherent. A little house on a lake, where the pups can swim and we can hear ourselves think. A ranch, which I thought was important to have for Fergus as he ages.
I live close enough to maintain my practice in Metrowest Boston.
And I took some time off from pet sitting, dog daycare and dog walking ( an enjoyable way to pay the bills, but even more time-consuming than my old office job) to get Lively Dog’s house in order, which I couldn’t find the time to do, as I get my little lake house in order. And part of that is blogging.
So, please stay tuned… upcoming posts include Facilitated Movement (TM), a new modality combining massage, energy, cranio-sacral, myofascial release, and Brain Therapy (TM). I’m learning it from its creator, Theresa Gagnon, and I’ve done some pretty cool things with it. Also upcoming massage workshops I’m giving, my foray into horse massage, and I’ve tried a few new behavior mod products that I want to share with you.
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Use the power of shopping for good
Posted by lisa on Nov 20, 2008
I stumbled upon this site today (via cuteoverload), where you can purchase products that are tagged either People Positive, Eco Positive, Animal Friendly and/or Supports a Cause. I’ve linked to the pet products section of worldofgood.com. I especially like the dupioni silk/hemp collar…
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I rescued a human today.
Posted by lisa on Nov 19, 2008
This is at least a year old, but is making the rounds again so I thought I’d share it with you.
I rescued a human today.
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels.
I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.
I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage.
I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today.
Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past.
I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.
A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.
I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.
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Move forward… fall back
Posted by lisa on Nov 9, 2008
I have a number of elderly canine clients, and it’s very gratifying to see them perk up after a few weeks of massage and Reiki. Increased range of motion, increased energy… you get used to seeing constant incremental improvements. You might even start to think you are pretty damn good.
Then the day comes when there is no improvement. Maybe things are even a little worse than last week. The gait is a little off. Or the muscle tone just isn’t the same. Perhaps there is a simple explanation; perhaps it is a passing thing. Or perhaps… the continual improvement isn’t sustainable. Perhaps the decline is inevitable.
It’s hard moving past that sentence. I feel foolish, but I hadn’t really considered it before. I’ve held a client and given Reiki while she died, but this is different. Her ills were acute, beyond my power to affect, and all I could do was try to make her passing easier for her and for her family. When I have a dog where my therapy is working, I feel effective, like I can make a difference. I’ve got a handle on this. Then suddenly I don’t… it’s a feeling of panic– I should be able to fix it.
In school they taught us we have to learn to manage our clients’ expectations, which in the animal care world means their owners’. I think it might be more of a lesson to learn to manage my own expectations. I tell myself my session goal is for the animal to feel better going out than he did coming in. I really don’t expect miracles, though sometimes they happen. It’s this slow, steady, reasonable success that becomes addicting, that leaves a hole when it goes. Ego, I imagine. Attachment. I should let it go.
That’s too easy, too pat. If every time I saw an old dog decline I thought, “Ah, but this is life. Very sad.” I would miss those opportunities where the lost progress can be regained. Alfie is one of my early clients, from my school days. You can read his story and see a picture here. In a nutshell, he’s a nine year old border collie with a history of Lyme disease, hypothyroidism, and a frisbee spinal injury that left one hind leg partially lame. When I met him he was in a downward spiral of listlessness and decreasing mobility. He responded well to Reiki and eventually massage. I cleared out his major energy blockages and went to work trying to improve his muscle tone and his sense of where that leg is in space, so he would drag his foot less. His mood improved dramatically and his mobility increased a little at a time. I bought him a small, soft frisbee that I could throw directly to his mouth, so he wouldn’t have to jump. After each session we would have a little game as a reward. Then, about a month ago I noticed his muscle tone decreasing in both legs. His foot was dragging a little. He doesn’t like deep massage so there was only so much I could do there. My initial thought was to increase the frequency of sessions but that wasn’t workable. I tested some structural integration techniques I’d been studying, and started thinking the dark thoughts that began this post.
A couple of weeks later his owner told me that his fur was thinning and getting greasy. She had found a few sores on his skin. He was more lethargic. She was going to go to the vet to get his thyroid medication for hypothyroidism tweaked. Weak muscle tone is another of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. In the future we’ll know that it’s one of the first to turn up for Alfie and get him to the vet a few weeks earlier. In the end, his dose was doubled, his skin started clearing up, and today his muscles felt pretty good to me. During our frisbee game I saw him really fixate on the frisbee for the first time. It’s the look border collies give to sheep. I think I’m going to have to schedule a bit more time for frisbee in future sessions.
So, the lesson is… I don’t know. Fight hard to keep ground gained, but let it go with equanimity when it can’t be kept? Learn to recognize when that point is reached? I will remind myself that my ultimate goal is not to make the Alfies young again, but to make them the best dogs their bodies and health will allow them to be.
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Venturing out into public
Posted by lisa on Oct 24, 2008
I will be at Pet World, in Natick, MA, this weekend, from 11am to 1pm, giving massages to benefit their Pet Shelter. There will also be a microchip clinic, also for charity. Stop by and see me!
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