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!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
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!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
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.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
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…
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
This is ridiculous
Posted by lisa on Aug 10, 2008
This year in New England, I feel like I’m under siege by summer. My dog Fergus, is a nervous wreck. He’s lived five years without being afraid of thunderstorms, but this year, we’ve had one every other day . All summer. Sometimes every day.
He goes from room to room with every thunderclap, like he’s thinking, “Damn, it’s in this room, too, I’ll try the kitchen. Nope, here, too, I’ll try the bathtub.”
It may have something to do with his ear being extra sensitive. I say this only because he has another sudden-onset phobia: he won’t go outside. As soon as he goes out, his tail sneaks below his belly, his ears go down and he pulls like a sled dog to get back inside. Panic, is how one friend described it.
This is the dog that never smiles in the house… he’s only happy outside. Now I can’t get him to go out to go potty. It was John that figured it out. He got Fergus into the backyard, and he was okay at first. Then he’d dive under a table and tremble. He’d come out for awhile, then dive under and tremble. John linked it to the off-and-on singing of the cicadas. You know, these guys:
They make an infernal racket sounding like this:
Cidaca M. cassini making my life hard
I remember last year it bugged him, but not like this. Meanwhile, I can only get my dog to do his business when it rains (provided there is no thunder), or in the early morning before they start singing. Reiki, massage, T-touch help a bit with the thunder fear but not with the cicadas. I began to think it may have more to do with ear pain than fear.
In the end, it came to this: aviation ear muffs for my dog. I ordered a pair of Mutt Muffs for Fergus. The other dogs make fun of him, but now he will go outside.
His tail stays up; he has a happy trot. He does his business. I can’t let him run off leash, because he can’t hear my call. Still, a thousand times better. I was starting to worry about his kidneys.
I use them, too, during thunderstorms (on Fergus. They’re too small for me.). Some dogs hate more than the noise; they sense the pressure changes or the static in the air. Ferg seems to only react to the noise so far, so I thought it was worth a try. It helps, a little. The quieter claps he can’t hear at all (no jump in his muscles); the louder ones must sound not so loud. He’ll lay in bed with me until the really big ones come. I would take a picture of him in his Mutt Muffs for you, but this storm is pretty bad. Fergus is in the closet. Sigh.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Happy Independence Day!
Posted by lisa on Jul 5, 2008
We started out the day with a quick walk down the old tracks, sneaking through the bittersweet to see our friend at the Wayland Convenience store, who came out to give Smitty and Fergus their favorite treats for free. On the way back, we picked blackberries growing wild along the tracks. The dogs didn’t think they were ripe enough, but we picked plenty to have with icecream later. I intended to take a small nap, but was instead whisked off to Trout Brook Reservation in Holden, MA to walk the dogs and let John do some fishing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the dogs so happy. Ferg had to jump in the brook and scare the fish away from every good fishing hole, so John may have not been so overjoyed. But when the pups are happy, so am I. Then, another failed nap attempt, and we were off to a barbecue at Land’s Sake Farm, where our friend Eric lives and works. Pretty much a dog park, today. My boys got to play with their buddy Zee, as well as new friends Mikey and Moose. I gave all the dogs massages, which were well received. Moose, a big ol’ shepherd/chow mix, liked his quads and hips done, and gave me a huge blue-tongued kiss. Zee laid over my legs for her massage, once I’d resigned myself to getting muddy, and occasionally jumped up to shove her head into my arm pit before flopping back down. She is a love. She is a rescue yellow lab/hound that my friends Liz adopted at six months. Unfortunately, Zee had a stubborn case of heartworm, and Liz found herself trying to keep a lab puppy quiet for six months. A labor of love. I wish I had known Reiki then, but I did give her T-Touch, which is good for calming animals. We snuck out before the fireworks and had our icecream and berries. The dogs are tired and I am full, so it was an excellent day.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Puffer Fish Reiki
Posted by lisa on Jun 14, 2008
I was sending Reiki to my sister’s fractured vertebrae as we watched her fish tank. Some new creatures had cropped up on the glass and were eating other new creatures. Her puffer fish was hanging out at the back of the tank, scritching himself on the rocks and swimming through the filter bubbles. But then he swam up right to the glass and hovered, watching us. I asked him if he wanted Reiki and put my hand on the glass, just for fun. He stayed a while, left, and came back again a few times. I confess I didn’t feel the same connection I do when sharing with a person or dog. Perhaps because I can lay hands on them. I ‘m hoping that after my second degree attunement this month I’ll be better at sending through barriers and over distances.
Next I want to Reiki a snake!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!