History of PetMassage

The decision to teach animal massage began with an epiphany.

In the summer of 1997, Jonathan Rudinger was invited to give a demonstration of equine massage regarding a “Pampered Pets” series for the television station, WTOL, Toledo, OH. As the shoot was ending, his interviewer brought an old yellow farm dog, saying, “Dogs get stiff necks, too. Let’s see what Jonathan can do.”

That was how it started. As his vision expanded Jonathan developed workshops and home study courses in canine massage.

By 2002, PetMassage workshops and home study courses were recognized and accredited by the national massage therapy credentialing association, the NCBTMB. Human massage therapists study and earn continuing education units in PetMassage to maintain their state licenses and certifications and to add to their credentials. In 2010, PetMassage™ became a Preferred Educational Provider for the IAAMB/ACWT as well as the NBCAAM. In 2012, PetMassage was awarded accreditation by RAIVE to provide continuing education for RVTs.

The PetMassage form evolved and matured. It is now recognized, and taught in massage training academies, as a uniquely distinct canine massage technique. This is how PetMassage was described as a distinct form in the textbook, TouchAbilities™ Massage Therapy, Burman and Friedland:

Most behaviors and physical dysfunctions in animals have a deep rooted emotional cause. When PetMassage accesses the physical bodies of animals it accesses them on deeper emotional/intuitive levels as well.

PetMassage uses all the outward techniques in Swedish and Cranial sacral forms to assist the animals to move through their instinctive barriers, to become more inwardly focused. The Kinetics assessment uses visual observation, pendulums, palpation and muscle testing. Animals must be constantly monitored, for each touch is a request for permission to continue. Swedish techniques are used to warm the tissues. For specific treatments for chronic pathologies such as hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis; acute injuries, post-surgical rehabilitation, gait patterning and behavior modification, PetMassage uses variations on assistive and resistive range of motion, positional release and traditional acupressure on acupoints and along meridians. It also incorporates cross fiber scratching and healing touch for chakra/energy balancing, fascia and osteo-realignment.

Touching an animal with your hands or with your intention brings his/her awareness to each part of the body. The sensation of touch engages his mind. Light touch brings awareness to the coat and upper layers of connective tissue and surrounding superficial muscles. Stronger pressure heightens awareness of deeper muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments. Joint mobilization promotes body-movement awareness and gives the animal permission for exploration of movement to rediscover his “place of comfort.”

The sensation of intention engages the animal in a profoundly comfortable level. The PetMassage touch is reinforced on deeper levels with the magnified effects of the relationship of intention. Continuing permission establishes a channel between the animal and human which allows them to share energies, feelings and insights. Practitioners recognize, support and reinforce pets’ innate abilities to self-heal. PetMassage is effective in helping in all phases of animals’ lives: physically for rehabilitation and wellness maintenance; emotionally, with grieving and depression; and spiritually, with seizure disorders, separation anxiety, aggression and shyness.

To effectively support animals’ innate tendency toward homeostasis and potential for self-correction, PetMassage practitioners learn to respect the unique way that each species responds within its universe. The key in working with different species is to work with them on levels they understand, interacting with appropriate touch, body language, body mechanics and psychic communication.

All animals are hard-wired to be outwardly focused and to react in different ways for survival, so each has its separate massage requirements. PetMassage gently enhances the animal’s inner body awareness by systematically drawing his focus all over, around and through his body within its psychological and behavioral comfort zones. The physical work realigns and repositions fascia, muscles, tendons, bones and internal organs, along with their associated thoughts/habit patterns. Mind-body-spirit is enhanced as inner and outer awareness’ combine to support maximum life force potential, enhanced by the external practitioner intentions.

The PetMassage Institute also features off-site PetMassage Canine Aquatic Massage. The buoyancy factor and fluid patterns of water assist dogs to have a different awareness of their muscular and emotional responses.

By 2012, Jonathan had taught over 300 week-long PetMassage workshops.

Today’s PetMassage Training and Research Institute. has many facets, including training students the professional aspects of canine massage, teaching dog owners to include PetMassage as part of the daily care of their pets, teaching children PetMassage , canine handling and safety skills, and publishing books, DVD’s and CD’s under the name of PetMassage Media.

PetMassage as a world renowned school teaches students a safe, gentle and energetically perceptive form of canine massage. Our students come from every state in the United States and most of the provinces of Canada as well as from Europe, the UK, Middle East, South Africa, Australia, India, China, the Philippines, Singapore, Japan and South America. Students return home to create their own canine massage businesses.