Permission

Permission

It is not always a forgone conclusion that dogs always want to be touched.

They are very much like humans in this respect. Sometimes they are too distracted, are in too much discomfort or they just may not be in the mood to receive a half-hour session of intensive touch and nurturing. Sometimes they just crave cave time.

Before beginning every massage treatment, we always begin by asking for and getting permission from our dogs.

When we ask, we must be open and willing to accept whichever answer they may give us. It could be “yes;” it could be “no.”

The act of participating by responding to you and your request draws them into the massage session process.

By simply responding, your dogs are empowered to take more control over their lives and emotions. Either of these responses will enhance your dog’s quality of life. They have quickly screened and assessed their body and emotions and chosen whether or not they would like to be massaged. This, by itself, is an exercise that enhances dogs’ body and emotional awareness.

After a couple of times of going through the ritual of asking your dog for permission to start the session the mere suggestion of the question will begin his/her relaxation response and movement toward meditative brainwave cycles.

This is an excerpt from the book, “Creating and Marketing Your Animal Massage Business”