PetMassage on The Dog Face

There are areas on your dog’s face that connect with internal organs and their corresponding meridians.

  • Forehead: bladder and intestines
  • Temples and ears: kidneys
  • Between eyebrows: liver and stomach
  • Nose: heart
  • Under-eye area: kidneys
  • Upper cheeks: stomach
  • Lower cheeks: lungs and liver
  • Nasolabial folds: large intestine
  • Upper lip: hormones, heart, and spleen
  • Chin: bladder, hormones, kidney, and stomach
  • Jawline: stomach

Each organ has its own physiological function. The organs and their meridian systems are all integrated and dependent on each other’s capacity to function. When any one system is out of balance, it affects the energy flow throughout the whole body. So while you are massaging the face, you can address and promote circulation all over the body.

In my practice, I often PetMassage the head and neck right after my full body assessment. Dogs are used to having their faces touched, so it’s a comforting way to introduce bodywork touch and begin their massage. Plus, if you are working intentionally, you can glean additional information about what needs attention in their body.

Apply fingertip compression over each area. It can be either steady or pulsating. The patterns can be still, back and forth, in tiny circles, or a combination of these.

Consider placing your thumb pads lightly on each area and imagining that you are writing the pattern of the Reiki symbol Cho Ku Rei, a seven with 4 concentric circles. Without increasing pressure, visualize that your thumb is cycling down into the tissues, rolling around the Tsubo whorls in your thumb tip. It is a very subtle movement. Yet, effective technique for charging the organs, directing intention, and facilitating balance.

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