The eye roll, not your everyday sushi.

eye-roll·ing noun 1. the action of rolling one’s eyes, typically as an expression of exasperation, disbelief, or disapproval. –Oxford Dictionary

Looking upward with an expression of contempt, often combined with a sigh. Used to indicate frustration and annoyance with the stupidity of a person or thing. – Urban Dictionary

Several years ago I had a life lesson. I was having a conversation with someone and not agreeing with their premise. Without realizing I was doing it, I rolled my eyes, showing my disdain for their point of view. We all send out signals showing how we are feeling, what we are thinking, and how we are coping. We do it unconsciously. Automatically. My life lesson was that I was called on it. This person, who I cared about very much, was incensed; and rightly so. How dare I dismiss without consideration what they were saying? This was especially horrific because I define myself as someone who listens, reflects, and responds thoughtfully. I was embarrassed. Mortified. Shamed.

Those sentiments were even in the part of my wedding vows that I composed years before this conversation. “Anastasia,” I pronounced in front of the assembled witnesses, “I promise to listen carefully and respond appropriately.” I may or may not have rolled my eyes as I said it. Not my first rodeo.

Teaching the eye roll

I recall watching my daughter when she was very young practice facial expressions in the mirror. One of her favorites in her extensive repertoire, which was intended to annoy adults, mostly her mother, was the eye roll. Being the helpful and supportive father that I am, I recall proffering suggestions. “You know dear,” I coached, “that would be a lot more effective if you moved your head back just a little bit, like this.” That’s just good parenting.

She soon perfected the full roll, the semi roll, and the head tilt modified. Soon she was an expert at the glare, the penetrating sharpie, the quick glance, the look away with an accompanying sigh, the condescending squint, the vacant glaze over, the flicker look up and back, and the full twisting closed-eyed inward reverse roll in layout position (degree of difficulty of 3.8). She’s good. She continues to model and hone her eye skills for her two pre-teen kids, who are also naturals. That’s just good parenting.

Function of the eye roll

The eye roll demolishes any argument by taking away its power. So much is conveyed in this automatic gesture. It asserts that the line of reasoning you are employing simply has no value. It announces that not only do I not agree with you, what you think is profoundly stupid. Further, I don’t care what you think. Further, whatever!

The eye roll is a powerful weapon in the armory of every teenager. My precocious preschooler started early.

The eye roll is a visual cue that is an extension of the intention of the thought.

The look of love
-Burt Bacharach, 1967

The look of love
Is in your eyes
A look your smile can’t disguise
The look of love
It’s saying so much more
Than words could every say
And what my heart has heard,
Well, it takes my breath away.

We all roll our eyes.

We do. You’ve probably rolled your eyes while reading this. No wait, you wouldn’t have!

Often we are not aware of what we are saying with our body language, “and what your eyes have said, well, it takes my breath away.”

We are all wary of the eye roll. We watch for it, fearful that our best efforts will be unceremoniously and rudely dismissed. Think of it as another variant of the Sympathetic Nervous System’s Flight or Flee response. It’s the “Whatever” response.

We are keenly aware when we spot someone else’s expressions of boredom, fatigue, or dismissal. We need to become more aware of how our expressions are being perceived. And, as part of the Sympathetic Nervous System, the movement is unconscious. You are not aware of it. It’s intuitive.

The first step in retraining and controlling our eyes (they are muscles, you know) is becoming aware of what they are doing. We may not be able to control whether our pupils constrict when we feel stress and dilate when we’re happy. We can learn to control the movement of our eyes. Become more conscious of when and why we do it. Is the body language signal worth the discomfort it creates? Surely you don’t want to share everything that is going on in your head. Eye control is a skill that, like other PetMassage_TM skills, gets easier with practice.

For me, I learned that I need to be very careful especially while listening to my clients when they talk about their pets. I am eager to start with the dog and often within the first couple of minutes I think I have all the information I need. I’ve learned to stay tuned though, and consciously steady-eyed. Somewhere in the continuing saga is often a key concept or piece of imagery that will guide me to be more effective in their dog’s PetMassage_TM.

Slip of the iris

Our clients are watching for any sign that we give that will help them understand their beloved pet. They look to us to sense the subtleties of their dog’s condition with our talented hands. We are the experts. Any inadvertent slip of the iris could very probably lose the client. Allowing your eyes to roll says that you are dismissing the importance of what they are saying. Their relationship with their pet is devalued. Even a half eye roll can undermine the sense of trust our clients have in us. So, in addition to the Buddha smile, show your inscrutable Buddha eyes, too. Show your Patience, Grasshopper.

Dog with attitude

And, to be sure, our dogs know all about the eye roll, as well. This afternoon when I directed Camille to enter the x-pen, I got the message in her eye roll in the head tilt modified variation (degree of difficulty of 1.8). Our young boxer’s look clearly said “What? Seriously? You’re not taking me with you? Fine. Whatever!”

Change is scary; and, change is the only way we grow.

“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.”-Albert Einstein

“If your dog always acts, moves, and lives how he’s always moved, acted, and lived, he will always move, act and live the way he does.”- Jonathan Rudinger

Our dogs have developed learned reflexes or habits that supplement their intuitive responses. Each has a personally developed set of moves, based on their experiences and the way they have processed their life experiences. The habits determine who they are. They determine who they think they are. They determine HOW they think and WHAT they think about. They determine how they move, how they age, how they respond to stress, how they bounce back from adversity.

Your dog will never change his life until he changes something he does daily. The secret to your dog’s health and wellness is found in his daily routine.

Your dog’s body has learned, through trial and error, noticing what feels good and what doesn’t, and how to move. Some of your dogs’ fundamental decisions that appear to be hard-wired, may not be in their best interests.

If you want to see different results, give your dog different choices. He’ll choose the one that is best for him, his body, and his quality of life optimization.

Often we – and our dogs – are not aware that we have choices. Sometimes we choose to remain in our patterns because it feels safe to stay with a known situation; even if that situation is not in our best interests. Whew boy! Don’t we know about that?

Your dogs – and we – always have the options to make other choices. When given the possibility, the opportunity, and the means to shift angles, vectors and patterns of movement, dogs naturally and spontaneously self-readjust.

Myofascial work

PetMassage_TM has developed a unique form of myofascial work. Myo refers to muscle tissue. Fascial refers to the matrix of connective tissue that is the body-mind-spirit structural support system.

The significance of the myofascial matrix has changed as recently as the last decade. Anatomists used to describe the structure of the body as beginning with the skeleton, and over it was draped the fascia containing the muscles and nervous systems and organs. Our more evolved vision of the body is first there is the fascia, containing the organs, muscles and nervous systems, and the systems for intercommunication of all of these, and there as the framework for movement is the skeleton.

Skeletal movement is only a fraction of the function of the body. And, skeletal movement only happens by the action of muscles on bones. The action of muscles on bones can only happen when there is a clear signal through the fascia telling them what to do.

PetMassage_TM Myofascial work affects the communication network for all of the many physiological and kinesthetic processes in your dog.

PetMassage_TM Myofascial work works light, works medium, and works deep to the body.

One part of PetMassage_TM Myofascial work includes holding the surface tissues in slight traction or mild contraction. Dogs notice the differences in the way their bodies are normally experienced and carried. Dogs immediately recognize that there are other possible ways to react, respond, interpret, express needs, and so on.

Your dog’s surface tissues communicate with the structures that encapsulate muscle groups and organs. The connective tissue under the layers of coat, skin, nerves and fat, senses when there are opportunities to be more effective as part of the system for healthy body function. The reeducation of the tissues is a natural process.

Everything in the body is connected. Every element in the body is communicating with the rest of the body. Softening muscle or connective tissues beneath the coat, allows the organs and bones to discover alternatives in their parts of the conversation. So, tendons and ligaments release their tensions and the bones in joints settle into each other more amicably. Organs settle into each other more comfortably. Cardiovascular circulation, respiration, nerve function, digestion, endocrine function, and skeletal health are enhanced. In other words, dogs feel better, sleep better, move better, digest their food better, and overall, have a better quality of life.

How can simply holding the surface tissues in a certain way have an effect on your dog?

Your dog’s surface tissues hold the thousands of acupoints (acupressure and acupuncture) that support or impede the flow of ch’i through the body. These points are always located in valleys in the tissues. We find them between textures of surface coat, in joints, between muscles, and in the folds of the skin.

PetMassage_TM Myofascial work

So, with PetMassage_TM Myofascial work, acupoints open and balance, chains of acupoint called meridians move into balance, lymphatic nodes express themselves, blood flow and nerve conductivity are experienced as enhanced. This means that your dog’s body and mind flexibility increases. Mobility increases. Socialization increases. Happiness, contentment, and wellness, all increase.

PetMassage_TM Myofascial work does not intentionally manipulate the tissues to do anything. The way it works is PetMassage_TM Myofascial work enhances awareness of capacity within the dog’s tissues so the dog’s tissues are able to discover and affect their own changes. This is self healing.

It is significant to note that the dogs cannot make their corrections for self healing on their own. They require someone trained in PetMassage_TM Myofascial work to facilitate the process.

PetMassage_TM Myofascial work releases tension and constriction in muscles and fascia. PetMassage_TM Myofascial work releases tension and constriction in the acupoints in the skin and in the joints (where most acupoints are located). PetMassage_TM Myofascial work releases tension and spasming in the neuromuscular junctions; in the trigger points. PetMassage_TM Myofascial work releases tension and constriction in major and minor chakras. PetMassage_TM Myofascial work enhances the effects of Reiki, Healing Touch, Aroma, Light, and sound therapy. PetMassage_TM Myofascial work integrates completely with veterinary care, chiropractic, and homeopathy, optimizing the dogs bodies ability to accept treatments.

The body is wise

When given the multiple choice test, it will choose the right answer. PetMassage_TM Myofascial work is a way for the intuitive wisdom to declare itself and move into its power.

“Wherever we are, it is but a stage on the way to somewhere else, and whatever we do, however well we do it, it is only a preparation to do something else that shall be different.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Choices for dogs and their caregivers

Until your dog’s caregivers recognize that they have choices in the way they care for their dogs, until their dogs recognize that they have choices, their health, wellness, attitude, and movement will not change. Until your dogs experience PetMassage_TM Myofascial work, they will have neither the ways nor the means to make their shifts.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ” – Albert Einstein

If I had a hammer

If I had a hammer,
I’d hammer in the morning,
I’d hammer in the evening,
All over this land,
I’d hammer out danger,
I’d hammer out a warning,
I’d hammer out love between,
My brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.

– Peter, Paul & Mary – If I Had A Hammer Lyrics

If I had an axe,

I’d chop things in the morning,

I’d chop things in the evening,

All over this town,

I’d cut up fire wood,

I’d thin out shrubbery,

And I’d axe my brothers and my sisters

What they wanted me to chop down.

• Jonathan Rudinger – If I Had A Hammer, Parody

Every solution thought of in terms of hammering.

If you only have a hammer, you use a hammer to fix everything and every solution is thought of in terms of hammering. If you only have an axe, you use your axe to fix everything and every solution is thought of in terms of chopping.

Body solutions are in responding to touch.

As a bodyworker, I view solutions in terms of how the body reacts to touch.

Are there other skills besides massage that are therapeutic for our dogs? Sure.

Alternatives for therapy interventions.

Of course there are veterinary and physical therapy for maintaining the fundamental health of your dog. There are lots of modalities that complement and integrate with veterinary care besides PetMassage_TM. There are grooming, training, and dog handling, which are all essential for a healthy and well adjusted dog. There are Healing Touch, Reiki, and polarity balancing therapies. There are the acupuncture, acupressure and manual adjustment therapies. There is aroma therapy. There is color therapy. There are sound, nutrition, supplement, flower essence, crystal, and homeopathic therapies. There are movement, environmental, heat, cold, and water therapies.

If I had a bell… I don’t need a bell.

If I had a song…This is my song.

This is my song.

My hammer, my bell, and my song is massage. Not just any massage; PetMassage_TM. There are so many ways PetMassage_TM assists the dogs to self regulate, that for most situations, PetMassage_TM is all dogs require and the only modality I feel I need to offer.

How can PetMassage_TM be used? See: http://petmassage.com/about-petmassagetm/

Spray painting

Here’s another helpful tip, the purpose of which is to enhance the delivery of your canine massage:

We are instructed to spray of paint in a continuous movement, sweeping the spray pattern, moving from side to side, and from the outside of one edge to past the other edge. Even with our application of our most careful swathes of spray, we can miss a spot or leave thinner streaks. Then, we have to go back and fill in with more paint. So, we hold the nozzle over the area that needs to be covered and spritz a quick shot of color. Maybe once is enough; probably not.

The longer we hold the can of spray paint with the nozzle depressed, the deeper and more opaque the paint gets. We watch in frustration as the spot grows wider and wider. Very quickly, we notice that holding the button down causes the paint to run. It is no longer sticking to what has already been applied. Now, we watch as a thick drip slowly runs down the smooth surface; an incongruent texture. The (gasp) sign of an amateur, on our beautiful surface. The spot is now dramatically out of balance with the rest of the panel. As we continue to spray, it becomes grosser and disharmonious. The entire panel feels wrong; and it started out so well!

This analogy applies to touch. This analogy applies to the whole massage. As with most things that are good for us, too much of a good thing can be disastrous.

It takes time and practice to be able to recognize the signs for when to stay with your still-hold and when to move on.

When in doubt, remember this advice: less is more.

Okay. That’s the whole message for this week.

Bike light

George is a friend of ours who lives and works in Chicago. His bike is his primary means of transportation. Chicago streets are often precarious. He has to stay ever vigilant of the quality of the pavement, to the pedestrians stepping out from between parked cars, and the busy traffic around him. The traffic is the most disconcerting, with harried, inattentive, or otherwise preoccupied drivers swerving into his path. Often, they are not thinking about whether or not a cyclist is there. Their focus is getting to their destinations as quickly as possible; and they have to react spontaneously to creatively maneuver the lane patterns, curling around and speeding around slower and stopped/turning obstacles. Even though George has reflective gear on his bike and wears reflective clothing, he shared with me that he feels at risk, especially biking at night.

George told me that he has figured out a way to claim the space next to him on the street to his left. He rides with a small apparatus on his belt that projects a red laser beam. He purchased it through Hammacher Schlemmer. A bright line of light is projected about 4 feet from him and creates a visual traffic/bike lane. George contends that drivers see the light and cede control of the space around him in his private bike lane.

Space around us gives comfort and safety

Maintaining a certain amount of space around us is healthy, and for George, the way he moves about the city, it is essential. His projection of a visible boundary creates a mobile safety zone around him. He has devised a way to get drivers attention and tapped into a primal respect for the lines of boundary. (Admission: I’m reading Joseph Campbell’s/Bill Moyers “The Power of Myth”). The boundaries that dogs create for themselves are not as visible to us as a bright red line of light on the pavement. To other dogs, though, they are clear.

Dogs understand well the concept of personal space. Space is important, serious stuff. That is what we are discussing here, isn’t it? When dogs spaces are invaded or disrespected they will defend what they perceive as theirs with their lives. Space and ownership of space is the underlying understanding for canine social systems to function.

Watch the dogs posturing and playing at a dog park. They are definitely aware of spatial effects and consequences. Notice how they intentionally position themselves in relation to other dogs. They are constantly vying for, negotiating, and declaring ownership of space. It is the way they create a hierarchy. By controlling space, they determine who the leaders are and who the followers are.

The one who owns the space, then, is the leader.

Boundaries

Setting responsible boundaries makes for healthy relationships. We know that when we set limits for behaviors for our children they are happier and play well with others. We set boundaries for friends, which is why some friends stay for life and others fall away. We establish patterns with family that define us and our relationships. We set boundaries and expectations for employees. These are so ingrained in our management philosophies that we create job descriptions to define them. This is what you can or cannot wear, eat, drink, smoke, say, and act. When we know what is expected, we are more comfortable in meeting expectations.

Who owns the space in your home?

Some of us treat our dogs as honored royal guests. We allow behaviors that would never be permitted with people. Who moves through doorways first? Who sleeps as an immovable boulder in the middle of the bed? Who lounges in a doorway, making everyone walk around her? Who makes the decisions about when to go for a walk, when to play, and when to eat? Who screams at the front door or window? Who eats the furniture? Who owns the space in your home?

Who decides where the massage will be?

If you have a canine massage practice, who decides where the massage will be? Are you able to put the dog on a table (which is sometimes a challenge) or do you work on the floor (which is where the dog has more options to move about)? Who controls the session, you or the dog? Does the dog distract you by licking your face or hands? Does she paw at your shoulders? Does she lean completely into you? Does she circle away to the other side of the table? These are all ways dogs communicate. Dogs do not have words. They make their needs known by manipulating space!

PetMassage_TM has a solution

In the “Confident Dog Handling for the Canine Massage Practitioner” part of the PetMassage_TM Foundation training, we help you identify that when the leadership roles are unclear, dogs naturally step into the role of leader. After all, if there is no leader, the social network breaks down. When that happens, their safety and existence are at risk. It is a scary canine pack emergency. Who will be the one to lead them to food, to rest, and to shelter?

Confusion of leadership

Confusion of leadership causes dogs to act out. Separation anxiety, food aggression, dog and human aggression, extremes of submissive behaviors, lethargy, respiratory and autoimmune imbalances, are just some of the ways dogs show us they are confused.

What does confusion look like?

So, you may be looking at a dog with leadership confusion when a dog presents with:

• inability to make direct eye contact with you
• an uneven gait (as would happen with a tight psoas m.)
• a stiff inflexible spine
• greater muscle development on the fore end or the hind
• coughing
• asthma
• overt barking
• nipping/biting
• obesity
• bowel and bladder problems (diarrhea, constipation, incontinence)
• eating problems (swallowing, throwing up)
• tenderness in the belly region
• skin irritation from incessant licking
• hot spots
• infestation of fleas
• yeasty, greasy, smelly ears
• uneven, patchy coat
• hyperactivity, jumping/mounting people
• stiffness in stifles, hips, shoulders and/or neck
• numbness or lack of responsiveness to touch
• current behavior of chewing inappropriate objects
• difficulty bonding (new adoptees) or fitting into family patterns
• separation anxiety

PetMassage_TM does not treat any of these. PetMassage_TM addresses their underlying causes which are stress related.

Can you image how stressful it must be to live your life never knowing where you belong or what is expected of you and not being understood whenever you attempt to find out?

Watch how the dog interacts with his owner. How does he walk with you? How do his movements feel through the leash? Is he pulling, dragging, distracted, or moving with you?

Leadership skills are teachable and learnable.

In our workshops we teach the skills that will lead to leadership. You will learn to breathe, move, posture, and think in ways that will let the dog know, in a very clear and gentle manner, that the human is the boss.

The concept of owning space begins with how we greet the dog, demonstrating to the dog that we own the floor. We own everything on the floor. We own the massage table. The dog may only use it or mount it when she has the leader’s permission and is invited onto it. The dog must learn table manners. This ensures that she can remain safe, and the PetMassage_TM practitioner can remain safe for the duration of the session.

And it is all about establishing, declaring, and owning space. The subtle, yet consistent message of who is managing the space is maintained. During the PetMassage_TM session, the dog becomes calm, balanced and comfortable in her body. As she settles into her role of follower, she knows she is safe. We can note that her respiration slows. Her mouth and tail relax. Her eyes soften. Her coat shines as it lies comfortably over the skin. She takes her new sensibility with her when she returns to the floor and rejoins her owner.

With repeated sessions, the acceptance of follower role becomes more ingrained. Habituates. She is happier more often in her body. Her fellow dogs are more comfortable in her presence. Her human family is less stressed since they can build trust of her and her behaviors.

We do not consider this dog training, per se; although this certainly applies to training. We are simply recognizing and sharing with you what we’ve noticed the dog needs to be secure and happy and what we can do to make that happen. The dog isn’t trained to do anything new. We just want her to act like a dog and respond as a (socialized) dog responds. While she just has to continue being a dog, her owners need to learn the skills to claim ownership of their space.

PetMassage_TM venues for learning leadership skills

At the PetMassage_TM School, we offer dog handling workshops and home study courses for canine massage professionals. We also have created a short, 3-hour hands-on dog handling course for dog owners, taught on-site at our school in Toledo, OH.

The next professional level courses in 2015 will be on Fridays, July 17 and November 6. They are included in each of the Foundation Level PetMassage_TM workshops.

The next Dog Handling for Dog Owners workshop will be on Saturday, August 8, 2015.

Here are some links to resources:

Confident Dog Handling in Canine Massage Workshop http://petmassage.com/?product=4-hour-wkshp-confident-dog-handling-for-practitioners

Confident Dog Handling in Canine Massage Home study course http://petmassage.com/?product=confident-dog-handling-for-the-massage-practitioner-course

Dog Handling for the Dog Owner workshop http://petmassage.com/?product=3006

If you would like an easy and inexpensive way to learn at home, order the one-hour DVD “Dog Handling in Canine Massage, Yoga Consciousness” http://petmassage.com/?product=dog-handling-in-canine-massage-yoga-consciousness-dvd

Do you like what you read in these newsletters? Please let us know and share them with your friends and colleagues. They are posted on our Facebook page: PetMassage_TM and also available online: http://petmassage.com/category/helpful-hints/

PetMassage for Dogs Day: A Reason for Celebration

PetMassage_TM for Dogs Day is this Saturday, July 11.
 
Why is this so significant?
 
In most states in the US and in many countries, canine massage is in a legal gray zone. Canine massage is seldom regulated, seldom understood, almost universally underappreciated, and often the target of other animal care professionals who think that massage is somehow threatening to their livelihoods. The times and attitudes are a-changin’. There are ever increasing demands for complementary forms of dog care. 
 
Those of us who “get it” are the ones who see the value for dogs and their people; and who have taken the initiative to learn to practice dog massage proficiently enough within a set of specific standards, that we can know ourselves as being professionals.
 
I wrote a letter to the city of Toledo to request acknowledgment of the positive ways that PetMassage_TM has impacted Northwest Ohio. We noted the benefits that PetMassage_TM has had for the reputation and good will – dog friendliness – of the city of Toledo, for being an economic resource for Toledo tourism and businesses, and especially for enhancing the lives of the region’s dogs and their people. 
 
We were thrilled when we received an official proclamation from the mayor of the city of Toledo, honoring the day that I had the epiphany about the potential of canine massage, naming July 11^th the actual date from 1997, as PetMassage for Dogs Day.http://petmassage.com/petmassagetm-for-dogs-day-july-11th/
 
PetMassage for Dogs Day is a holiday and a promotional opportunity to commemorate the value of what we all do, and how we are influencing our societies wherever we are. See last week’s blog, “We believe” http://petmassage.com/we-believe/ 
 
As far as we are concerned, this is a document and an action whose significance impacts the dogs and people in areas far greater than our small corner of the world. 
 
Yes, PetMassage for Dogs Day exists in Toledo. It also exists in Cleveland, in Philadelphia, in New York, in Chicago, in Nashville, in Kansas City, in Atlanta, in Miami, in New Orleans, in Austin, in Santa Fe, in Denver, in Salt Lake City, in Las Vegas, in Los Angeles, in San Francisco, in Portland, in Seattle, in Maui, in Fairbanks, in Vancouver, in Whitehorse, in Quebec, in Toronto, in London, in Paris, in Madrid, in Florence, in Athens, in Morocco, in Dubai, in Johannesburg, in Moscow, in Mumbai, in the Philippines, in Taiwan, in Osaka, in Tokyo, in Sidney, in Christchurch, and, in the town or city where you live.
 
For us at PetMassage, and to all of us practicing animal massage and bodywork professionally, this proclamation is legally binding, official recognition. It is official validation. PetMassage_TM for Dogs Day is an officially authorized and recognized occasion.
 
The PetMassage_TM for Dogs Day is a step on the path toward national and international acceptance. The way we proclaim our value is to promote it and this is the perfect venue. Honoring and celebrating it is an opportunity to grow your business; to grow this industry. 
 
2015 will be the 3^rd year we will be celebrating PetMassage_TM for Dogs Day. It is growing in awareness and popularity every year.
 
Celebrate where you live

There are several ways that you can celebrate where you live. 

1. You can offer special gift certificates withPetMassage_TM for Dogs Day discounts to people who purchase them on Saturday, July 11. Promote it on your website and your social network.
2. You can set up a table and give free demonstration sessions in a park popular to dog walkers, or at a dog park, or in a pet store, or at your vet’s office, or at your groomers. Make sure that your appearance and signage is professional looking. Impressions, you know.
3. You can arrange to give a presentation and demonstration outside the mall. I have fond memories of the first time I saw “PetMassage_TMfor Dogs” on a big mall billboard.
4. You can donate your time and expertise at your local shelter. Be sure to document it with plenty of photos for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and videos for YouTube. Cc them to us atinfo@PetMassage.com. We’ll post them on our website and credit you with a link.
5. You can arrange to give a couple of print, radio or TV interviews. Send out email press releases. Call up all the media networks. If July 11^this a slow news day and there are spaces in the news feed that need to be filled, canine massage is always a feel-good, light-hearted story. With this short notice, the news of your activities onPetMassage_TM for Dogs Day is current and time sensitive. News editors will recognize this. You will get the promotion you deserve, pet parents will hear about what you do one more time, and hopefully this time you’ll be called to help their dogs.
6. You can create a special file on your website or Facebook page showing images of your PetMassaging dogs. Ask your clients to send photos of their dogs to you and post them under the headingPetMassage_TM for Dogs Day, July 11^th

Jonathan at the Glass City Dog Park 
 
This year, I, Jonathan will be giving FREE 5-minute sessions at the Glass City Dog Park on Saturday, from 10 am to 1 pm. If you live in Northwest Ohio –Southeast Michigan, we invite you to come on out to meet us at the dog park. The Glass City Dog Park is located just off the Anthony Wayne Trail in the Woodsdale Park (at Harvard Blvd) next to the world famous Toledo Zoo. www.glasscitydogpark.org 
 
Give your dog the gift of massage and learn how beneficial massage and bodywork are to your dog’s quality of life.
 
Of course, Anastasia will be proudly wearing her favorite PetMassage t-shirt (Unleash your inner puppy) and distributing our tiny flyers about workshops, private sessions, PetMassage children’s books, DVDs, and afterschool courses (her pet programs). Ask her about the next 3-hour Dog Lovers Workshop on August 8th. There will also be another 3-hour workshop the same day: Dog Handling and Leadership Skills for the Dog Owner. 
 
Anastasia is the penultimate PetMassage cheerleader. She is determined to make people aware that PetMassage_TM exists, has real benefits to dogs and their people, (dogs do not have placebo effects), is affordable, and available either from me, Jonathan or the thousands of people trained in PetMassage_TM .
 
So, why is the dog park called the Glass City Dog Park?
 
Toledo Ohio is known as the Glass City because of its long history of innovation in all aspects of the glass industry: windows, bottles, windshields (Toledo is 60 miles south of Detroit), construction materials, insulation, and glass art, of which the Toledo Museum of Art has a profoundly large and complete collection. In fact, there is a separate building, called the Glass Pavilion which was created to be a Center for the Visual Arts, designed by Frank Gehry in the 1990s, with curved exterior and interior walls made of specially designed and fabricated glass (except for the lavatories). 
 
Anastasia and I often attend wine tastings at the Glass Pavilion. The events are called “Wine by the Glass.” Get it? Toledoans pride themselves on their clever plays on words which is the reason I write as cleverly and playfully as I do. 
 
Several large glass companies have their origins in Toledo. Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning, Libbey Glass, Pilkington North America (formerly Libbey Owens Ford), and Therma-Tru have long been staples of Toledo’s economy.
 
Add PetMassage_TM for Dogs Day to your calendar for next year
 
Include this day of celebration in your personal list of annual holidays. Send it to all your local online events calendars, your local Chamber of Commerce, Regional Dept of Tourism, and County and City Hall. 

We believe.

Manifesto

When you have a business and decide to devote your life to it, you need to be able to clearly state why you are doing what you are doing. For The PetMassage_TM Training and Research Institute, in Toledo Ohio, we are continuously refining and redefining our vision.

Declaration of beliefs

There is something called a Declaration of Beliefs. I like to think of it as a manifesto. This is our raison d’être, our reason, or justification, for being or existence.

Recently we received the following link to the TED talk by Simon Sinek, “Start with Why,” with a message that we might enjoy the marketing info. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sioZd3AxmnE

Anastasia and I listened to the 15-minute YouTube presentation … twice. Have we been accurately presenting what our dreams and intentions are? We looked at the home page of our website. Uh oh. We have been describing what we do and who we are, rather than why we are doing it.

We are so dedicated to PetMassage_TM. We diligently and might I say “doggedly,” practice, teach, mentor, promote incessantly, and persistently work to plan for the future expansion of PetMassage_TM. To what end? Why is this so important?

We’ve been running this company for 18 years. During all that time, I’ve been practicing, learning, writing, and working on figuring out how to practice canine massage more effectively (our first VHS was entitled Effective Pet Massage for Dogs) and why canine massage has captivated my imagination. For me, it is a joyous exercise in creativity; perfect for my personality type. And, for 18 years Anastasia has been proofing and editing, questioning and validating everything I have written; perfect for hers. (Anastasia deserves a lot of credit for her patience and puzzle solving. More often than not, the first 3 or 4 drafts of books, articles, and these newsletter-blogs are incomprehensible.)

So, we, the four of us, Anastasia, Lola Ginabrigida, Camille Monet, and I, began to dig deep, teasing out, and then revealing, as belief statements, what our approach is, to the craft, style, set of skills, intentions, values, and purpose of the extended family of PetMassage_TM.

So inspired were we by this TED talk, we spontaneously wrote the following list of twelve tenets just as you see them here:

We believe

1. We believe PetMassage_TM enhances every dog’s quality of life.
2. We believe that PetMassage_TM enhances the quality of life of pet owners.
3. We believe that PetMassage_TM integrates perfectly with v .
4. We believe that PetMassage_TM is a fundamental need for dogs, like food, shelter, exercise, grooming and veterinary care.
5. We believe that PetMassage_TM enhances bonding with all newly adopted dogs.
6. We believe that practicing PetMassage_TM professionally fulfills the dreams of people who want a career helping dogs.
7. We believe PetMassage_TM integrates perfectly with dog training and grooming.
8. We believe that PetMassage_TM can be an essential part of everyday pet care.
9. We believe that PetMassage_TM teaches children to massage and handle dogs respectfully and safely.
10. We believe on-going PetMassage_TM sessions continue to enhance dogs physical and social lives.
11. We believe that practicing PetMassage_TM has a significant and noticeable positive influence on society at large.
12. PetMassage_TM with dogs is one of the essential elements for shifting the energy of our planet to become more balanced, aware, loving, empathetic, understanding, and enduring.

Micro and macro effects of practicing PetMassage_TM

In our practice, it is imperative to maintain awareness of both the micro effects of PetMassage_TM, and the macro. PetMassage_TM helps to restore balance to individual dogs, to the dog’s families, to the individual practices of veterinary medicine (and by extension, their clients), to our social values, to those who need compassionate touch and the presence of loving support the most, to people who would like to practice PetMassage_TM as a new career, to canine care professionals who want to expand, enhance or shift the directions of their practices, to families with dogs, to children growing up with dogs, to the vast social network of dogs and dog-related industries, to the neighborhoods and cities where dogs live, and to our civilization in its entirety.
Each dog that we assist toward balance is an essential, working and evolving part of – a living hologram of – the energy of our planet. Each PetMassage nudges the Greater yin-yang toward harmony, peace, and the restoration of grace.

This list is now on the PetMassage.com website on the page http://petmassage.com/about-petmassagetm/
You can make the PetMassage_TM difference.
PetMassage_TM is growing in acceptance, popularity and demand all over the world. Now you know why PetMassage_TM is so essential.

We invite you to learn more about PetMassage_TM at www.petmassage.com. Join us as an active participant in the animal massage and bodywork industry. Let us be your guide and mentor. Study the PetMassage_TM books and DVDs. Attend PetMassage_TM workshops for hands-on training. Take the PetMassage_TM online courses and learn at home.

You request permission to board our ship? Welcome aboard. You may begin your dog’s PetMassage_TM NOW!