~ I asked my friend who is a fantastic, well-known masseuse to give me the low down on canine massage…

Canine Massage – good for you and good for your dog

If you have ever received a massage in a spa or other setting, you know how wonderful it makes you feel.  As time goes on, more and more dog owners are realizing and accepting that massage is beneficial for their dog too.  Not only does it calm nervous and timid dogs, but it also helps dogs with arthritis, elbow or hip dysplasia. The benefits, both psychological and physical, are enormous.   Canine massage is also especially beneficial for show dogs, agility dogs, police dogs, search and rescue dogs, and other working dogs.

The following are just some of the effects massage can have on your dog:

Calm and relax
Energize
Counteract stress
Increase flexibility and range of motion
Restore natural gait and balance
Relieve muscle tension, adhesions and “knots”
Soothe sore muscles and joints
Prevent injury
Accustom your dog to all-over touch
Make your dog feel great!

Why Massage?

At this point, you may be thinking, “I pet my dog all the time; why do they really need a massage?” The answer is simple; while petting is soothing and relaxing for both you and your dog, it is rubbing rather than massage. Your dog’s body actively responds and participates during massage. Massage is the deliberate delivery of strokes using controlled pressure and intention. Massage is beneficial for both physical and emotional well-being.

Ocean Waves Massage is proud to offer Canine Massage for your beloved pet companion.  A full massage generally takes between 45 minutes to an hour, depending on temperament and size of your dog. We always perform a full body massage so that all the muscles of the body receive the benefit of massage, but of course we can always spend more time on a specific area as needed or requested. 

Remember – Canine Massage is not meant to replace normal veterinary care – we work in conjunction with veterinarians to provide your dog with the best health possible.

~ Sounds fantastic. I’m ready for one myself!

We’re back after a busy summer. It was also a sad one for our family as we lost of one of our own, Shiloh, my sister’s lovely, young yellow lab.

My husband wrote the announcement in July:

‘Sadly, we had news come through that we lost Shiloh, a lovely, lively yellow lab.  She had suffered with kidney issues for a time but recently things had gotten worse.   When she no longer wanted to chase after her beloved Mr. Bobo toy and refused to chase down the lawn mower, we knew something was seriously wrong. And when it was time, her mom and dad had no choice but to let her go. 

She now joins her step-sister, Trixie, somewhere in a large field chasing squirrels and rabbits and enjoying a long relaxing belly rub. She will be missed.’

He even asked Henry’s Backyard for a recommendation to help keep his frisky pup off the furniture, so if you have any suggestions, please share them with us and we will test them out in Henry’s Lab – and send some recommendations to Greg.

We also met Pat Lacy, the inventor of a new type of training harness and the owner of Jackson Sage, a line of herbal skin care products currently available at Whole Foods and Ellwood Thompson’s. Both products will be tested in Henry’s Lab so be on the lookout for our results.

And stay tuned for information on where Henry’s Backyard will be next!

Our testing team really enjoyed them as well. “My dogs loved them.” The team liked that they were small – so you don’t have to break them up for smaller dogs, and portable – great for travel. “Our pups loved them all, and even tried to get the one that rolled under the fridge!” He gets an ‘A’ for effort!

The flavors we tested included Carob Snackers, Peanut Butter Snackers, Cranberry Snackers, Cheddar Snackers and Pumpkin Spice Snackers with the most popular being the Peanut Butter and Carob. All testers said they would buy more or similar products from Sammy Snacks.

Editors comments: The people at Sammy Snacks were wonderful to work with and really have a tasty, healthy product. They have also ‘gone green’ utilizing brown bags and a limited amount of ink. So go to their website www.SammySnacks.com and pick up yours  – just be sure to share.

Henry’s Lab Ranking:

Rourke’s deep affection for his dogs is well documented since the Golden Globes six weeks ago when he thanked his dogs during his acceptance speech for winning the Best Actor award for his role in The Wrestler.

“She was the love of my life. She made it until six days ago so she left me at a time after almost 18 years when she knew I’d be alright. That’s Loki. It’s bittersweet because I’d rather have Loki another two years than an Oscar, and I told her that. But she stayed as long as she could. She just fell asleep in my arms. I think we all want to go that way.”

Mickey explained that stars including Bruce Springsteen, Al Pacino, Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins and director Jon Favreau have expressed their sympathy following Loki’s death.

He said that this Oscar morning he attended church and “lit a candle for Loki and for my grandmother and my brother.”

Rourke did not win the Oscar but did show his softer side and touch the hearts of many dog lovers. 

‘The new K9Grass was designed especially for dogs by ForeverLawn, which is based in Albuquerque, N.M. ForeverLawn says the grass drains well and can withstand wear and tear. It also has a knitted structure that helps wick away urine and odors .’

It’s not cheap but this park was able to install it with help from the city, county and donations. [ I'm thinking I would like it in my yard!]

But if you’re neighborhood needs a good dog park or your dog park needs some work, you may want to check it out.

The Onion have done it again.

Just in time for the holidays, they have come up with a clever, yet non-existant product every dog owner should have…the iFeast. Here’s the description from their web store:

‘Let’s face it. You and your pet don’t share the same “taste” in music. That’s why TechnoPetz created iFeast, the portable pet feeding/watering system for your MP3 player. Mealtime will never be the same for your pet with iFeast.

No, the products aren’t real. But the empty boxes are. Wrap your otherwise forgettable gift in an Onion gift box, and watch their faces fall when they realize there is no such thing as a pet feeding/docking station for an overly pampered pet’s portable MP3 player—just a crappy bric-a-brac inside you waited until the last moment to buy. ‘

How fun is that? A great laugh for $7.99.

Give it this year for the holidays and let me know what they think!

Direct from their website it explains, ‘Stella & Chewy’s is an all-natural, raw, frozen-fresh and freeze-dried petfood, made exclusively from human-grade free-range meats, ground bones, and fresh organic vegetables.’

Although the idea of ‘freeze dried’ is not terribly appealing, it is a fantastic product made from just one ingredient; free range chicken or beef. They are great for traveling and good for dogs who may need to lose a few pounds (no grains included). With all the crazy dog food recalls out there, it is nice to find a manufacturer dedicated to making safe (and tasty) products for our pets.

Henry and Jess go absolutely crazy for them (they almost dance around the kitchen when I take them out) – and Henry can be quite fussy about his treats. All Henry’s testers were wild about Stella & Chewy’s carnivore kisses so we had to give them a five out of five.

Henry’s Lab Ranking:

I just couldn’t resist this…the Winners of the ‘My Dog looks like Obama or McCain photo contest.’!

Here’s a link to all the contestants.

So who get’s your vote?