When Ashley and I were writing The Healthy Way to Stretch Your Dog, A Physical Therapy Approach, fondly referred to as “Stretch”, I came to understand a tenant that became the business philosophy of Canine Fitness Zone; the dog is always right. As we spent innumerable hours in photo shoots under hot lights hanging from bent nails from the ceiling of Ashley’s house, I had to build a trusting relationship with each of the dogs. Its challenging to teach some dogs to relax, and extremely difficult under novel circumstances. A few factors in my behavior became the keys to helping the dogs relax as Ashley hung from a ladder three feet from the massage table shooting noisy photographs under bright hot lights.

It’s the dog’s choice

Each dog entered the room on leash then was taken off to explore all the strange equipment on their own. They were rewarded for engaging in the environment with treats. Once they were settled into the room we asked them to jump up on the table. Again, they were rewarded for trying something strange and novel. This process continued until the dog was side lying on the table.

The dog will follow my cues

Because I needed the dog to relax, yoga breathing and a firm grasp were keys to guiding a dog into a relaxed state. Again, they were rewarded along the way for their efforts. At one particular shoot I was very clearly reminded of this fact. Hogan, the Irish setter, would not calm down. He was the backbone of the desk top book, a powerful and lithe dog who loved to be stretched. But on this particular day, he was a tad wild. We tried shoot after shoot with no improvement in his behavior. Finally we took a frustration break. Debbie, Hogan’s mom, said, “You know, I think the difference is that last time you were doing that funny yoga breathing.” True enough. As we began the next shoot I took an extended period of time breathing deeply with Hogan in my hands. His body melted beneath the cues and the remainder of the shoot went smoothly.

Dog’s talk; I need to listen

Dogs are very good at communicating if we know what to look for; calming signals, signs of tightness or pain, and cues to stop are the most common communication signals I see in the clinic. A recent example is Ellie, the Alaskan husky, who has been in physical therapy for healing an Iliopsoas strain. The entire treatment she had been bright eyed and engaged in the exercises. At the end of the treatment I was completing her stretches, in particular her hip extension stretch. Like a bolt of white lightening, the tip of her nose bumped my hand, my warning that it was too much, “Lady, if you don’t stop…” she was saying. So I stopped. And she returned to her bright eyed self.

This story could be interpreted in a number of ways: 1) It is a dominance issue and she should be forced to allow the stretch (I hope your mind yelled "no!" If your mind yelled "yes!" please call Ashley Foster, Complete K-9 Dog Training, or Sarah Stremming, The Cognitive Dog, CPDTs who will be happy to share the newer research on dominance theory);  2) I stopped because I didn’t want to be bitten or; 3) I stopped to keep our therapeutic relationship intact. It is true that I don’t want teeth on my skin, but if I continue to become skilled in the art of animal language, if the dog is of sound mind, they will communicate with me, just like a human client will. And just like a human client, if I don’t respect the dog’s needs, they will choose not to have a therapeutic relationship with me.

When people bring their dogs to CFZ for healing, the dog is always right. Sometimes the dog is very willing to show me where they have pain or tightness. Sometimes the dog isn’t. Either way, it’s okay; because the next time the dog comes to the clinic they will understand they are safe, that the people who interact with them hear and respect their needs, and they will be more willing to show me where it hurts so I can heal them. Trust is the foundation for a therapeutic relationship with a dog; it’s the foundation for any relationship, period. It’s the business philosophy of CFZ – the animal is always right.

See you soon,

Sasha