Who doesn't like to be petted? Everyone, but especially dogs. One of the things that most fascinates our furry friends is a good session of affection, hugs and kisses. The longer they last, the better for them. Dogs will never get tired of receiving love.
Petting a dog has many benefits, even for the person giving the affection. It lowers blood pressure and reduces stress in both of you, and it takes just a few minutes a day! The most important thing is that it creates a special and close bond between the dog and the person who caresses him. Likewise, caresses are a great way to calm a nervous, stressed or anxious dog. In this sense, learning to give your dog a relaxing massage is easy. Continue reading this article on our site and discover how to pet a dog to relax
Your own workout
Dogs get stressed too. A few relaxing caresses can help them relieve all kinds of tensions, control their cravings and hyperactivity and give them a dose of happiness… the most basic medicine of all. In just 10 minutes a day you can give your dog a "maintenance" of soothing petting.
Although dogs appreciate physical contact with us, it may happen that the way we caress them is not correct and for them it is a bit abrupt and, however, we believe that we are being the most subtle possible. If you want to relax a dog, avoid tickling, patting or squeezing
If you like to pet your dog, it will be positive if you learn the best way to do it and thus help him to relax after a long day or, on the other hand, to start the day with "good leg".
Many people prefer to do it before going to bed, while others do it first thing in the morning. The result is the same, dogs don't care so much when you do it but that you do it. Sure, if you want to do a double batch, you'll end up with a dog as relaxed as a yoga practitioner after a session.
How to start?
To start we will look for a blanket or towel for our dog to lay on. It is very important, since the mere appearance of this tool will help you associate in the long term that it is time for massages.
Start petting your dog to generally relax him. Use your fingers and the palm of your hand, relaxed but firm, to touch your dog's entire body very slowly. It runs from head to tail. Make sure you put all your attention and energy into it and focus on all the layers, from hair, through skin, to muscle, and finally to bone.
Stop and make circular movements when you go through the areas of the ears, under the chin, neck, armpits and chest. If you can do this while your dog is sunbathing, after a good walk, the effect will be stronger. You can do it in the park but as we mentioned before, after the game and the walk Otherwise, you'll see that he doesn't pay any attention to you.
However, everything will depend on the dog and the time you have. Other people prefer to do it before leaving home, while enjoying a morning coffee. The dog has slept all night and although he is awake, he has not yet been stimulated. With this we will help the dog learn that he can relax even when he is not tired
Pet your dog to calm the nerves
If he is very nervous about something that has happened, a few soothing touches may help reduce stress and divert his attention. In this case what we do is relax the nervous system with our approach Flatten and lightly rest the palm of your hand on your dog's head or neck. As explained above, but this time without stopping at a particular area, make long, slow strokes along the spine. Repeat several times and if you notice that your dog is comfortable with this type of contact, gradually increase the pressure. Avoid putting pressure on their lower back.
Your attitude while performing these petting to calm your dog should be consistent with what you want to achieve, that is, a relaxed and neutral position. As a final touch, rest one hand on the base of your dog's head and the other on the pelvic area for a few minutes. These two areas control the body's relationship responses and other important functions in the body such as: digestion, sleep and tissue repair. With this imposition we want to reactivate the positive flow of spinal cord actions
Leg relaxation
There is nothing better than stretching to relax. The area of the legs is an area that tends to be neglected, however, it is one of the keys to a dog's relaxation. Remember that like all creatures, a dog supports all its weight and movements on its four legs, therefore, these tend to be recharged with tension, getting tired to the dog
Start petting your dog to relax the paws and don't forget the buttocks and thighs area, rub and squeeze (to warm) before stretching any area. He then begins by stretching out his legs, grabbing them from behind and then moving his joints. He sees every inch of his legs from top to bottom and, holding with your whole hand, apply light pressure and then relax and continue. Remember not to be aggressive, firm but gentle. Less is more. Dog paws are strong but not invincible.
Finally, hold your dog by the hips and raise his hind legs, this will benefit the stretching and relaxation of his spine.
Test of pet your dog to relax following all our instructions and tell us the result. And if you want to know other techniques, don't miss our article in which we teach you how to massage the dog's ears.
