Alyson Snelling, NCCMT, RP, earned her Canine Massage Therapy certification in 2015. She also received certifications in Pet CPR and First Aid through the Chicago School of Canine Massage. She is Nationally Certified through the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupuncture & Massage (NBCAAM) and an attuned Animal Reiki Practitioner.
What are the benefits of massage?
The concept of canine massage therapy may seem a little new or even strange to many, but it's an important option to consider in maintaining optimum health for your dog. Think of it in a human sense - you get tight muscles from stress at work, or from sitting hunched over that computer day after day. You participate in sports activities or hard workout routines that can leave you stiff and sore. It's the same for dogs: that 3 mile hike, hours of fetch, agility trials, heavy nose work, or maybe just a good round of play in the backyard. All these things can lead up to tight or overworked muscles.
Our dogs go through just as many stressors and activities as we do (sometimes more), and have the capability of pushing through pain before showing us any signs of concern. And just like in humans, a good massage session can help reduce tension, loosen trigger points, and work out the toxins in the muscles and joints to allow for better mobility for our canine friends.
Canine Massage is not frivolous pampering – it offers so many physical and emotional benefits for your dog that you could consider it as essential a component of health care as food, water, shelter, exercise, and grooming. Massage is beneficial for dogs of ALL ages and conditions, and helps:
Puppies & younger dogs with socialization and body awareness
Adult & active dogs recover from exercise and high activity faster, allowing them to maintain proper joint mobility and muscle health
Post-surgical dogs heal faster after medical procedures, boosting the immune system and reducing edema/swelling
Senior dogs benefit from reduction in pain and inflammation for better joint mobility and well-being
Massage can significantly contribute to your dog’s overall health, energy, and quality of life. Best of all…it feels good!
Do most dogs tolerate or enjoy massage?
While most dogs are quick to relax for our sessions, some may have trust issues or reservations. If a dog’s only experiences with touch are associated with pain or unpleasantness, he will be less willing to engage in it. There may also be physical reasons why they do not want to be touched: pain, little or no experience with touch, lack of socialization, or a negative or aversive experience with touch. In these situations, establishing a safe space and trusting environment from the start is key.
A significant part of my training included understanding what the dog is communicating through body language, and how best to respond. In doing such, I help dogs learn that touch is positive, and that our interaction is always on their terms. Intent and consent are two incredibly important things when building trust and absolutely cannot be rushed. Depending on the dog's level of hesitation, our sessions may consist of simply sitting in the room together to allow the dog to adjust and understand my intent is positive. For more outgoing or adaptable dogs, we start simple to assess the physical concerns and build upon that as we move forward. With each visit, I gain more trust until we reach the final goal of providing massage to relax and renew. Each step in this process is vital for a positive association and connection.
Keep in mind that some dogs prefer to stand during their massage and that's totally OK! Others may choose to sit, while others will walk right in and lay down on the mat like a pro. Whatever way they choose is perfectly acceptable, as my work is heavily focused on consent, trust, and responding to the dog's comfort level.
What is your favorite aspect of canine massage?
A lot of what I do is subtle and may not look like much. Compression, lymphatic drainage, myofascial release - just a few of the techniques applied in sessions require minimal movement, but with a lot of attention to the application to and response of the dog. What may look like "petting" to you is actually a stretching of the fibers, a focus on the release of a trigger, or aid in the directional flow of the circulatory system.
I use my hands to assess the dog to find areas that require my specific attention - a tight muscle mass, a hot spot, a cold spot, a trigger. I work with dogs who are scared of touch, help them overcome their fear and become more sociable. I watch a dog's movement to see if something is off - a head bob, a shift in gait, a slight favoring of a leg to tell me what may require immediate attention. My assessment can also find things such as lumps or bumps your yearly vet checkup may not have found.
I have seen firsthand the improvements massage has provided to dogs for structural issues, pain management, socialization - Dogs who have gained immediate improvement of mobility after releasing tension in their muscles. Dogs who have regained full mobility after temporary paralysis from injury. Dogs who gained confidence to interact with strangers after learning people aren't so scary. My clients send me messages, tell me in person, or have left wonderful testimonials of the improvements they've seen in their dog after our sessions. It's these moments that are the most rewarding of what I do, a reminder that massage IS important for our dogs' lives, and that it's certainly not just glorified petting.
What can owners do at home to complement what you do?
Consider how you touch your dog, and pay attention to how he communicates back to you. By touching your dog in a way that feels good, he will often respond by asking for more. When you touch your dog, you are communicating not only on a physical level, but on a physiological and emotional level, too.
Communication through touch can be the most powerful bonding experience you have with your dog. Learning how to help your dog progress from a place where he doesn’t want to be touched to a place where he seeks out that mutual relationship is a goal that all of us strive for.
How did you become interested in canine massage?
After 20 plus years working in advertising, I was deeply unhappy with my job and in need of a change. I've always been an animal lover and had pets growing up (as a child I wanted to be a Zoologist), so I looked for something that involved working with animals. After finding an article on Canine Massage, I decided that was the direction I wanted to take and signed up for the program through The Chicago School of Canine Massage (now Canis Bodyworks) in Chicago. I received my class certification in 2015, followed by my national certification through NBCAAM in 2016. In 2017, I partnered with Canis Bodyworks as a lead instructor to teach canine massage in St. Louis, and am wrapping up my certification in Canine Fitness Training through the University of Tennessee in early 2020.
I'm so fortunate to have found work that I love being a part of every day. I'm grateful for the continued opportunities to educate pet parents on the importance of canine massage and help dogs of all ages, breeds, and conditions achieve comfort and balance in their lives.
Read our massage specialist Alyson Snelling’s bio on or Staff page. For more information on pet massage, read our previous article, About Canine Massage.
