PetMassage Paw Prints

This is a letter from a Parisian workshop student who took our Foundation Workshop May 2007. It describes her community service. We are so proud of her. She represents the field of PetMassage with grace and honor.

Jonathan Rudinger

Yesterday it was a special day in the blind dog’s school. It was a national day and I was over there to give massage and to help blind people to massaging their animal. I was a volunteer. It was wonderful, I had a big success but believe me It was also very difficult!!!! I was obliged to take their hands to explain them where to touch. You know already how it’s hard to explain to “normal” people, do you imagine when you have to touch before the owner? It’s double massage!!! I joke.

To understand I send you some picture. I did 25 massages it take me about 7 hours stand up and speaking, many of them want to meet me again to learn more. When I was back home, I had no more legs, back, arms I needed a big massage.

The most important for me was to see how people were so happy and the dogs also, so nice dogs you can imagine!!! I hope now to earn so money but I know I have to make me recognize before and for sure it was the good day for every body.

I want to make you know what I do with my lessons… and ask you a question: in the video and in my translate book, Jonathan you say we can’t give a massage to dogs who have a cancer, but if I remember when I was in Toledo I understand that it’s possible, so please put some light on my question may me I didn’t understand well.

Excuse my very bad English but to night I’m exhausted.

Big kiss, I’m so happy to know you.

Love
Pauline

(part 4)

These are our natural aptitudes. For all of our students and me, the memories that immediately surface are about being with, loving, helping and nurturing our dogs, cats, horses, bunnies, ferrets, gerbils, mice, birds, reptiles, fish et al! We connected to them on levels that were not possible with people. These critters gave us reasons to live and love.

With the help of our pets, we all, to a person, were tutored about the virtues of trust, respect, faithfulness, love, and non-judgmental acceptance. We learned about intuition and honor, personal space and intimacy. We learned about fragility and pain, death and grieving. We learned that we could move on to love again - knowing we could never duplicate the same relationship. We chose to allow ourselves, through cultivating and accepting new and different love dynamics from other pets, to again experience joy, hurt, and wistful vulnerability.

Our students have put in their time and learned their life lessons. They have the people skills to help pet owners to develop better relationships with their pets, enhance everyone’s quality of life in the process. They are ready to give back to animals some of the joy and love they’ve received.

This testimonial arrived after this student completed her first workshop with us:

“I wanted to thank you all for inspiring me to do what I feel I was put here on Earth to do! My life is now clear and I am focused on a goal I know in my heart I will achieve. Thank you for helping me find myself! You’ve truly touched my life!”
–Heather H. of Madison, WI

They are the dreamers who know that they can make a difference. Through massage and touch, one dog, one cat, one pet owner at a time they can change the world.

Students, we welcome you to share your dreams with us. We welcome the opportunity to teach you our gentle PetMassage™ approach and the skills you will need to propel you toward your dynamic future.

(part 3) 

They all have a few important things in common. All have excelled in what they had previously tried. All had either retired, been the result of impersonal downsizing or pressed up against glass ceilings. Everybody has done their homework, researching the little that’s been written on the subject of animal massage and business creation in this unique field. And each has decided to flaunt the conservative rut-based way of living and thinking and jumped with both feet — eyes wide open — to learn and do and teach PetMassage™.

These excerpts from massage trade magazines articles discuss animal massage as a career.

“Animal massage has been a longstanding tradition among horse owners and is increasingly common on the dog-show circuit.”

“A Google search for ‘pet massage’ yields 650,000 entries, including mobile services, hotels catering to the lucrative pet-owner market and training programs.”

“Pet massage appeals to a wide range of people. Natural candidates are those who already work with animals, including veterinarians, veterinary technicians, groomers, dog walkers and pet sitters. But there is a substantial interest among lay people who just love animals and see pet massage as a growing field.”

–Massage Magazine, January, 2005, Massage’s furry future,

The growth in interest is astounding. In 1998 an internet search only found around 20 entries!

“From hoofs to paws to claws, the animal -massage field is one to pay attention to whether you’re a massage therapist interested in expanding your practice to include a different kind of client, or a per owner wanting to provide your horse, dog or cat with extra care and attention.”

–Massage Magazine, May, 2003 “Is Animal Massage Your Career Path?

“Animal therapists are a passionate group, and passion is what it takes in this blossoming profession. Much of the challenge of starting an animal massage practice will depend on the regulations of the state in which you practice. Animal massage is on the cusp of becoming mainstream. The success of each case brings visibility and validation to the practice, and with each new well-trained, dedicated and passionate massage therapist entering the field, there is movement forward.”

– Massage and Bodywork, April/May 2002, Shirley Vanderbilt, Animal Massage.

How can you know if this is your path?

Several years ago I had the opportunity to witness a channeling session by Dr. Barbara Brennan, the author of the classic, comprehensive, and essential energy workers manual, “Hands of Light.” This is what her response was to this question, “Recall a time in your childhood when you were blissfully happy. Notice what you were doing. This is the key to knowing your path. What made you happy then, are the things that you are naturally good at. Create a job,” she concluded “of the skills that make you happy.”

(part 4 coming next week)

(part 2)

We applaud the students who attend our workshops. You are the dreamers and the risk takers. You see the demand. You see the opportunity. You see the need to help animals and their owners. You see the awesome potential of PetMassage™. You understand that you will be creating a business as you learn. There are no models to follow. Whatever you create will be your creation. It will be the results of your person experiences, intuitive development, your charisma, your drive and persistence; your journey. It will be totally and exclusively a reflection of you and your dream.

You have enough faith in yourself and your dreams to be willing to risk your precious time, money, energy and reputation. We are surrounded by people with limited vision who cannot understand your passion or your goals to help the pets of the world in ways that have never been done before.

Those who have taken our workshops and home-study courses are all people in transition. They are consciously continuously and successfully reevaluating, reforming their lives. They are discharging old patterns and learning new ones, moving from their old tried, true and tiresome way of living to exciting and sometimes frightening futures.

Over 90 percent of our students are women. They are either tired of working for someone else; want to expand their skills and relationships with animals by creating new rewarding careers working with animals. Our students transitioned themselves from a panoply of occupations that include practically every vocation imaginable. This following list is not in any particular order. They have been teachers, professors, nurses, and doctors, massage, respiratory and physical therapists, NASA scientists, dot-com-ers, lawyers, business owners, financial analysts, CPA’s, hair and nail stylists, animal rescue workers, groomers, trainers, veterinarians and vet techs and assistants, Dog walkers, house sitters, secretaries, real-estate agents, travel agents, bus drivers, day care workers, artists, musicians, actors, mathematicians, statisticians, bankers, morticians, pharmacists, service dog trainers, animal foster parents, jockeys, horse trainers, factory and dock workers, truck drivers, machinists, millwrights, athletic coaches, professional athletes, chefs, spa managers, housekeepers, nannies, empty nesters, twixers and students.

(Part 3 coming next week)

(part 1) 

The most exciting people in the world are drawn to our courses. We attract only those who are inclined to share our philosophies of touch, connection, service, and commitment. Our approach is holistic and spiritual. We are not entrenched in the physical therapy - medical massage mind-set. We see our practice as supporting the work of veterinarians and other animal health and wellness colleagues. Our training is for people who would like to work either in veterinary offices as therapists and/or create productive, loving and prosperous businesses helping animals and their guardians. We do not attract everyone. Those who would not feel comfortable with our course content find their ways to other schools.

PetMassage™ teaches students to support the self-revelatory, self healing, intuitive abilities of animals through the use of knowledgeable, compassionate touch, fascia releases, understanding and the use of open body-language communication. Our courses begin with anatomy and physiology to get a basic understanding of body systems from a Western medical model. We include concepts and practices of TCM in our foundation massage theory and practice. Students then learn specific PetMassage™ theory and techniques hands-on with several sessions with live dogs in the classroom and at a local humane society. We conclude with lively discussions about ethics, marketing, legal issues and scopes of practice.

We have been privileged to give over one hundred week-long workshops at the PetMassage, Ltd., in Toledo, Ohio while our home-study courses have attracted more than a thousand students. We are proud of the quality of educational experience that we offer. We are also pleased that the course content that we offer is unique among schools teaching animal massage.

(Part 2 coming next week)