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► Pleasing your pet with massage
I Jou Don’t have to be a highly trained expert in several esoteric massage Jr Techniques in order to make your dog Sparky roll over in ecstasy when ^you rub his belly. However, maybe there are a few tricks here you haven’t experimented with before. Your pet is sure to be overjoyed that you’ve read this book (and this chapter in particular) and are now ready to spend quality time trying out some new maneuvers. In fact, Sparky may have been the one who slipped that bookmark onto this page when you weren’t looking.
Animals can teach us humans a thing or two about massage. Just watch a cat, for instance, over a period of five minutes (when it’s not asleep), and you’ll see what I mean. They are "in the moment" all the time, responding to their inner "call of the wild" to do whatever comes naturally. You can follow their lead with these massage moves. Yes, that’s right, go ahead and get crazy with your techniques, letting your instincts take over as you bond and communicate with that special creature in your life. I limit the discussion to cats and dogs here because those are the most popular pets, but there’s no reason you can’t try these moves out on hamsters, gerbils, or Vietnamese pigs as well.
Part pressure
Some people reserve their paw petting just for the furry tops of the paws, which is a big mistake. If you slide your fingers into the webbing of the paw pads underneath, you reach some areas that are hard to get to otherwise. Ever see your pets vigorously nibbling away at their own feet? This is the area they’re trying to get, and if you help them out, they’ll appreciate it.
Outer ears
Too many pet owners content themselves with a cursory scratch of the ears, when what your pet really wants is an all-out assault on the base of the back of the ear where it connects to the head. This seems to be an area that can never get enough intense rubbing. Use the tips of your index and middle fingers, really digging into the cartilage there that makes up the ear.
Inner ears
Inside the ear is a gold mine of prospective massage points, and it would be silly of you to stay away just because the inside of the ear is pink and potentially "yucky." Go ahead, promise yourself youTl wash your hands immediately afterwards, and then rub away on the little ridges and rolls within the cavern of the ear, exploring for new areas of pet pleasure.
Betty rub
The ever-popular belly rub is quite simple for most of us to perform. Just start rubbing, and your pooch keels over, kicking his paws up in the air in animal surrender. Experiment until you find the exact spot that causes the most frenetic paw movements. This is "ground zero" in belly-rub territory.
Watch out if you use belly rubbing on a cat because it will quite likely try to grasp your arm with its front paws and start clawing you with the back paws, This is the natural feline "disemboweling" reaction, meant to eviscerate any unlucky little rodents it catches out in the yard.
"Knee" kneading
Did you know that what we usually think of as the "knees" on our pets are actually the wrists? It’s true, and it’s also true that this is a little-known area of intense pet-massage satisfaction. Just try massaging your own wrists for a few seconds. Feels good, right? Animals love it, too. Use your fingertips to rub little circles in all directions around the joint, down onto the paw a little bit, and back up onto the leg slightly, too. Pinch in between the bones and tendons, and do a few joint movements while you’re at it.
Chin Wedgies
Just at the tip of the jutting underside of your dog or cat’s chin you’ll find the spot where the two sides of the jaw come together. The little triangle of soft tissue that you’ll find there is a site of supreme sensitivity. Use your pinkie finger if necessary to reach into this area and rub back and forth with firm pressure. If you do the maneuver correctly, your pet becomes your slave and may do anything you ask it to, as long as you continue to provide such pleasure.
Tail tails
Right on top of the base of the tail, where it connects to the back, is a magical spot. Grind into it with enough finger pressure, and your pet’s tail will begin to rise (cats) or wag (dogs). A "tall tale" is a sure sign that they like this very much.
Underarms
We tend to not pay that much attention to human armpits, often skipping them altogether during full-body massages. This is understandable, because some armpits are not places most of us would want to go, but it’s also sad for our pets, whose armpits are licked clean on a daily, if not hourly, basis. You can give a good massage into this area by using all four fingers held flat. Slip them between the leg and the body and rub your fingertips into the many tendons, muscles, and ligaments you find attached there.
Nose nudgies
Press straight down onto the front of the nose with firm pressure and rub up and down just slightly, avoiding the nostrils. Try pushing until your pet pushes back and you begin to get into a little dance with each other, leading your pet around by the nose, which is kind of cute. At least it’s cute for about 30 seconds or so.
Boggy and kitty chiropractic
Starting at the tail, use your fingertips to massage each vertebrae, working your way up the spine one bone at a time. Try mini-kneading maneuvers and some circular rubbing, making sure to get between the bones, too, into those little notches.
Chapter 25