Beginners Guide to Canine Massage
Learn how to massage your own dog the right way from the leaders in the field, giving you the confidence and knowledge to give your dog a full body Swedish massage at home.
Book Now for Sunday 27th SeptemberA New Conversation
Our class isn't just about techniques, it focusses on the unique aspects of your dogs body, personality and emotions so you can build a massage built on the correct approach, trust and understanding, making it different to any other canine massage class out there.
Feel The Difference
You will leave with a deep understanding of your dogs body, their likes, dislikes and needs as well as becoming aware of things you can do to improve their quality of life beyond the massage.
Work With Your Dog
Your dog doesn't have to lie down. Some prefer sitting up, lying on their side, in sphinx position. We provide you with adaptations and various ways to help you work with your dog not on your dog. Knowing this difference is key and makes every massage one that suits them.
Natalie Lenton
Director of the Canine Massage Therapy Centre
This workshop is developed and taught by expert provider Natalie Lenton, Director of the CMTC, Founder of the Canine Massage Therapy Centre so you and your dog are safe in experienced hands.
In this workshop you and your dog will benefit from direct, practical, skilled hands on structured massage. You can also expect some surprises as you learn more about how self-regulation enables better connection through Natalies 20 years in the canine care industry and as a licensed HeartMath Coach making this workshop a unique and totally unforgettable experience.
A Bond Like No Other
"Massage is more than just touch; it's a conversation through the skin, a moment of pure connection where words aren't needed."
Why Swedish Massage for Dogs?
Swedish Massage is a full-body, generalised massage, the ideal starting point for dogs new or accustomed to bodywork and for owners who want to support their dog's health at home. Swedish Massage helps to:
- Ideal for senior & arthritic dogs
- Great for puppies for touch awareness and bonding
- Keep your middle-aged dog in tip-top shape for longer
- In fact, massage is a must for all ages!
- Relieves muscular stiffness
- Reduces stress
- Supports their exercise and walks
- Strengthens the bond between you and your dog without words
- Helps improve mobility and supports joint health
- Use as part of anxiety management
- Great way to provide a structured hands-on check for changes
- Ideal for dogs diagnosed with hip/elbow dysplasia, arthritis, or spondylosis
- Improves circulation and skin health
- Bringing them comfort, enhancing their quality of life and longevity
Our style of teaching Swedish Massage makes the day totally unique and is part of what has made us the number one provider of canine massage therapy. We don’t teach you to work on your dog… we teach you to work with your dog. With decades of 1-to-1 experience, we teach you how to create a 'conversation' with your dog through touch. This allows them to give you real-time feedback on what they enjoy and what they'd rather you leave alone. From there, we can help you understand why and how this may be impacting other areas of their life, such as exercise and behaviour.
Why is this important?
It is one of the most crucial handling skills you will ever learn. It can help you understand your dog's physical restrictions, identify underlying injuries, and reveal issues you didn’t know existed. This empowers you to better understand your dog's activities of daily living and recognize potential character or personality changes.
"We teach you to work with your dog, not on your dog, and in that lies all the difference"
— Natalie Lenton
What The Day Looks Like
Three guided tutorials designed to elevate your understanding and technique.
Tutorial 1 — Canine Anatomy Fundamentals
Take a stroll underneath your dogs skin in this perfect beginners introduction to canine anatomy including their skeleton, joints and muscles. You'll be working with your own dog and guided along the way to create a fun 'anatomy dot-to-dot' map which gently introduces you to the complexity of your dogs musculoskeletal system in a non-forceful, fun and engaging way. This helps you understand more about the structures you will, and won't, be massaging and provides context for the actual techniques.
Tutorial 2 — Swedish Massage Techniques
Every technique we teach you has a physiological and psychological benefit and over the course of the day you will learn how to introduce touch, structure the techniques and then layer them appropriately.
You'll learn 9 Swedish Massage Techniques taught correctly, along with Passive Range of Movement, a gentle yet powerful technique to assist joint health, with plenty of adaptations to suit every dog.
Tutorial 3 — Guided Routine & Self-Guided Practice
This is where it all comes together as you are guided through a professionally choreographed routine that targets specific areas of your dogs body while all the time listening to your dogs feedback so you know you aren't causing any discomfort.
We aren't kneading bread here, this isn't about cracking through a routine at top speed, rather we teach you how to engage a specific aspect of your dogs parasympathetic nervous system through a wide variety of approaches to enable you to offer the routine to them. You get the chance to link and combine techniques in a flowed, seamless practice so you and your dog can reap the benefits from the day that you will take home with you so you have a skill for life.
Self-interest and who knows where it will lead...
This workshop is for self-interest only and does not qualify you to work on other peoples dogs. We get people from all walks of life come along with their dog, from dog owners to canine professionals like hydrotherapists, vets, vet nurses, groomers, walkers.
While you can use the course for CPD points it will not enable you to bring this into your work. If you're looking to do this professionally check out the Level 5 Diploma in Clinical Canine Massage Therapy. This 1 day workshop however can provide a great experience if you are looking to take your education with us further.
Explore More Options
Can't make this date or location? We have plenty of other opportunities for you to learn with us, both in-person and from the comfort of your own home.
This is where competence meets connection.
Our unique approach will transform the way you relate to your dog through the power of skilled, conscious touch. Book Today spaces limited to 12 per workshop.
Book Now for Sunday 27th September