Beyond Dog Massage: A Breakthrough Method for Relieving Soreness and Achieving Connection (Hardcover)

Improve your dog’s movement, comfort, and longevity while opening exciting new doors to better communication and a more meaningful relationship.

We all want our dogs to live pain-free, and we all want ways to connect with them. The Masterson Method® is an interactive approach to animal bodywork that follows and uses responses of the animal to your touch to find and release tension in areas of his body that affect:

• His ability to get around.
• His physical and mental well-being.
• The quality of and length of his life.
• His connection with you and other humans and animals.

A lifelong horse person, Jim Masterson developed his method for the purpose of releasing tension and improving movement in the performance horse. An interesting benefit was that it led to improved communication and trust, and a better overall relationship with the horse. Since dogs go with horses “like peanut butter and jelly,” Jim says, it was only natural that he began to use his bodywork on canines, too.

The techniques used in the Masterson Method rely on reading and following the subtle changes in the dog’s body language as you work with him. Once you learn to read his body language, you will be “on the same page” and communication is established. Your dog recognizes that you understand what his body language is saying, that there is no threat to his well-being, and that he feels better when you work with him. In these pages you will learn the steps to incorporating the Masterson Method in your dog’s life, bringing happiness to both of you.

By using these techniques, and knowing the responses to look for, you will be able to:
• Achieve a release of accumulated stress in deep-seated key junctions of the dog's body that affects mobility, comfort, attitude, training, and performance.
• Restore muscular and structural balance, and natural alignment.
• Discover new levels of communication and trust with your dog that spill over into other areas of interaction.

This book includes:
• Step-by-step instructions, color photographs, and detailed illustrations.
• Tips and techniques, understandable anatomical explanations, and examples from Jim's personal experiences with hundreds of dogs.
• A "quick-reference" section that points you toward exercises specifically suited to your dog’s breed or activity.
• 20 bonus QR codes, supplying 38 minutes of instructional video.

The Masterson Method is practical, easy to use, and results oriented. You see the results in the dog’s responses during the bodywork, and in his behavior, comfort, and movement afterward. Beyond Dog Massage is the ideal instructional guide for all those seeking a better quality of life for and deeper connection with their dogs.

Jim Masterson, Equine Massage Therapist for the US Endurance Team in 2006, 2008, and 2010, and for equine clientele competing in FEI World Cup, Pan American, and World Games competitions, teaches a unique method of bodywork to therapists, horse owners, and now, dog owners, in which the practitioner recognizes and follows the responses of the animal to touch to release tension in key junctions of the body that most affect health, performance, and the ability to connect. When he first became interested in equine massage in 1997, Jim recognized that the horse exhibits certain neurological responses to touch as it releases tension in the body. Using those responses to guide his work, he developed a system in which the horse participates in the process by showing the practitioner where tension has accumulated, precisely how much pressure is needed to release it, and when it has been released. The result is an effective method of bodywork that anyone can learn to use, to improve performance while at the same time opening new levels of communication and trust. In the past few years, Jim has worked with small animal veterinarians to bring his method to the canine world.

Robin Robinett, DVM, VCRC grew up in Houston, Texas and always had a love of animals. At 3 years old after getting her first puppy, she decided she wanted to become a veterinarian. She holds a BS degree in Biology from Texas A&M, and in 1989 graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine with a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Robinett worked for the Houston SPCA for a year after graduation. Then was a co-owner and founder of a veterinary hospital in Pearland, Texas. Starting in 1997, she did small animal veterinary relief work and had a mobile practice for veterinary chiropractic. She has been certified in Animal Chiropractic by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association since 1996 and was certified in Acupuncture by the Chi University in 2009.