12. Squeeze the muscles along and between the toes.
13. Move each toe up and down with a gentle, vibrating movement.
14. Gently flex the paw, extending it inward and rotating, to relax tendons.
15. Use both hands to give the thigh a deep massage.
16. Use your fingers to massage the hip joint in a circular pattern.
17. Massage down the back leg toward the foot. Massage paw and toes.
18. Help your dog turn over, then massage his legs on the other side.
19. To finish, talk calmly to your dog while using slow palm and finger strokes from the head down the back to the tip of the tail. Do the same from the hip to the hind foot and shoulders to forepaw.
The Tellington TTouch massage program taught at Guide Dogs for the Blind is more specific, using a combination of different lifts, movement exercises, and touches — like the ear touch Rhodes used on Judson's plane ride — to activate the nervous system. "It's done on the skin," Rhodes explains, "but the dog feels effects through his whole body."
Guided to work by 4-year-old Golden Retriever Justin, Campbell does massage in coordination with veterinarians. "I work on dogs of all ages and sizes: companion dogs, working dogs, and show dogs. From Cavalier King Charles Spaniels to Mastiffs and everything in between," she says. "I love my job!"
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