Canine Sports Massage

Canine Sports Massage foundation course (CBW certification)

This 8-day 80+hour course (a total of 200+hours with the required externship) is specifically designed for those students wishing to pursue a career in this field, but is also targeted and formatted for veterinarians, physical therapists, human massage therapists, equine massage therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and breeders who would like to enhance their skills. Like our Equine Sports Massage Foundation course, this class is taught in such a comprehensive logical layered format, that those with little or no complementary canine care and science background will find themselves up to speed with professional participants. During the course students will spend time working on each other to become familiar with palpation techniques and pressure used for massage strokes, before transferring these techniques onto work with dogs. After completing the workshop and required externship, the student will be able to evaluate posture and movement and confidently apply a complete canine sports massage session.

The Canine Body Worker (CBW) certificate is issued upon successful completion of the required externship.

The Externship:

For this particular course there are an additional 70 hours of guided study once the student leaves the class. Participants complete 20 massage sessions on at least 5 different dogs using all of the massage techniques and stretching with range of motion exercises, as well as the documenting techniques as taught in class. A theory portion is included in the externship in the form of exercises on muscle function, muscle identification, point location and gait evaluation. This is required to enhance the material that is taught and presented in class. Once this is completed a video is sent by the student to Equinology to review, evaluate and expand the practical aspect of the student's work.

Course Outline:
Vocabulary

• Anatomy vocabulary
• Directional terms
• Veterinary vocabulary and terminology

Skeletal structure:

• Form and function
• Thoracic appendicular system
• Pelvic appendicular system
• Axial skeletal system
• Conformation
• Typical canine orthopedic conditions
• Injury
• Surface anatomy landmark identification
• Palpation skills

Muscle structure:

• Form and function
• Palpation and rudimentary evaluation skills (theory and practical)
• Locating and isolating muscles
• Injury
• Deep muscles
• Superficial muscles
• Cause of muscle damage and common pathologies

Massage:

• Safety rules
• Basic strokes
• Theory and application of the massage strokes
• Contra-indications
• Body mechanics for the body worker
• Follow-up exercises
• Stretching and range of motion exercises

Assessment:

• Case history evaluation
• Documentation
• Creating documents for the owners
• Static and motion evaluation
• Subjective conformation
• Common canine neurological conditions
• Canine behaviour
• Handling Skills

Business:

• Veterinary ethics
• Work ethics .
• Marketing

Students attend class daily from 8:30am to 5:30pm and have an additional 3 hours of evening studies. The fifth day of class is spent out of class for independent study.

Required Reading:

‘Dog Anatomy: A Pictorial Approach to Canine Structure' by Peter C. Goody. ‘Dog Anatomy - A Colouring Atlas ‘by Robert Kainer and Thomas McCracken. Students are required to bring their own copies to the course.