Quote: Mallory Kwiatkowski

the crested gets pet, cause he is so small, smaller than the cats even. he does get lots of rough head ruffels, and i mess with his hair all the time.

you have a chinese crested?????????????? OMG! they're like my little ponies come to life! i secretly love chinese cresteds.

all my guys like pats, even neb likes some thumbing pats. pats, and scratches. i pet neb to calm him down though.

I've tried to make Hans lose focus by patting and petting him when we are playing tug. I try to see if I can get him to loosen his grip. It doesn't work. He just continues to pull on the toy.

Rich, that's awesome. So when are you coming out to train with us?

All three of mine go all gooey over being massaged or long slow strokes, none of them like the fast jerky hand movements so much.

Nico loves her rubbies and will groan the entire time you are touching her, she also slides down onto the floor almost right away and will try to roll on her back for belly rubs.

Loki doesn't like pats or gentle thumps and will flinch even with gentle patting. He enjoys ear scratches and mostly just to lay next to me with my hand on him not moving, if the petting gets to intense he stiffens up.

Yote loves to be rubbed down, patted, sometimes even thumped on his sides and rump, he will lay on his back with all his legs splayed out and wag his tail while wooing at me when he thinks he needs tummy rubs, and he also will lay in my lap on his back and let me cradle him like a baby and rub him all over.
Really that dog doesnt care what I do to him as long as I am paying attention to him.

He doesn't like anyone else besides our immediate family to do more than a quick ear scratch or a pat though and will back up behind me.

I agree with pats to encourage drive and getting them revved up and pets to calm them down.

My petting involves long calming strokes and a quiet voice "easy", "shhhhhhhh"
and my patting voice is louder "pas auf", "watch em", "wanna go to work?", "let's work", "GOOD DOG"


This is an excellent book as well:
Canine Massage and Stretching

Max will take it all, fast rubs, slow rubs, massages,side thumps, belly rubs. If we're touching him it's a gooooood day. When I massage his head just behind the ears he closes his eyes and leans into it.

Though he doesn't like his feet being touched at all.

 Quote: Rhonda Parkin

.... Though he doesn't like his feet being touched at all.

This is a good opportunity to desensitize the dog to foot-touching, which many dogs hate.

You could start with just a light glancing touch that is over before the dog even has time to pull his foot back.

This will eventually make clipping and vet exams much much better all around.

Also, I hope this is a good place to suggest that a regular exam of the dog can easily be incorporated into this kind of massage. Lumps, bumps, cuts, even a tick, as well as many other problems can be spotted and addressed very early if we do this. I include looking into the ears for inflammation or debris as well as sniffing the ears, paws, and mouth for telltale odors (bacteria, infection, yeast).

 Quote: connie sutherland

Also, I hope this is a good place to suggest that a regular exam of the dog can easily be incorporated into this kind of massage. Lumps, bumps, cuts, even a tick, as well as many other problems can be spotted and addressed very early if we do this. I include looking into the ears for inflammation or debris as well as sniffing the ears, paws, and mouth for telltale odors (bacteria, infection, yeast).

This is what I do as well several times a week during "rubbie" time. Its the perfect time give them a good once over and check everything from their ears to in between their toes.