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January 2025 Canine Newsletter

Happy New Year!


The mild December weather made for perfect traveling conditions for our journey home. Traveling with dogs required several rest stops a day, including a memorable hike to see the "Church Rock" formation in New Mexico. Nellie and Jupiter were ready for the steady incline up to see this formation.

After 4½ days of driving, it was wonderful to finally relax at home!


Jim did a little work with Jupiter to loosen him up with the Lateral Wiggle:

And soon after, both dogs enjoyed naps.

If you’ve been traveling like us, read on for some tips to help your dog adjust and bounce back from the journey.

Less is More for Dogs


I have been thinking of one of the core principles of the Masterson Method: “Less is More”. This principle was originally created for our horse program, but is interchangeable to any animal – including humans. We tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get things ‘right’ and, particularly in bodywork, we often think we’ll get more relief by adding more pressure. 


When working with dogs, gentle pressure often yields better results, particularly if they start to ‘brace’. Instead of forcing a response, softening your touch and giving the nervous system time to process leads to better outcomes. Thus, “Less is More.”


For techniques like Search, Response, Stay, and Release (SRSR), simply lightening the pressure of your hand, your arm and even lifting your hand slightly from the hair or skin of your dog can help your dog release tension. When in doubt, double down on this “Less is More” principle.


Less is More for Humans


This holiday season, we embraced Jim's "Less is More" philosophy. Rather than exchanging material gifts, we focused on creating memories through shared experiences with family and friends. “Less stuff and more shared time together”. 


"Less is More" is a principle we can apply to ourselves in other situations, especially during this time of year when traveling, being away from home, or holiday pressures can leave us feeling unsettled. Whether it’s managing a demanding boss, comforting a tearful child, or balancing work deadlines with family time, embracing "Less Is More" allows us to create space, practice gentleness, and offer patience—to ourselves and those around us. When in doubt, soften and do less!


New Course Offerings


Lastly, I know you’ve been waiting for it - we’ve just released the 2nd leg of your Beyond Dog Massage journey: the Introducing Movement online Zoom course. Keep reading for more information and dates.  


I was chosen as one of the guinea pigs to try out this course with both Nellie and Jupiter, and I give it two thumbs up – especially for dogs like mine that run and play hard but don’t show any signs of restriction. It was an eye-opening experience to find that stiffness and using these new techniques helped relieve this tension.


Year 2025


Well, here's to a New Year full of zoomies, snuggles and a deeper connection with your furry – and not so furry - friends and family.


Conley

Helping Your Dogs During the Holidays

The holiday season is a wonderful time, but traveling, having lots of visitors, and disrupted routines can be challenging for us and our dogs. If you’ve adopted, fostered, or bought a new dog or puppy over Christmas, it can also take time for them to decompress and learn to adapt to their new home.


Fortunately, there are things we can do that will help our dogs feel more comfortable and secure during the holiday season if we’re traveling or bringing a new dog into the family. 


• Bring familiar items 



If you’re traveling with your pet, make sure you bring their bed, toys, or blankets. It might take up a bit more space, but items they know can help them feel secure and provide them with a safe space to settle into.

• Give them space or reassurance 


Dogs, like people, respond differently to new environments. Some like to settle at their own pace and prefer not to be fussed over or interact with people, especially if those people are new to them. Others will seek out reassurance and want to stay close to their owners. In this situation, gentle touch and calming words can help your dog to settle. If you’re not sure which sort of interaction your dog prefers, or if you have a new dog, observe their body language and how they respond to you and a different environment.


 • Let them explore 



If you’ve brought a new dog home, or you’re in an unfamiliar house with your dog, let them explore one room at a time. If there are other animals in the home that your dog doesn’t know, it can be a good idea to introduce them to each other through a gate first (baby gates come in useful!) and with supervision so they can both get used to and feel comfortable with one another.

• Practice some bodywork 


Doing some gentle bodywork with your dog can help them feel relaxed and reset their nervous system when they’re feeling overwhelmed. Find a quiet spot and do some SRSR or The Bladder Meridian Technique. If you’ve recently gotten a new dog, this is a wonderful way to connect with them. If you’ve been traveling with them and they haven’t been able to move around much, you can also introduce some movement techniques to help get their muscles moving and release any accumulated tension.

Bladder Meridian PDF

Haven’t got your copy of the Beyond Dog Massage book yet? Or maybe you’re traveling light and couldn’t bring it along? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered!


We’ve created a convenient, downloadable PDF with everything you need to practice the Bladder Meridian Technique with your dog.


Inside you’ll find:

  • Clear instructions on locating the bladder meridian on your dog.
  • Step-by-step guidance to master the technique.
  • Insights into its amazing benefits.
  • QR codes linking to videos of Jim demonstrating the technique.


Already familiar with the Bladder Meridian Technique? Share this PDF with a friend and let their dog experience the benefits, too!

Open the PDF

Woof and Answer Wednesday

Each week, we answer your questions in our Woof and Answer Wednesday feature on social media.


In response to the question below, we answer how to help a dog with hip restriction. While the question relates to a particular injury, the movement technique can also be applied to dogs that experience stiff joints during colder weather. This stiffness can be especially noticeable in the morning or after inactivity, which is typical if the weather makes walking difficult!

Question: My Jack Russell injured his hip a few months ago. While he’s recovered now, his hip still feels stiff. Is there a Masterson Method technique I can use to help reduce the restriction?


Answer: Stiffness is a common concern for dog owners, especially with active breeds. The stiffness you’re finding may result from residual tension after his injury. Even if it’s not severe enough to cause obvious lameness, it can still affect your dog. This kind of tension can lead to compensatory patterns in other muscles, causing imbalances and affecting the way he moves.


You can use the Search-Response-Stay-Release (SRSR) Technique to help your dog release tension in his hip, stifle, and lower hind limb areas. Once you’ve done that, try the Hind Limb Movement Technique to gently explore the hip, stifle, and hock joints’ range of motion in a relaxed state.


This involves:

  • Lateral and medial (inward and outward) movement of the hip joint.
  • Flexion and extension of the hip, stifle, and hock.


Movement in a relaxed state helps release tension in muscles, tendons, and ligaments, restoring their natural function and improving your dog’s mobility.


Watch Jim demonstrate the Hind Limb Movement Technique to see how gentle and effective these movements can be when they are done to achieve relaxation in the movement.

Want more hands-on guidance? Check out the new 2025 dates for our Read and Release Online Course and the upcoming Introducing Movement Course. Click on the button below for more details!

Explore Our Courses

Canine Courses for 2025

Read and Release Courses


Saturdays at 11:00 am CT, Jan 11, 18, 25 with Amelia Nalli (full)

Sundays at 12:00 pm CT, Feb 16, 23, Mar 2 with Stef Watts (full)

Wednesdays at 6:00 pm CT, Feb 5, 12, 19 with Kalin Finsand



Introducing Movement Courses


Fridays at 10:00 am CT, Jan 31, Feb 7, 14 with Stef Watts

Mondays at 5:00 pm CT, Mar 10, 17, 24 with Valissa Willwerth


If the course you are interested in is full, please email dog@mastersonmethod.com and we will add you to the waitlist.

Happy New Year!

Glad to see someone knows how to ring in the New Year!

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