Tag Archives: dog massage

We have to talk… about qualifications

Posted on October 13, 2023 | 1 comment

I have wanted to write this post for some time; but events over the last month have prompted me that I can no longer wait.

We need to talk about qualifications, because they are not all created equal and dog owners need to understand the fundamental difference.

I make a point of emphasizing in my CV and publicity that I have undertaken hands-on (in person) training. When I started in this profession in 2009 with my first qualification in canine therapeutic massage, in person study was the only option. I followed it up with certifications in canine sports and senior canine massage, along with in-person study requiring three trips to Best Friends Animal Society to undertake their courses on dog behavior (with an emphasis on shelter and special needs dogs). I then returned to my massage school for yet more advanced training in caring for canine athletes and trigger point techniques.

In between, I have undertaken professional development through webinars and online courses. So don’t get me wrong – there is a place for online study. Let me explain:

  1. Career training is your foundation; learning skills that you can use to trade both commercially and safely.
  2. Professional development is essential. You gain new skills after entering the workforce and to keep up with the latest information on canine care. Research and development continues to occur; new developments are a good thing for our dogs.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the profession is being watered down with online-only qualifications which concern me greatly. These are foundation training courses delivered entirely online. The student is never supervised by a qualified tutor when working with (real) dogs.

Working with dogs is a privilege. It comes with the responsibility of understanding a sentient creature who communicates non-verbally but with the cognitive abilities of a 2-year old child.

You can study anatomy through books and online courses, but depending on the size of the dog and its body condition, you also have to know what muscle you are working, understand the feel of the different muscles, and learn the origin, insertions and trigger points and how these enable the dog to move.

For example, here’s a photo from 2009, when our class was using labels on live dogs to identify the locations of the muscles. We’d learned the diagrams on paper, but it was time to put it into practice (and no one got it right the first time)! This large mastiff’s labels were very different from the Pomeranian in class, too.

We’d also practice on stuffed dogs to learn appropriate massage pressures, before working with a live dog:

BONUS: When there are other students with you in a class, you learn from each other! That includes the successes and the failures when you don’t get it quite right.

A video of a student giving a massage to a dog just doesn’t meet the same standard of education and supervision that is achieved in person. Yet, that is exactly what many online qualifications do.

I ask you, would you lay on a massage table with aches and pains if you knew that your massage therapist had only studied online and had never been supervised by a professional? I wouldn’t.

I’ve had two deeply concerning conversations recently. The first was with someone who reached out because she is studying with an on-line qualification only. She was pleasant and wanted advice about why I emphasise hands-on study on my website. She says she cannot afford to study in person which requires travel and associated costs. She fully intends to start trading commercially…

I was approached at an event by a person this weekend who is also doing online study. I explained my concerns about such qualifications and attempted to explain the difference. Her terse reply was, “Well I have to start somewhere…” I worry about the dogs that this person will ”start with.”

“A good education is a foundation for a better future.” – Elizabeth Warren

I’m writing this post to educate both aspiring therapists and potential clients.

Please ask about qualifications before hiring a therapist to work with your dog. The pandemic is over and borders are open around the world. Inability to travel is no longer a suitable justification for attaining an online qualification.

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand. For the purpose of this post, my qualifications earned through hands-on study include CTMT, CSMT, SCMT and, as of this year, CCFT (through the University of Tennessee). I have invested heavily in my training; travel from New Zealand is a necessity and not a luxury.

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What does your car say about you?

Posted on April 16, 2022 | 1 comment

This is an important question for someone like me, with a mobile practice.

Let me start by saying that I have never been a ‘car person.’ I don’t notice makes and models when I am out and about, and I most certainly do not follow things like car reviews or new model releases. I consider myself lucky to know that there are cars that run on petrol, diesel, hybrid and EVs. That’s where my car knowledge stops.

My 20-year old Toyota had served me well and I always said that 2022 was when it would be time for a replacement before it started costing me a lot of money. I also had to face it, the advertising on my car was starting to look dated because when we originally designed it, I did not have enough photos that were adequate and so we resorted to purchase a stock photo license for some of the design.

Here is what my tried and true Toyota looked like before I traded it in:

Last year, we filmed a customer story commercial for accounting company Xero and I had in my hands a number of professional-quality photos in addition to the few I had commissioned for my website and brochure several years earlier.

It was time for a refresh!

Things that were important to me in buying a new car and commissioning a new design were:

  • an economical vehicle with fuel efficiency and a degree of reliability. These are important for my bottom line and also because people rely on me to get to their homes on time and ready to work. I can’t have a car leaving me at the side of the road.
  • in terms of the business, I also think that my customers need to know that I am not wasteful with their money. Dog care is expensive and not subsidised in any way. Pet insurance doesn’t cover everything, even when you can afford a policy. Driving around in an expensive sports car or top-of-the-line SUV sends the wrong message, if you ask me. People work hard for their money and to take care of their dogs, my car had to reflect that.
  • retaining Izzy’s photo on the car in some way. Izzy was my canine sidekick in the last 7 years of the business which were our major growth years. I could not have done it without her and needed to honour her time with me
  • using photos of real dogs that portrayed the range of services I provide
  • retaining the Fear Free logo which I attained in 2018, becoming the first New Zealand-based Fear-Free certified professional working in canine massage and rehabilitation

I searched for another Toyota because they come up tops for reliability (this blog post is not being sponsored by Toyota in any way in case you are thinking that). And when I say ‘new car’ what I really mean is a new car to me – but secondhand in the marketplace. New cars are incredibly expensive and my Dad always said that once you drive a new car off the lot, 50% of its value is already gone.

In the end, I chose a blue Toyota Yaris because it had low mileage (a trade-in, not a Japanese import), a better safety rating, 4.5 star fuel efficiency and the right color to go with my branding.

What do you think?

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

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The hardest goodbye

Posted on January 2, 2022 | 7 comments

Over the last few days I have thought a lot about what to write about Izzy, my best friend who joined my life in October 2014 and sadly had to leave it on 27 December 2021.

When I first met Izzy, she didn’t pay me much attention. She was staying at the kennel base of Greyhounds as Pets and, because she was in season, she was unable to come home with me straight away on a foster-to-adopt arrangement. I would drive out to the kennels every couple of days to walk with her and she plodded along by my side with a confident indifference.

I would soon realise that her seeming aloofness was from her independent nature – which was an asset in a dog that would need to spend periods of time alone while I was out working and to be confident at public and social events.

(She would also assert her independence at inopportune moments such as when I needed us to take a shorter walk and she wanted to go the long way. I would remind myself that she was matched with me because of that independence; it was unfair for me to be upset with her simply because she was being herself.)

Izzy was by my side as I expanded my dog massage and rehab practice, leaving full-time employment to pursue my passion to help other dogs and their families with an exclusively in-home practice. A constant presence, she was happy to settle for the day after her walk and breakfast – with an activity toy of some sort to reward her.

She benefited from a number of modalities to treat her corns and developing arthritis over the years, including massage, laser, PEMF, swimming, water treadmill and the use of a pram. This made her a great advertisement for multi-modal health care.

One of my best investments was her pram, which I purchased in 2019 when Izzy started to be troubled by painful corns – that pram would see her achieve mobility and support engagement through to her last days, including one last greyhound Christmas walk just 8 days before her passing.

Izzy was also an ambassador for her breed – meeting the public at numerous events such as the Riccarton Sunday Market, organised greyhound walks, our charity garage sale for Greyhounds as Pets in 2017 and our Greyt Fashions fundraiser in 2018, where she strutted down the runway with her friends in numerous greyhound outfits (raising almost $5,000 in the process).

On the runway, in her favourite colour – purple

In early 2020, before the pandemic took hold, Izzy also led a doga class with some of her fellow greyhounds and this featured on Newshub. It was a shame we couldn’t continue these classes after lockdown, but business priorities had changed.

Doga class was hard work

During our lengthy lockdown in March and April 2020, Izzy hosted Word of the Day on our Facebook page to keep our clients and followers entertained.

Word of the Day

In 2021, since I sponsor the 4 Paws Marathon, her photo was featured on the 5 km finishers medal and we were also filmed by accounting software company Xero in a customer story about the business.

I will forever be grateful for the professional photos and video that resulted from the Xero campaign because they show Izzy at her finest – at home, in her pram and at her beloved beach.

Izzy was the demo-dog at my Learn to Massage Your Dog and Greyhound Massage and Stretching classes; she taught countless dogs and their owners the benefits of regular massage including in the online version of Greyhound Massage and Stretching, which we filmed just prior to the 2020 lockdown.

Her friend Spot will now teach class with me starting later this month – plans we put in place in earnest when her health started to decline.

Her last contribution to her kind was to welcome deaf foster greyhound, Rosie, into our home – something that was planned from early November. We decided to proceed with fostering in the hope that another dog in the house would provide a diversion and, possibly, some competition for food to encourage her to eat. Izzy was a capable mentor to Rosie for only 10 days before she passed – but I would often find Rosie laying next to Izzy and in the same body position.

Izzy (left) and Rosie (right)

As a dog parent, you are never ready for your life’s journey to end. Yet, when we sign onto the lifetime commitment to a dog, we are in the privileged position of being able to end suffering (something that in most places around the world we are unable to do easily or legally for our human loved-ones).

Izzy was diagnosed in August with chronic kidney disease as part of an annual check-up. She was not showing any outward signs of disease at the time and, through diet changes, medication and herbal supplements, we did our best to preserve the kidney function that she had remaining. In November, she suffered an attack of canine vestibular disease and had two more of these in the weeks that followed. Looking back on the last five weeks of her life, I would have to say that her health was in a steady decline starting with that first episode of vestibular.

Ironically, the vestibular disease presented on the evening following a beach walk and birthday party for two of her greyhound friends, Spot and Luke. Izzy’s happy place was at the beach and we were able to get in a few more beach walks, including on Christmas morning and again on Boxing Day (her last walk). I had hoped we would have one final summer together this year and celebrate her 13th birthday with a princess-themed cake.

As they say, man plans and God laughs.

With Mr Caterpillar, in happier times

Izzy left in me in no doubt that she was ready to go – refusing to eat and drink with a stubborn turn of her head. As the day went on, it was clear she was in end-stage kidney failure and in pain. Thanks to in-home euthanasia service Our Pet’s Goodbye, we were able to be together to the final second in the comfort of our home where she was surrounded by her loved ones – me and her beloved Mr Caterpillar.

She is now over the Rainbow Bridge, at the beach, where it will always be a breezy and warm summer day so she can splash in the waves to her heart’s content.

I will join her there someday.

“You were my favourite hello and my hardest goodbye”

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

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Ed’s feature for Christmas gift vouchers

Posted on November 17, 2021 | Leave a comment

Ed, a Bull Terrier, loves his regular massage sessions. Ed responds to massage much like a person does, so we decided to cover him in a blanket and take a video.

I have launched this video on social media as a promotion for gift vouchers for Christmas 2021. Dog massage is the calorie-free gift which supports wellness, relaxation, and can provide an early warning for sinister lumps and bumps. It helps arthritic dogs like Ed with pain relief and mobility and should be an essential part of any rehab program following an injury or surgery.

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

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The business of dog massage – how my brief reply to an email turned into an adventure in filming

Posted on September 29, 2021 | Leave a comment

I have been in professional practice since 2009 and one of the more consistent battles I have fought over the years is to ensure that dog massage is recognized for the professional skills and training it requires. Consequently, I have never turned down an opportunity to promote my practice and the benefits to customers – both human and canine.

So when accounting software company Xero sent me its October newsletter last year with a little item – if you’d like to feature in one of our Customer Stories, please tell us about your business and how you use Xero – I replied and didn’t think much else about it after receiving an acknowledgement of receipt.

Then suddenly it was early 2021 and I received a request for a Skype interview with a copywriter from Xero. It was a lengthy interview- and very detailed – and I was totally comfortable telling Roz about my business and passion for dogs. And then I was invited to another meeting, with an Executive Producer and another when I was told that the Xero team had considered many businesses – and The Balanced Dog kept popping up to the top of the team’s list.

It was a little like going down the proverbial rabbit hole.

I had clients to contact to ask if they would lend their dogs and homes to be filmed. My lovely clients all said yes (only two were chosen once the logistics of filming were worked out). I then wrote a brief biography of each dog and information on address, logistics, etc. Special massage table coverings were ordered using my company logo, and lots of questions were asked and answered in email exchanges as we prepared for the shoot.

The date was set. The weekend of 1st and 2nd of May with an initial meeting at my home on the Friday afternoon. It turned out to be an entourage of four people who turned up that afternoon: the Director, the Social Media Director, the Producer and the Director of Photography. Little did I realize there would be more…

Saturday dawned. My hair and make-up artist arrived at 6:30 am and then I dropped Izzy with a friend and drove across town.

….to meet a crew of 13!

A Stills Photographer would be taking photos throughout the two days, I was told. We’d be filming a Customer Story that would be edited into several versions. There would be other filming for social media and stories. The Set Dresser would take care of props and arranging furniture and everything would be put back in its place.

They’ll tell me what to do. Just relax.

Thankfully, Canterbury turned on exceptional weather on both days – frosty and chilly for one day, warming up nicely the next.

Our first hill location above Halswell Quarry was perfect in the light of the morning, shame about the rounds of gunfire going off in the background at times. 1st May was the start of duck shooting season, you see.

Timings were monitored carefully by the Producer; everyone got down to work including wiring me for sound and checking lighting. Furniture was moved, my massage table and gear were set up.

I was told that Bryce, the Director, was ready to film. And we do it over and over again. I soon learned that ”one more time” wasn’t to be taken literally. He seemed trustworthy enough on other issues – just don’t believe him about the one more time… Walking up a flight of stairs with my massage table in hand was also becoming serious aerobic exercise.

Then while the film crew set up for another segment, I was needed outside for other filming for social media. There was another director, Cat, for those segments and yet another Director of Photography, Mike, for those.

Stephen, the Stills Photographer, kept asking me to smile. He was always there. I hate having my photo taken, but if anyone was going to be able to make me look good, I figured it would be a professional.

Then a carefully timed lunch break followed by wiring my car for sound. Don’t use the visor for the sunshine, I was told, because there’s a microphone hidden in there. Drive to our second filming location with Arlo and Neisha and their parents while being interviewed behind the wheel at the same time. This was live action filming!

Day 1 was soon over. Pick up Izzy and re-heat leftovers for dinner. Get some sleep.

Day 2 transformed my home into a film studio and we would also walk in our neighbourhood so that Izzy could show off her pram-riding skills and stellar personality. Another carefully timed lunch break in between.

Here’s what my lounge looked like from the other side of the lens during my filmed interview:

Two film cameras and one still – all pointing at me. Izzy was resting in the bedroom at this point (smart dog).

Then everyone rushed to pack up my house to take a drive across town to set up at sunset on Waimairi Beach.

Izzy and I were filmed using a long lens and also a drone.

And just like that, a whirlwind two days came to an end. It was hard to wind down after all the excitement.

I had plenty of time to wind down, as it turned out. This was probably the hardest time of all – wanting to share the experience with friends and clients but keeping quiet about it until the final product was ready for release.

Production takes time. A lot of patient waiting for the professionals to do their jobs editing, followed by scheduling of social media releases. A second Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand postponed things a bit further.

It was worth the wait. Versions of my story are now making their way into regular posts onto Facebook and other social media.

Here it is – The Business of Dog Massage – HERO story version.

With thanks to everyone at Xero for choosing to profile my business and to the professional crew. I have a new appreciation for the long line of credits that are shown after a full length feature film!

Left to right: Set Dresser Chris Reddington; Production Assistant Harriette Logan; Hair and Makeup Artist Simone Thurlow; Copywriter and Director Roz Sanderson; Xero Producer & Director for Social Stories Cat Montford, Director of Photography & Hero film Ado Greshoff; Kathleen Crisley & Izzy from The Balanced Dog (also known as ‘Talent’); Bryce McNamara Creative Lead and Director of Hero film; Alix Wilson Workparty Producer; Kelly Chen 1st AC/Focus Puller; Director of Photography Social Stories and Drone Mike Sherrell; Best Boy Zac Beckett-Knight; and Sound Recordist Joseph Veale. Stephen Tilley, the Stills Photographer managed to stay behind the camera for this photo.

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

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The importance of a greeting

Posted on July 7, 2021 | Leave a comment

The Balanced Dog is a fully mobile practice. Working in home gives me much better information than if I practiced in a clinic setting. Clinics are not a normal environment for a dog and so they often don’t act normally when they are there. A common issue is that the owner reports lameness but the dog isn’t lame in the clinic – because their nervousness overrides any pain signals and the muscles are tighter than normal.

Another benefit to me and the dog when I arrive is that I am often greeted off-leash, as Dalmatian Velo did with me on Saturday.

In the act of greeting me, I got to watch Velo’s gait (a relaxed doggy on a Saturday morning at home) and I was able to confirm also that he’s being kept warm in his jumper.

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

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Teaching the basics of massage

Posted on February 20, 2021 | Leave a comment

Last weekend, my greyhound Izzy and I taught another Learn to Massage Your Dog workshop. I have lost count as to how many dog parents we have taught together, but there are always more who should sign up. In fact, I’d like every dog owner to be able to massage their dog with the basic knowledge of where to massage, why, how and also when not to massage.

Massage is a skill that should be learned hands-on and live. What better way than to attend a class with your own dog and learn together?

Massage is one of the oldest healing skills. It dates back to 3,000 BCE (Before the Common Era) in India and long before pharmaceutical and surgical choices were considered (by many) to be the only options for health care.

Koda was re-homed by Carey and attended Learn to Massage Your Dog; Koda is also a regular customer for professional massage because she has a repaired hind leg injury which she compensates for

Massage by an owner has many benefits. If done regularly, the owner is the best position to pick up on changes that may require professional attention. Lumps and bumps, for example, should always be investigated. When a dog has been injured in some way, even a minor injury, the owner is a great position to help relieve the initial stress through their massage without waiting to see a professional.

Massage is also a great way to spend quality time with your dog – enhancing your love and bond.

For clients of my professional practice, I feel much more confident in giving them a home care program when they have been to a massage class. It’s also very satisfying when an owner gets in touch to say that their dog has had a minor injury, such as a back strain, and I’m able to advise them which strokes of their massage sequence to use for home care.

The winner is, of course, the dog.

My love of dogs and the passion to see them cared for using traditional, natural options alongside veterinary care is the reason I chose this line of work. Teaching and sharing skills is an honor that I hope to share with more dogs and their families in the years to come.

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

Izzy is a seasoned professional demo-dog who is happy to spend most of the class on my massage table

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4 Paws Marathon – Covid edition

Posted on September 20, 2020 | Leave a comment

Today was the second annual 4 Paws Marathon. Thanks to Covid-19, this event was different than last year. Firstly, we were wearing masks which would have been unheard of a year ago.

Because of Alert Level 2 requirements, the race director was forced to cap entries at 100 people (and dogs) and to request that no spectators linger at the start/finish to manage the numbers attending. And social distancing was expected during the race briefings.

Even with all of those restrictions, it was still a great spring day and, alongside Rachel from Bodyworks Massage Therapy, we again offered couples massage: runner and dog.

We met runners who had just completed there first-ever marathons which made it extra special because their dog came too. And some people attended the first event last year and challenged themselves to go a longer distance. For example, one lady did the 10 kms last year and completed the 15 kms today.

I always aim to support dog-friendly events because our dogs are family – and we want to spend our free time with them. Plus this event helps me to promote canine fitness and wellness – the cornerstones of my practice.

My favourite photo of the day – great perspective from my massage table. The finish line is in the background.

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

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Understanding one another

Posted on August 5, 2020 | 2 comments

Like us, dogs have their own forms of verbal and non-verbal communication.  Getting to know your dog and being a careful observer of their behavior helps you to develop a deep understanding of your dog.

We know that our dogs are great observers of our behavior, too.  That’s how they learn our cues, moods, and habits.

Having a good understanding of one another pays benefits when you have a dog who is getting older, or has disabilities.

Take Izzy.  She is an ex-racing greyhound and we’ve known for some time that she has arthritis in her carpus (wrist) and toes.  I picked up on the arthritis quite early.  I had noticed that almost every time I looked at her over the course of about a week,  she was licking her left foot.  A visit to the vet for an x-ray confirmed early signs of arthritic changes.  In response, she started getting rub-downs with an anti-inflammatory gel, I started her on additional deer velvet supplements (in addition to her glucosamine and chondroitin supplement) and I also increased the frequency of her visits to a local hydrotherapy pool and her massages.

Over the last year, we’ve also been battling corns  – something that plagues sighthounds in particular but has been aggravating her arthritis and was the main cause of her progressively becoming more lame.  I knew we were having a corn problem because she would limp only when crossing the road over chip-sealed road (intolerance of rough surfaces is typically the first sign).

As she then developed two corns on the same toe, her lameness became constant and our walks shorter, with a pram when she needed it.

Izzy had a flexor tenotomy surgery last month and this has helped greatly in managing the corns but of course the arthritis is still there, she is that much older, and she’s had months of reduced/shortened walks because of her lameness.

Now the bright side.  She is getting fitter and stronger and I’m carefully increasing the amount of activity she has.  Today, she didn’t want to go out initially for an afternoon walk and so I put her in her pram.

We got as far as around the block before she let me know she was ready to get out and walk.  (This is signaled by a high-pitched bark)

I know Izzy is getting tired when her head drops and she starts taking more and more time sniffing bushes, grass and trees.  These are signs that she is tiring and the excess sniffing is both a diversionary behavior and, at times, a sign she is stressed and uncomfortable.

That’s when I put her back in her pram.  She gets plenty of stimulation and enrichment by watching the world go by.  She also loves the attention she gets from passersby – both on foot and in cars.  (Shortly after I stopped this video, the couple who approached on foot spent at least 5 minutes talking to her, giving her treats and chatting about her care).

I am always grateful when people stop to talk to us about ‘what’s wrong with her’ and to ask about greyhounds and their welfare.

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

 

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I wish we’d known about you sooner

Posted on July 30, 2020 | Leave a comment

Earlier this week, two dogs in my practice passed away.  As I was leaving one house for the last time, my human client said,  “I wish we’d known about you sooner.”

I know it was said in context of a thank-you and while I wanted to reply, “so do I”, I opted instead to thank them for allowing me to work with their dog over the last couple of weeks to make him more comfortable.  There was no need to make them feel more vulnerable (or guilty) at such a sad time.

The time for end-of-life and palliative care comes all to soon with our dogs – because they don’t live as long as we do.  My real passion is health & wellness care, helping dog parents play ‘the long game’ through preventative health care and, if necessary, rehabilitation.

So I’ll finish this post on a high note.  I also saw Blue this week.  He’s been a regular since October 2017 when his Dad picked up a brochure for my practice at one of my partner clinics.  He figured that since he used massage therapy for his health, Blue would benefit from it, too.

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In the years I have been working with Blue, he’s developed arthritis and had one severe episode of breakthrough pain which saw him at the vets and prescribed NSAIDs.  But since then, he continues to be a bright and happy boy.  Ever so playful, usually meeting me at my car with one of his soft toys in his mouth.  He is well looked after and taken for enriching activities including fishing trips to the Mackenzie Country and walks through the Heathcote Valley.

To me, Blue is a great example of health care – not sick care.

We’ve talked about when his time comes and what his Dad will do without his stellar presence in his life.  But that day wasn’t today; I hope it won’t be for a while yet.  And I hope I’ll be there to help him if his care becomes necessarily palliative.

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

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