Furry Dogmother Huyton

29/10/2025

What’ s the Difference and Why It Matters?As our dogs grow older, it’s common to notice changes in the way they move, maybe they're slower on walks, hesitant to climb stairs, or struggle to rise after lying down. These changes often leave pet parents wondering: Is it arthritis, or is it muscle w...

28/10/2025

💪 The Hamstrings Tell a Story 💆‍♀️🐾

When I’m grooming, the hamstrings are one of the key areas that give me a real insight into a dog’s muscular health and comfort.

By paying attention to this area — during grooming and massage — I can often spot subtle changes that might go unnoticed at home.

It’s one of the reasons I combine massage with grooming — to help your dog feel calm, supple, and supported from nose to tail.

✨ Its not just about making their coats look and feel comfortable, but the muscles tell the a big health story too 💪

If they’re tight, sore, or underdeveloped, it can tell me a lot:

🐾 Are they compensating for pain elsewhere?
🐾 Is one side tighter, suggesting imbalance?
🐾 Are they struggling to push off or sit comfortably?

By paying attention to this area — during grooming and massage — I can often spot subtle changes that might go unnoticed at home.

🐾 Muscle Spotlight: Hamstrings! 💪

These back-thigh powerhouses help your dog bend, sprint, and leap like a pro—basically fuelling zoomies and those impressive parkour moves! 🐕✨

Keep them strong with gentle leg stretches, fun fetch sessions, and safe running exercises. Notice stiffness, hopping, or hesitancy to jump? Time for a check!

28/10/2025

💆‍♀️ Massage for Nervous Dogs – Especially Around Bonfire Night 🎆

Just like us, dogs can hold tension and stress in their bodies — especially after frightening experiences like fireworks or loud bangs. Many dogs struggle to relax during this time of year, and even when the noise stops, the effects can linger in their muscles and fascia.

Canine massage isn’t just about relaxation. It helps calm the nervous system, eases muscle tension, and supports emotional recovery. Over time, dogs learn that the experience feels good, and they begin to release that stored tension more easily.

Myofascial Release is one of the most effective techniques I use (Lenton Method) which has been Clinically Trialled.

The fascia is a web of connective tissue that surrounds every muscle, bone, and organ — and it’s highly responsive to emotional and physical stress. When a dog is anxious or startled, their body tightens, and that tension can literally be held in the fascia.

There’s growing evidence (in both human and animal studies) that trauma and stress can be stored in the body — particularly in the fascial system — leading to restricted movement, twitching, or over-reactive behaviour to touch.

Through gentle, sustained pressure and slow movement, myofascial release helps to ‘unwind’ these restrictions, allowing the body (and mind) to relax.

It’s not instant — nervous dogs may take a few sessions to build trust — but once they do, we often see deeper breathing, softer eyes, looser posture, and a calmer, more grounded energy.

✨ Massage helps them reconnect, release, and rebalance — inside and out.

26/10/2025

It’s that time of year again 🎇

My Newsletter this month is all about Noise and how it affects our Dogs. As we are all well aware Bonfire Night is fast approaching and the fireworks have already began — how will your dog cope?
Many dogs feel anxious during fireworks. Fear doesn’t just fade — it can leave tension throughout the body.

Let’s help them find calm again. 💆‍♀️

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25/10/2025

Let me talk about one pain signal I experience almost every groom...

💡 Pain or Affection? The Meaning Behind the Lick 💡

While grooming, I often get a quick lick.
Before I studied more about dog communication, I used to think it was a sweet sign of affection — the dog’s way of saying, “I like you!”

Now I know better. That lick can actually be a red flag.

It’s often a subtle signal that says:

👉 “I’m not comfortable.”
👉 “That hurts.”
👉 “I’m worried about what’s coming next.”

It’s the dog’s way of trying to defuse tension or communicate anxiety before escalating further.

So now, whenever I get a lick, I pause and ask myself:

🐾 What did I just touch?
🐾 What am I about to do?
🐾 Could that area be sore, sensitive, or uncomfortable?

Understanding these tiny signals helps us protect a dog’s comfort, build trust, and spot pain long before it becomes a bigger problem.

25/10/2025

24/10/2025

In this article we are going to consider jumping into and out of a car, something that most of our dogs do on a daily basis and we, as owners, take for granted. So why could jumping into or out of a car be harmful? Let's look at jumping out of a car first of all The first part of the dog to hit the....

23/10/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Cvcf8ckMM/

Please brush your dogs people ...

23/10/2025

💛 My Canine Massage Journey 💛

When I started my Canine Massage journey a few years ago, it was because I kept noticing body movements, behaviours, and reactions in dogs that I just couldn’t understand.

Now I do. And that understanding has completely changed the way I handle and care for the dogs I groom every day.

Sadly, some of them are living with underlying pain or discomfort — but the good news is, we can help them. 🐾

When you start to understand how their body works, communication becomes clearer, handling becomes calmer, and grooming becomes kinder.

It’s easier than we all realise — it just starts with noticing. 💛

23/10/2025

❤️ Lovely Review ❤️

Bruno went through my Puppy Introductory Sessions, and what a superstar he’s been! 🐾

I’ve spent a lot of time studying behaviour, communication, and canine growth — including how bones and muscles develop. It’s all connected, and understanding these foundations makes such a difference to how we work with our pups.

I always encourage every new dog owner to introduce their puppy slowly — helping them learn about their coat type, how to maintain it at home, and other essentials like teeth brushing, diet, and early handling.

Building these positive habits early helps create a confident, happy pup who enjoys their grooming journey right from the start. 💛

My name is Tracy and Ive been grooming for 21 years and I am also a Canine Massage Practitioner and Reiki Master.

Im on a mission to 'Make the World Beautiful One Happy, Healthy Dog at a Time' 🫶

22/10/2025

🔤 O is for Orthopaedic Conditions 🦴💥

Joint issues like arthritis or dysplasia don’t just affect bones, they hit muscles too. Pain leads to tension. Tension leads to dysfunction.

💡 Support the muscle. Ease the impact.