Career Advancement Certificate: Canine Massage Therapy

Course Name

Career Advancement Certificate: Canine Massage Therapy

Contact Hours: 200 (an estimated time frame devoted to a course of study from start to finish that can vary from student to student)

Course Description

This course is designed to engage the student with more direct instructor involvement and feedback. It has no prerequisites. The student must however, have had previous experience in handling canines. This would include those people who have previously, or currently, have a dog as a pet or those people who are working, or have worked with dogs in a volunteer or paid position. 

The purpose of this course is to provide high quality instructional training in the field of Canine Massage Therapy. This course is not designed to “Treat or Diagnose” but to enhance your canine companion`s overall well-being and enhance the powerful human/animal connection through healing touch.

This course includes twelve lessons to be completed at your own pace. It is suggested that you take time to practice the information presented in each lesson, therefore one lesson per week is recommended.

Once registered, students will receive an email from the Instructor who will help the student get set up and answer any questions they may have. Students will also receive an email containing online lessons for the course.

TOPICS COVERED

• Breath and meditation techniques to help promote your animals relaxation.
• Specific massage techniques designed to decrease your animals pain, improve their flexibility and promote their overall health.
• Over 20 hands-on healing techniques to help ward off long-term illnesses, help your canine companion to live a balanced and healthful life and ensure their liveliness and longevity.
• Orthopedic conditions including conditions of the muscles, ligaments and joints. Students will become familiar with common canine orthopedic pathologies (canine disease) and learn which exercises can help (or hurt) a muscle, ligament or joint. Students will learn more about pathologies as they progress through the course and assess clients with these pathologies.
• Business of Canine Massage - Students will learn how to set up a Canine Massage business.
• Canine Nutrition.

1. How to assess your canine client and choose the right diet according to the age of dog, activity level of dog, breed and environment.
2. Understand how proper diet relates to various health conditions and how to choose the correct diet for the specific dog. Know the correct diet for elderly dogs.
3. Understand Dog food ingredients discussed in this lesson.
4. Know the foods that are toxic to dogs.

1. Be at least 18 years of age (prospective students under age 18 may be admitted with the approval of the students parent/guardian and with the submittal of a parental release form).
2. Be socially and psychologically capable of performing massage therapy.
3. Be physically able to perform massage.
4. Possess a high school diploma, or its equivalent.
5. Be able to read and employ conversational English and have a grasp of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
6. Have a dropbox account and know how to use it at a basic level.

Outcome

We strive to consistently provide a thorough and well rounded education in the field of canine massage. Our courses are designed to provide each student with the most current information available in this subject area, including preparation for the business of canine massage. We prepare our graduates to successfully enter the workforce as professional Canine Massage Therapists. The student will be qualified to work in various animal businesses such as veterinary clinics, kennels, wellness centers, doggie daycare centers, with groomers and in zoos; however many animal massage therapists decide to open their own practice and make home visits to visit their furry clients.

As a result of engaging in this course of study, graduates will also:

• Learn deeply relaxing breath and meditation techniques to help promote you and your animal’s relaxation.
• Understand the positive benefits, and transformative effects, of canine massage and therapeutic touch for both you and your canine friends.
• Learn over 20 massage strokes, their contraindications, effects, how (and when) to apply them on the animal client. 
• Gain a new skill or compliment your current work with Canines.
• Assess and understand how proper nutrition relates to various health conditions and how to choose the correct diet for the specific dog. 
• Help your canine companion to live a balanced and healthful life.
• Formulate and execute your business vision and plan. 
• Obtain a certificate of completion as a Professional Small Animal Massage Therapist from Ojai School of Canine Massage.
• Apply for an Accredited University Certificate upon successful course completion
  

Assessment

There are online quizzes for the Anatomy/Physiology portion of the course (lesson two). All online quizzes are open book and may be taken more than once. Only two times are necessary to take the quizzes. The quizzes are not timed. All online quizzes require a score of 75% or greater in order to pass. In addition, students are evaluated at the end of the course. 
 
The student will have full access to the Instructor via telephone, Email, or Skype. Additionally, Students are evaluated via Skype video throughout the online course. Skype visits may be scheduled, per student request, at anytime during the course. Skype visits are intended for students to obtain feedback, answer questions, assess progress and (most importantly) assure the safety of the animal being massaged.
 
Students are also given feedback, per the instructor, via dropbox. Students are given various assignments which are deposited in their dropbox folder and given feedback by the instructor. The instructor will email a personal Dropbox folder to students so that they can record videos of the massage strokes they are doing and send this to the instructor as well. This way, the instructor can help make any needed adjustments to the students technique.
 
After completing the online portion of the course, students are required to demonstrate their knowledge of the course content. Upon completing the online lessons, the student must schedule a Skype visit with the instructor in order to demonstrate the hands-on techniques learned throughout the online course. The student is required to present a personal picture identification front and back (drivers license, passport, or other).

Outline

To receive a complete and comprehensive course outline write to courseinfo@jeronline.com and include the complete course title.


Course Syllabus: Canine Massage Therapy Career Advancement Certificate

Home Page

• Course contents
• Testimonials
• About Nick Scott, Instructor

• Medical Charting/Contraindications and Precautions for canine massage.
• Silent Meditation Instruction and Hand Energizing video

• Reading Assignment followed by an online test following each chapter.
• Textbook: Clinical Anatomy & Physiology for Veterinary Technicians; Colville ISBN-13: 978-0323227933

• Swedish stroke definitions and contraindications
• Video demonstration-Swedish strokes
• Meditation preparation and audio

• Definition/Description of trigger point therapy
• Video demonstration (Human demonstration and dog massage demonstration)
• Sound Meditation description and audio

• Description and diagrams of canine acupressure.
• Video demonstration of the various canine acupressure techniques.
• Taoist Meditation descriptions and audio.

• Definition/Description of canine myofascial release.
• Video demonstration
• Mirror Meditation

Books

Required textbooks and DVD are included with registration.