The Dog Cancer Survival Guide by Susan Ettinger Demian Dressler Page B
Authors: Susan Ettinger Demian Dressler
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full benefit of this exercise. Short daily sessions give more benefit than do irregular, longer sessions. Meditating for five minutes is manageable for most guardians.
VENT IF YOU’RE BENT
Duration : 5-30 minutes
Indication : for anger and frustration
Some guardians dealing with dog cancer feel angry or “bent out of shape.” This is normal, because anger often comes when we want a situation to change but feel incapable of doing anything to make it happen.
Regardless of how normal it may be, feeling angry is not helpful when you need to make decisions. According to research, a tendency toward anger promotes risky decision-making in many different areas of life. It also interferes with mental clarity in general. Plus, dogs can experience stress when their guardians are angry.
Anger is a powerful emotion that demands an outlet. Here’s an idea:
Go to a place where you will not be disturbed: your room or a secluded spot in nature. It’s best if your dog is not with you.
Vent in a way that feels good to you. Here are a few ideas:
Yell at a wall (not a mirror).
Scream into a pillow.
Run as fast as you can around a track.
Hit a punching bag at the gym.
Pound sand at the beach (stay out of the water, though).
Scribble angry words in a notebook.
Slash at a paper with crayons.
Turn up loud music and scream the lyrics.
Stay safe, of course. Don’t hurt yourself or anyone else. This is about releasing the pent up anger, not using it as a weapon.
If anyone asks what you are doing, refer to this book and say you’re following a vet’s advice.
Keep venting until you literally run out of steam. You’ll know when this happens: you’ll feel exhausted, and the venting will peter out. You might find yourself sighing big sighs, crying a little (or a lot) or just staring off into space, void.
When you are finished, take three deep breaths to remind yourself that you are still alive.
Now that the emotional charge is gone, you may be able to see what you really want to do about the situation that triggered your anger.
How long it takes for you to run out of steam will depend upon many things, including how angry you are, whether other events from your past life come up, and how much permission you’ve given yourself for full expression.
MESSAGE MASSAGE
Duration : 10 minutes
Indication : sad feelings or anxiety
Some guardians dealing with dog cancer find themselves feeling terribly sad, guilty or numb. Giving your dog a massage can reconnect you to your dog and your shared love. This can ease your emotional pain, and it is also good for your dog; massage is now incorporated as a regular part of cancer care in human cancer centers like New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. (See chapter 15 for more information.)
Giving your dog a massage is a lovely, gentle, healing exercise. It’s also a natural activity for dogs. Dogs living in packs care for each other by licking and massaging with their strong tongues. If your dog has ever licked you when you were sad or tired, you were receiving a “Message Massage” (I believe the message was “I love you”).
You can send that message back to your dog. The length of time and timing of your massage should hinge on your dog’s state of mind and being.
Here are some tips for giving your dog a loving Message Massage:
Start your massage when your dog is already relaxed, for example, sitting quietly or cuddling with you. If you start when the dog is playing, he may reject the massage (dogs don’t massage when they wrestle and play).
Start slowly and very gently. Dogs seem to prefer light to medium pressure, much like what they would receive from another dog’s tongue. If you think of your fingers and hands as tongues, it will help you to keep them soft and light. Use repetitive, circular movements, like you are slowly finger painting. Avoid pokey fingertips, knuckles or anything that has an edge.
Pay attention to your dog’s comfort as you
VENT IF YOU’RE BENT
Duration : 5-30 minutes
Indication : for anger and frustration
Some guardians dealing with dog cancer feel angry or “bent out of shape.” This is normal, because anger often comes when we want a situation to change but feel incapable of doing anything to make it happen.
Regardless of how normal it may be, feeling angry is not helpful when you need to make decisions. According to research, a tendency toward anger promotes risky decision-making in many different areas of life. It also interferes with mental clarity in general. Plus, dogs can experience stress when their guardians are angry.
Anger is a powerful emotion that demands an outlet. Here’s an idea:
Go to a place where you will not be disturbed: your room or a secluded spot in nature. It’s best if your dog is not with you.
Vent in a way that feels good to you. Here are a few ideas:
Yell at a wall (not a mirror).
Scream into a pillow.
Run as fast as you can around a track.
Hit a punching bag at the gym.
Pound sand at the beach (stay out of the water, though).
Scribble angry words in a notebook.
Slash at a paper with crayons.
Turn up loud music and scream the lyrics.
Stay safe, of course. Don’t hurt yourself or anyone else. This is about releasing the pent up anger, not using it as a weapon.
If anyone asks what you are doing, refer to this book and say you’re following a vet’s advice.
Keep venting until you literally run out of steam. You’ll know when this happens: you’ll feel exhausted, and the venting will peter out. You might find yourself sighing big sighs, crying a little (or a lot) or just staring off into space, void.
When you are finished, take three deep breaths to remind yourself that you are still alive.
Now that the emotional charge is gone, you may be able to see what you really want to do about the situation that triggered your anger.
How long it takes for you to run out of steam will depend upon many things, including how angry you are, whether other events from your past life come up, and how much permission you’ve given yourself for full expression.
MESSAGE MASSAGE
Duration : 10 minutes
Indication : sad feelings or anxiety
Some guardians dealing with dog cancer find themselves feeling terribly sad, guilty or numb. Giving your dog a massage can reconnect you to your dog and your shared love. This can ease your emotional pain, and it is also good for your dog; massage is now incorporated as a regular part of cancer care in human cancer centers like New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. (See chapter 15 for more information.)
Giving your dog a massage is a lovely, gentle, healing exercise. It’s also a natural activity for dogs. Dogs living in packs care for each other by licking and massaging with their strong tongues. If your dog has ever licked you when you were sad or tired, you were receiving a “Message Massage” (I believe the message was “I love you”).
You can send that message back to your dog. The length of time and timing of your massage should hinge on your dog’s state of mind and being.
Here are some tips for giving your dog a loving Message Massage:
Start your massage when your dog is already relaxed, for example, sitting quietly or cuddling with you. If you start when the dog is playing, he may reject the massage (dogs don’t massage when they wrestle and play).
Start slowly and very gently. Dogs seem to prefer light to medium pressure, much like what they would receive from another dog’s tongue. If you think of your fingers and hands as tongues, it will help you to keep them soft and light. Use repetitive, circular movements, like you are slowly finger painting. Avoid pokey fingertips, knuckles or anything that has an edge.
Pay attention to your dog’s comfort as you
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