(It is optional and not required for students to attend onsite classes. Full certification may be obtained by taking our Online Canine Massage Certification Course.)
-Our 5 1/2-day onsite class offers 50 hours of training-
This program focuses on therapeutic massage, which requires a working knowledge of the dog’s anatomy, physiology, common pathological conditions, gait/conformation, nutrition, and behavior; All covered in our Online Canine Massage Course. Topics covered onsite include TTouch, Swedish Massage, Trigger Point Therapy, Gait Analysis, Myofascial Release, Passive Stretching, and Acupressure.
Course Instructor: Misti Soo Hoo, LVT, CMT and Nick Scott, CMT/LMT
Onsite tuition cost: $850 (5 1/2-day onsite class) + $1,750 (online course) = $2,600 total tuition. For those students planning to come onsite, tuition is due in full by the first day of the onsite class. A daily rate of $175 will apply for those students attending only a portion of the onsite course.
PREREQUISITES: Incoming onsite students must complete online Lessons One through Five and view our downloadable Holistic Dog Massage video (Please see the link below under Required Textbooks and Video) as a prerequisite to the onsite class. We recommend completing as much of the online course before attending the hands-on/onsite course. You need no prior knowledge of massage to take this course and succeed in the canine massage field. The student must have previous experience in handling canines.
* For the safety of all pets, we require all dogs coming onsite to be current with all shots, be free of fleas, vaccinated, and be spayed or neutered (or similar).
You may register for our onsite class, online classes in pairs, or our entire online certification course by clicking below or, better yet, call us at +1 805-640-9798 so that we may assist you with your enrollment process and answer any questions you may have.
Register and Start Now
“In a world of struggle and pain, OSOCM allowed me to focus
on making a positive difference in the lives of pets and their owners.
I am so happy to devote my life to this practice.” Nicole C.
Course Objectives:
- Provide students with a well rounded education so that they can succeed in the business of canine massage.
- To prepare the layperson, who just wants to learn more about their dog, learn how to apply professional canine massage techniques on their dog.
- Introduce specific canine massage techniques designed to ward off stress & illness, improve flexibility, and promote you and your animal companions overall health.
- Gain a new skill or complement your current work with canine massage.
- Experience the transformative effects of healing massage, for both you and your canine friends, and enhance the powerful bond between you.
- Assess and understand how proper nutrition relates to various health conditions and how to choose the correct diet for a specific dog.
- Help your canine companion, and other dogs, to live a balanced and healthful life and ensure their liveliness and longevity.
Required Textbooks & Video:
Please click on the links below to order. Please allow time for shipping (Lesson One of the online course does not require a textbook). One of your assignments will be to “color-in” the Dog Anatomy: A Coloring Atlas, so please do not buy this book used. Please Download the Holistic Dog Massage video.
Clinical Anatomy & Physiology for Veterinary Technicians
Holistic Dog Massage Video – Download Video
Total Cost of Books and Materials: Approximately $150
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**Once the five 1/2-day onsite course is purchased, students have one year or the next onsite class (whichever comes first) to attend onsite classes, after which there will be no refund. Students may opt to repeat the five 1/2-day onsite courses at a future date for an additional $800 (or $150 per day).
Onsite Canine Massage Class Schedule and Curriculum:
Our program schedule may be viewed on our website calendar or please call us for more information.
Canine Massage- 50 hours onsite: Covers TTouch, Swedish Massage for dogs, Trigger Point Therapy, Gait Analysis, Myofascial Release, Passive Stretching, and Acupressure.
TTouch: What is the purpose of TTouch? “The TTouch is often mistaken as a form of massage. Massage is done with the intent of affecting the muscular system. The intent of the TTouch is the reorganizing of the nervous system and activating the functions of the cells. The TTouch is done with the intent of activating neural pathways in the brain to increase an animal’s self image and awareness, improving self-confidence and coordination. This results in improved performance.” Linda Tellington Jones
Swedish Massage: Swedish massage is a modality that contains a prescribed set of strokes that have been used for millennia to relax the body and improve general fluid circulation. You will learn how to apply these strokes systematically to help calm your dog, improve their fluid circulation and provide general relief from pain.
Trigger Point Therapy: Trigger point therapy is a very potent pain relief therapy that is easy to do and highly effective for eliminating pain. Trigger point therapy is always a part of any sports massage. Dogs that do a lot of work or agility training will benefit greatly from this type of massage. Trigger point therapy will also help dogs who have had any injury or surgery.
Myofascial Release: Myofascial Release can be used on dogs with excellent results. Myofascial Release aims to free the body of adhesions that bind the layers of fascia together. These adhesions prevent the free and natural movement of the muscles and joints wrapped tightly by this fascia. These adhesions also set up and maintain postural abnormalities.
Passive Stretching: The goal of stretching is to provide length to the muscles, thereby promoting the full range of motion to the joints. There are many different modalities of stretching. We will be doing Passive Stretching in this course. In Passive Stretching, we move the animal’s limbs or body parts into their lengthened position until they reach the end of their natural movement. Each animal will have a range of motion dependent on the joint’s natural range of motion, muscle tension, boney misalignments, pain restrictions, or medical appliances that have been put into the body after surgery.
Acupressure: Acupressure is a catchall term for Asian bodywork modalities that include some sort of pressure point work. This is a westernized name for Chinese Tui Na, Japanese Shiatsu, Thai Nuad Bo-rarn, Indian Marma Points and Tibetan Kum Nye massage. Most Asian countries have their own form of massage modalities that use pressure points. We will focus on Tui Na, the Chinese form of Acupressure.
** You can purchase any of our course materials directly from our website. Please fill out the required online enrollment forms before buying the course. You will automatically receive online course lessons 1-12 when paying in full for the Online Canine Massage Certification Course. If paying by check, please call us to arrange payment. The total onsite tuition is due by the first day of class.
Tests-
There is an open book online quiz for anatomy and physiology during the online course. Online quizzes are not timed and can be taken more than once.
**THERE IS NO CALIFORNIA STATE LICENSURE REQUIREMENT FOR THE SMALL ANIMAL MASSAGE PROGRAM.
Graduation-
Students completing all program requirements will receive a certificate of completion from the Ojai School of Canine Massage.
Ojai School of Canine Massage is approved by the IAAMB (International Association of Animal Massage & Bodywork/Association of Canine Water Therapy) as an Approved Preferred Educational Provider. We are an Approved Education Provider by the American Council of Animal Naturopathy, a member of the NBCAAM, and approved by the BPPE as an exempt institution.