For nervous and anxious dogs and cats, and dogs that react aggressively to the things they fear, changing behavior is about changing their emotional state in the presence of their trigger- the thing to which they react. Animals need to be in a thinking state in order to learn something new - not flooded with stress hormones. Massage and Reiki can be an integral piece of your behavior modification plan, to get them into that learning state where they can grow. 

• Changing the brain: Slow, relaxing massage of moderate depth will activate the part of the nervous system which is the opposite of fight or flight. Heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure goes down, dilated pupils relax, and cortisol levels return toward normal.

• Increasing confidence: We want to replace the state of fear with a state of curiosity. Animals that are feeling pain somewhere in their body can compensate for that by being extra guarded emotionally. Feeling more free physically, as well as more connected to their body through touch, can lead to opening up to new experiences. 

• Building teamwork: Your animal needs to trust you in order to let go of their defenses. I do something of a dance with your pet in which I introduce new sensations and touch new body parts, and give her a choice in what happens. They quickly learn to trust me and even let me work deeply on painful areas. In addition to getting massage by a professional, ask for lessons to massage your pet yourself. Work nightly on a "relax mat" for bonding, and to make the mat into a safe, relaxing spot, which a great tool you can bring with you on the road. Ask your trainer or behavior consultant for teamwork exercises. 

• Massage in the presence of the trigger - as long as you have enough distance from the thing your dog reacts to, and you've already built your team, working on relaxing in the presence of the trigger is a great tool. It is an advanced skill we work on in our Reactive Dog classes at Pack of Paws Dog Training. 

Massage and Reiki are only part of the solution for serious behavior issues. Look for a force-free behavior professional that will teach training tools that will help build your relationship with your pet through rewarding the behavior you want to see, not hurting it through punishing behavior without healing its root cause.