Photo: Gagandeep Ghuman
By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: April 27, 2015
HUMANs are not the only one to know the bonding power of touch. Courtney Driver knows it can strengthen the bond between animals and humans too. And if Bella could speak, she may have told you how much she loved the hour-long massages she received from Courtney.
Ever since they brought Bella, a German Shephard, home, she has developed an endearing habit of cozying up to the couple in their bed every morning. She seems to shares a special bond with Courtney, who feels like Bella is her animal spirit.
Lying in the bed every morning with her human alter ego, Bella would sit back and relax as Courtney slowly massaged her face, her neck and her back, sometimes for an hour on the weekends. “She would close her eyes and throw her head back when I would massage her. It was like she was in massage bliss,” she says.
Even though Courtney wasn’t a massage specialist, she knew its kinetics and could see the effect it would have on Bella, who would just close her eyes and seemed relaxed after the massage.
For someone who didn’t grow up with a lot of pets, Courtney has a very strong, almost motherly bond with Bella. Bella is protective of her, follows her around and even gazes at her for long with affection and love.
Courtney grew up in a small town called Deloile near Saskatoon. The family didn’t have any pets because her father suffered from allergies. To compensate for lack of pets, her parents bought her a bird, a canary called Sunshine. Courtney still remembers she was playing the piano when the bird slumped down and died in his cage. Her brother joked it was the bad piano playing that killed the bird, but in fact he died because of a tumour in his head, as the vet told them. To overcome her sadness, the family bought her a dog but they had to let it go because of her father’s allergies flared up.
For the next 20 years, Courtney didn’t have any pets as the family moved from Delisle to 100 Mile House and then to Williams Lake. About 10 years ago, she moved to Squamish and married Craig Davidiuk. Following the lead of people who seemed to be enjoying their time outdoors with their dogs, the couple decided to get a dog. They got Bella from someone who was leaving town and wouldn’t be able to take her.
“She came across the kitchen table and just went straight to David’s arm,” Courtney recalls. They took her for a walk and decided she was the one they wanted. As they slowly discovered, Bella loved Courtney, following her around and getting love from her. When Courtney saw Bella enjoyed the massages, she decided to get a course in dog massage therapy from the Northwest Institute in Seattle. It’s been four years since she has been a professional dog masseuse.
She now runs Spectrum Animal Massage and says a massage can improve blood circulation, release endorphins, reduce stiffness, prevent injury and improve posture and balance, along with providing a healthy skin.
Courtney meets the dog in its home so it’s comfortable in its own setting. She starts by putting hands on the back of its neck and lower back and feels their energy for five to seven minutes. She begins with effleurage— a gentle, skimming of the body—which helps determine where problem areas are occurring and so the dog can get a better chance to get to know you. Then, a gentle massage begins, starting with the face, head, neck, chest and then arms, legs, and the body, working from front to back. A deeper tissue massage happens when there are blockages, muscle issues or problem areas that need to be worked on. After a massage, dogs will get up, shake, yawn or drink water. She asks the guardians to make sure lots of water is left out for the dogs after the massage as they expel toxins that are released in the body.
People have brought dogs to Courtney for a simple relaxation massage but some have called up to help an old dog relax or find a better balance.
Natalie and Warren Scott brought Bellagio, a Chihuahua, to Courtney, so he could relax his upper leg which takes more pressure as he’s a three-legged dog. After Bellagio lost his left leg in an accident, he walked with a gallop, putting all the pressure on his right leg which has become muscular as a result. Bellagio had also lost a patch on his right ear, revealing a white skin under the hair. After a biopsy, the vet concluded there wasn’t enough blood circulation and said it’s likely the hair won’t return, Natalie Scott said.
Scott said Courtney massaged on the right leg to release the tension it had acquired from the extra use. After the massage, they noticed he was more agile and relaxed but the real surprise came after a few weeks: Bellagio had hair growing on his ear.
“I have no idea what she did, but she got the juices flowing again,” Natalie said.
Courtney says dog massage is becoming increasingly popular in Squamish. It’s much more than just an indulgence, she says, as she has massages old dogs and those who are injured. “Squamish is a healthy, outdoor community and people want their dogs to be happy and healthy,” she says.
