Friday Favorites: TREAT!

Let's be real for a moment. My adorable sass of a pup, Finnegan has had a bumpy year so far. Between an unexpected surgery, then a separate 3 day stint at the doggie hospital, and his most recent, random infection he has just been in a funk. Not to mention the fact that we in the Midwest are experiencing the heat of a million suns and when you're a furball of his variety- the heat sucks.

Enter, TREAT!

My first experience with TREAT started when a good friend and fellow dog lover gave me some homemade dog nibbles from a new animal treatery opening up online. We started with the Say Cheese Treats and Finny hasn't looked back since. He is absolutely wild about them! And I love them too because they are homemade with simple  and safe ingredients.

The dog, the myth, the legend- Finnegan O'Tater Shrock-Mannies

After becoming familiar with their pet morsels, I learned more about TREAT's animal massage services that they offer to the Indianapolis area. I know when you first hear "Dog massage" you might think, "That's more pampering than I get!" but let me tell you a couple of things.

First, you need to start thinking about entering the world massage yourself. I am a firm believer in the health benefits of massage therapy and have saved so much money and pain by seeing a massage therapist for my back. It has even helped me avoid surgery!

Second, think of it the same way for your pet. You want your pets to live long, healthy lives and have no problem taking them to the vet for check-ups, check-ins and vaccines. Why not make your last visit to the vet last a little bit longer by seeking the services of TREAT to keep your pup feeling good?

From the moment TREAT owner, Angela Jorden entered our house (yes, she comes to you!) I think Finny was in love. The first few minutes were spent talking about Finny's health, disposition, etc. and then the magic happened.

To set this up properly you need to know that when new people come around Finny is a complete nutcase. He's getting better, and in his defense he is still a puppy, but he's jumpy and like to investigate everything with his mouth. Within in 10 minutes of Angela's arrival, Finny looked like a pile of fur covered Jell-o.

Finny mid-massage and loving life.

Angela started with his head using slow, sustained movements. Did you know that dogs have pressure points on their ears and at the nape of their neck? Well, they do and that is something I would have never figured out from just petting him and will probably never be able to find myself. From there she worked on his neck, stimulating his lymphatic areas to help with his infection.

Next she worked on his extremities to help with his joint articulation. I was in complete awe of how well she picked up on subtle cues that Finny was exhibiting. Although on a more obvious note, it was pretty evident that he was in a state of pure bliss by the way he would let out a random long sigh, yawn, or look like his eyes were about to shut completely. From there she continued down his back, tail and then his belly. By the end I felt more relaxed just from watching!

My favorite part was afterwards when Angela said that most dogs will literally shake off the energy from the massage just like they do when they are wet. And, sure enough, Finny got up from his rub-down, stretched both his front and back legs, then got his shake on.

All in all, I have to say that I was really impressed. Impressed at Angela's knowledge of the canine body and which movements would work best, impressed by the way she was able to turn a nutty dog like Finnegan into the most laid back little guy ever, and by how much joy she gets from doing her job.

Here's a tip- At the end, I felt myself wondering, "What is the proper tipping etiquette?". I thought about it for a while and think that if you tip your groomer, you should tip for your pup's massage.

Finny's favorite Say Cheese Treats and his new pick, Bac'n Bones.

So, I have to say- not only would I recommend you pick up some treats (they do gift baskets too!), you should consider the benefits of the TREAT massages. Trust me, your pet will thank you and you'll feel good knowing that they got a little TLC right at home.

Here's a link to their shop!

Indy dog-lovers, talk to Angela about setting up an appointment and everyone else- hop on over to their TREAT! shop and order away! You will be so glad you did and so will your furry friends!