Maintain the health of your working dog - How Canissage helps gundogs and sheep dogs stay agile and active.
- benbpayne
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
Working gun dogs and sheepdogs love their jobs and live for their hours in the field. But it’s a tough job. They work intensively, sprinting over rough terrain, taking twists and turns at breakneck speed through impenetrable undergrowth. It’s no wonder they find themselves feeling sore.
As owners and handlers, you want to do the best for your dogs, to keep them fit, happy, healthy and able to work for as many years as possible. Not just because of the economic impact of losing a dog to injury, but because you’re a team, and work is easier with them by your side.
The physical demands of working dog life.
Working dogs are athletes in their own right. Their bodies work harder for much longer than the average pet. Unfortunately, life in the field inevitably attracts injuries, but some of them can be avoided with the right support.
The most common injuries are to paws, pads and claws, followed by lacerations and tail injuries. However, musculoskeletal injuries and likenesses are also highly prevalent in working dogs, both gundogs and sheepdogs, with the greatest injury risk being to those in the beating line.
The most common age group to sustain injuries are the middle years, when they’re at their most confident and independent, between ages 4 and 6. However, the group to pick up most musculoskeletal injuries is between seven and twelve years old.
Throughout their working lives, musculoskeletal injuries have the greatest impact on a dog’s ability to work and are the most frequent reason given for retiring a gundog from work, with over 25% retiring due to lameness.
Working dogs without warming up
A day in the life of a hardworking gundog or sheepdog often means going from resting to full power without the luxury of a warm-up that an agility dog might get.
Gun dogs and sheepdogs often rest patiently in the truck or hang out on the back of a quadbike for hours, waiting for the signal to go. And when it comes, they go hard and fast.
Common working gundog and sheepdog injuries
Pad cuts
Claw pulls
Tail damage
Lacerations
Acute muscle injuries
Tendon injuries
Ligament damage
Eye injuries
The Role of Massage Therapy For Working Dogs
Some handlers may already take their dogs for regular physio or hydrotherapy, but in most cases, massage therapy isn’t common among working dogs—but the benefits are potentially life-changing.
Massage therapy in animals is particularly prevalent in the equine world but is increasingly a common therapy for dogs. It improves your working dog’s circulation, which promotes faster healing. It alleviates pain and discomfort, particularly for overused muscles, relieving stiffness and targeting knots. With more comfortable, relaxed muscles comes a greater range of motion and increased flexibility, all critical for your dog’s agility and stamina in the field.
Mental Health Benefits of Massage for Working Dogs
As with humans, there are also huge mental health benefits for your dog if they’re feeling comfortable and relaxed in their body. Massage therapy enables them to relax and calm down after a stimulating day in the field. It also helps them to focus and concentrate, improving their performance at work. But, although regular massage is ideal for your working dog, having the time to either take them to a professional or give them a warm-up or cool-down massage yourself, can feel impossible.
Canissage Massage Therapy Bed for Dogs in the Field and Home
Supporting your dog simply and effectively out in the field and at home couldn't be easier than with a Canissage massage therapy bed.
Packed with technology and backed by decades of scientific research, a Canissage massage bed utilises Cycloidal Vibration Therapy, which is clinically proven to increase circulation and improve mobility and wound healing whilst supporting your dog’s musculoskeletal and mental health.
Use the Canissage bed at home, or keep it in your car or truck with a battery pack. Before a shoot let your dogs relax on the bed while it assists in warming their muscles up. Between runs or after a hard day’s work, the bed provides them with a deeply penetrating cool-down massage, reducing the risk of acute muscle injury and supporting their recovery.
Fern’s Canissage story
“We’ve noticed that using it before a shoot means Fern is loose and warmed up when she starts work. She’s able to use her muscles effectively. But the biggest difference is after work. She used to be extremely stiff the next day, trundling around with no enthusiasm. Using the Canissage bed has made a huge difference to her after the shoot. She isn’t sore; she’s settled and comfortable.”
Purchase a Canissage Massage Therapy Bed For Your Working Dogs
We’d love for you to experience the difference a Canissage bed can make for your working dogs. If you're ready to invest in their recovery and performance, simply order through our online shop. Have questions or want to speak to someone before purchasing? Our team is here to help—just give us a call on Freephone 0800 689 9820
