Churchill Graham & Aging

All right!  I am aging, but with the type of care I 'm given, my "age at11 years" seem to be holding-up very well.  Athletics are my specialties.  Some of them are:
. Skate Board Mush
. Swimming On My Own
. Swimming After Daddy Without Him Knowing

. Throw the Ocean Stick                                                                  
. Wave Catching
. Ride Alongside The Bicycle
. Tackle With Francesca Le Bon Bon
. Mountain Climbing & Hunting
and  much  more  unexpected games.  Its the unexpected, that my Daddy and Mommy would be concerned about.  I mean if I had my way, I would chase motorcycles, cats, and people that dress scary.  That is the very reason  Halloween is not a good thing for me!  Got some scary dressed dudes out there during Halloween!  Well for that matter, even when it's not Halloween.

Why am I not so concerned with aging?
Daddy & Mommy always provide us with the best of care.  I think its the love they have for us, but they feel differently.  The following is the health-care regimen for us:

DISCIPLINE   is the first.   Mommy is our  trainer, and was taught by Winston Kupau  an  AKC  trainer and   frequent Dog Show Judge from Oahu,   well-respected in Hawai'i' for his Dog Training!  He is the best  in Hawaii and so spectacular to watch him with all his dogs.  Winners in Dog Shows every time!  When we are given obedience schooling,  "treats" for obeying commands are not used,  until the very end.  We understand both hand and verbal commands.  Visit:  http://caninevisionsmaui.blogspot.com/

NUTRITION  is actually part of the whole regimen.  Our food intake, are  made-up to satisfy each of our palates.  Mommy has a Bachelor Of Science Degree in Food & Nutrition, and Daddy is our Chef.  So, we are in good hands.   I 'm the particular one, whereby Francesca Le Bon Bon seem to be easier to satisfy.  But slowly it has worked-out whereby the foods prepared for both of us are similar, as we both  have learned to acquire new tastes and textures.  Daddy is more strict with treats.  Mommy is easier to manipulate when we
want a special meat, or human food treat!  Visit:   http://www.caninevisionscookingfordogs.blogspot.com/

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE,   has been  confirmed by Mommy, as keystone to our health-care.  A Certified Canine Massage Therapist, Mommy gives us the privileges to this care on a set pattern..  She feels efficient musculature structure, circulation flow and emotional stamina  keep us healthy.  She  senses our soft tissues,  pressure points and observes changes in our movements immediately  in order to focus for a better therapeutic session each time.   Visit:  http://www.wix.com/caninevisions/caninemassagetherapist

LOVE,  is a natural.  Our movements, eye contact and most actions are understood without  challenges.  We each sense the actions of each other.  For example,  if the front entrance door is wide open, and our Daddy and Mommy are nowhere, we KNOW we don't ever leave the home.   If  Mommy is bothered,  I been the oldest and have had more experience with Mommy, would be by her side to comfort her.  Once Mommy fainted outside on the front balcony, and I was without a leash-hold, because just before unlocking  the door to go inside I was ready to enter, and Mommy got sick!  I sniffed her face, and waited  by her, but later went down to the lower stairway landing and just barked.   Someone came by and when I was patted,  I ran up to the first landing to Mommy and barked some more.  The nice woman Rita, followed me and  helped Mommy. Yes our compassion is a natural family happening.  Visit:  http://mauidognews.blogspot.com/

                                                   
According to human standards, I am really aging, and have "white hair" to prove it on my eyebrows and chin. Age so far has not slowed me down.  I don't play with stuffed toys anymore, but Francesca Le Bon Bon does because she's much younger than I am.  I was already 7 years of age when this little chocolate fur bundle later called Francesca Le Bon Bon came into MY domain.  But we became close as she grew up to be just my size.  So the gathering of stuffed toys, cloth, rope, and  dolls are not my idea of fun anymore, even though Francesca Le Bon Bon wants to shove it into my face.  I just ignore her.  My idea of fun is speed, active, and challenge with  Daddy  using the  bicycle, skateboard, going mountain hiking, and swimming.

My activeness can cause my muscles to be overworked.  That is the reason Mommy has me on a regular regimen of therapeutic massage.  So my deep strides, speed and endurance are  comfortable for me, and have not had any serious ache or pain.  These massages has increased my range of motion.  Francesca Le Bon Bon is also on a regular regimen for therapeutic massage.

Mommy feels DISCIPLINE is a priority before the other phases.  I think LOVE is the most important.  What do you think?  Please add a comment so we all can learn from our fans.

I want to share a video of me swimming in the ocean.

    

ARRFF!  I am happy swimming!

Times MASSAGE should NOT be done on dogs!

Churchill Graham

It is important to know there are times therapeutic
  MASSAGE should NOT
  be used 

  on dogs!

  +  Never be used when there
      is evidence of a fever
  +  Never be used when dog is
      in shock
  +  Never be used in most
      forms of skin disease,
      except in the thickened 
      condition of the skin left behind by eczema.
  + Never be used in apoplexy cases:  rupture of a 
     blood vessel.
  + Never be administered to abscesses or tumors.

Churchill Graham, Labrador Retriever "speaks" from experience !

Back congestion is  common whether being active or inactive! Inactive  without much to do is a serious concern. Aloneness  causes emotional stress,  whereby "barking"  becomes an issue. In addition, inactiveness over a long period of time (month or more), muscles tighten, causing muscle  fatigue, and poor contractual release of the lengthening and shorting of muscles adding more stress and future aged aches and pain.   As for me,  I am active romping, running and swimming!  So to  avoid overworking my muscles that can cause muscle fatigue accompanied with  aches and pains, regular therapeutic massages and treatments have been my  preventive measure  and much kinder for me as age creeps-up!




Usually before the actual therapeutic massage, I receive a comfortable head massage to get me "settled-down" even though I've experienced this massage before.   Yes, I've walked-up the ramp onto this comfortable massage table, but I am a creature-of-the-moment, and to receive a head massage to prepare for treatments of pressure points and muscle spasms, does help me "settle" and am total aware I  will be experiencing 2-hours therapeutic massage comfort and health-care.  So sweet. . . 

I run with deep and long strides in my active lifestyle.  So when I receive shoulder and leg massage treatments it helps to increase my range of motion, most importantly, the contractual release of muscles are much more flexible in the shortening and lengthening of the muscles depending on what rascal-of-an-activity I am doing!  Even when I'm in the ocean I can swim at long lengths.  Once,  I saw another dog's frisbee floating nearby, I swam to capture it!  What can the other dog do in the ocean?  Jump me? Nah....I just swam away fast and took the frisbee to shore to hide it.  But, guess who is running after me?  Mommy! The faster she ran after me, the faster  I ran with deep and long strides. Well, Mommy made my athletic endurance possible through therapeutic massages!  But, with her command of "STOP" I listen.  I am obedient.  Mommy, my Massage Therapist,  returns the frisbee to the dog Gumpi still in the ocean watching us.  Geez. . .  

Churchill Graham