CN80: Canine Acupressure Techniques for Owners & Trainers
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No matter your role with dogs—trainer, veterinary care, rescuer, or devoted caregiver—this 2-day Five Element Acupressure course offers a whole new lens. It’s not just “points for problems.” It’s a system that helps you understand why an animal is anxious, reactive, tense, or in pain—and what you can do to shift those patterns.
Many people think of acupressure as a collection of quick fixes: “this point for relaxation, that point for stiffness.” Helpful, yes—but surface level. Five Element Acupressure goes deeper. It reveals the root causes—the patterns of health, behavior, and energy that shape what you see on the surface—so you can finally make sense of what’s really happening with the animals in your care.
Whether you’re an animal pro adding new tools to your practice, or a dedicated caregiver looking for a more meaningful way to support your dog, this class will change the way you see and work with dogs.
This class is designed as both a stand-alone learning experience and a gateway into deeper study. Many students who join us discover that this approach is the “missing piece” they’ve been searching for—and choose to continue their Five Element journey with us with more advanced certification courses. The course balances classroom learning with hands-on time with live animals.
In this class, students will learn:
- The Five Element Archetypes for dogs, so you can recognize deeper constitutional patterns and finally understand what makes each animal tick.
- Practical, effective points for issues ranging from acute pain to chronic tension to anxiety and behavior challenges.
- Simple techniques you can use in under 5 minutes per session—no complicated theory, no special equipment.
- Integration strategies so you can weave acupressure seamlessly into daily care or professional services. (Just 5 minutes, 3 times a week can be a game-changer.)
- Professional application—learn how to tailor your approach to each unique dog so results come easier, faster, and better.
Must be comfortable working around dogs of all sizes.
Required Materials (included in tuition):
Course Manual
Online Support Materials (videos and PDF manuals)
Susan Tenney, CMT, EEBW
Susan Tenney works internationally as a teacher, writer and practitioner of Shiatsu and Five Element Acupressure for animals. She received her human massage certification from the Shiatsu Institute of San Francisco in 1994. She followed up her human shiatsu training with the study of animal massage and acupressure, Classical Oriental medical theory and animal anatomy. In her work in the past three decades, Susan has blended massage, acupressure, stretching, movement exercises, and lifestyle modifications to improve health and performance for horses and small animals. She has also worked passionately in the realm of educating animal lovers how they can perform safe and simple bodywork on their own animals.
As a journalist, Susan wrote “Acupressure in Action,” a regular column for the award-winning “Whole Horse Journal” from 1996 to 1998. In North America her writing has been featured in numerous publications including Equine Wellness, Natural Horse, and Holistic Horse magazines. In Europe her work and her writing has also been featured widely including publication in the German language magazines Pegasus, Kavallo and the German edition of the Tteam magazine and several French publications. Her writing and teaching have grown to include an active social media presence where her popular Point Of the Week (P.O.W.!) posts on Facebook and Instagram are referred to and shared regularly by animal lovers and professionals alike.
In 2002 Susan completed her book Practical Acupressure, Basic Acupressure for Horses. The German edition of this book was published in hardcover by Rio Verlag in 2010.Through her website she also offers a growing line of laminated charts on acupressure and Shiatsu for dogs and horses.
An enthusiastic teacher and lecturer, Susan has offered lively clinics for animal owners and professionals in Europe, Canada, and the U.S since 1995. She expanded her offerings to include online learning in 2011. Her students now number in the thousands and students have come from over 25 countries. Her friendly, engaging, and encouraging teaching style has inspired many students to work successfully as professionals in the field of animal bodywork.
$350 deposit is required to hold your spot in a course – the remainder of the tuition is due at least 45 days prior to the course start date (60 days for international instructors). The $350 deposit is nonrefundable and nontransferable, and is credited to the total tuition for the course. Confirmation letters, course outlines, required pre-study (if applicable), directions and lodging options will be sent when the $350 deposit has been received.
No matter your role with dogs—trainer, veterinary care, rescuer, or devoted caregiver—this 2-day Five Element Acupressure course offers a whole new lens. It’s not just “points for problems.” It’s a system that helps you understand why an animal is anxious, reactive, tense, or in pain—and what you can do to shift those patterns.
Many people think of acupressure as a collection of quick fixes: “this point for relaxation, that point for stiffness.” Helpful, yes—but surface level. Five Element Acupressure goes deeper. It reveals the root causes—the patterns of health, behavior, and energy that shape what you see on the surface—so you can finally make sense of what’s really happening with the animals in your care.
Whether you’re an animal pro adding new tools to your practice, or a dedicated caregiver looking for a more meaningful way to support your dog, this class will change the way you see and work with dogs.
This class is designed as both a stand-alone learning experience and a gateway into deeper study. Many students who join us discover that this approach is the “missing piece” they’ve been searching for—and choose to continue their Five Element journey with us with more advanced certification courses. The course balances classroom learning with hands-on time with live animals.
In this class, students will learn:
- The Five Element Archetypes for dogs, so you can recognize deeper constitutional patterns and finally understand what makes each animal tick.
- Practical, effective points for issues ranging from acute pain to chronic tension to anxiety and behavior challenges.
- Simple techniques you can use in under 5 minutes per session—no complicated theory, no special equipment.
- Integration strategies so you can weave acupressure seamlessly into daily care or professional services. (Just 5 minutes, 3 times a week can be a game-changer.)
- Professional application—learn how to tailor your approach to each unique dog so results come easier, faster, and better.
Must be comfortable working around dogs of all sizes.
Required Materials (included in tuition):
Course Manual
Online Support Materials (videos and PDF manuals)
Susan Tenney, CMT, EEBW
Susan Tenney works internationally as a teacher, writer and practitioner of Shiatsu and Five Element Acupressure for animals. She received her human massage certification from the Shiatsu Institute of San Francisco in 1994. She followed up her human shiatsu training with the study of animal massage and acupressure, Classical Oriental medical theory and animal anatomy. In her work in the past three decades, Susan has blended massage, acupressure, stretching, movement exercises, and lifestyle modifications to improve health and performance for horses and small animals. She has also worked passionately in the realm of educating animal lovers how they can perform safe and simple bodywork on their own animals.
As a journalist, Susan wrote “Acupressure in Action,” a regular column for the award-winning “Whole Horse Journal” from 1996 to 1998. In North America her writing has been featured in numerous publications including Equine Wellness, Natural Horse, and Holistic Horse magazines. In Europe her work and her writing has also been featured widely including publication in the German language magazines Pegasus, Kavallo and the German edition of the Tteam magazine and several French publications. Her writing and teaching have grown to include an active social media presence where her popular Point Of the Week (P.O.W.!) posts on Facebook and Instagram are referred to and shared regularly by animal lovers and professionals alike.
In 2002 Susan completed her book Practical Acupressure, Basic Acupressure for Horses. The German edition of this book was published in hardcover by Rio Verlag in 2010.Through her website she also offers a growing line of laminated charts on acupressure and Shiatsu for dogs and horses.
An enthusiastic teacher and lecturer, Susan has offered lively clinics for animal owners and professionals in Europe, Canada, and the U.S since 1995. She expanded her offerings to include online learning in 2011. Her students now number in the thousands and students have come from over 25 countries. Her friendly, engaging, and encouraging teaching style has inspired many students to work successfully as professionals in the field of animal bodywork.
$350 deposit is required to hold your spot in a course – the remainder of the tuition is due at least 45 days prior to the course start date (60 days for international instructors). The $350 deposit is nonrefundable and nontransferable, and is credited to the total tuition for the course. Confirmation letters, course outlines, required pre-study (if applicable), directions and lodging options will be sent when the $350 deposit has been received.