True wellness for your dog goes beyond just a daily walk. It is a combination of mental comfort—ensuring they feel safe during grooming or vet visits—and proactive physical care to keep their bodies thriving as they age. In this section, we cover both: the behavioral handling techniques that build confidence, and the holistic Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) therapies we use to keep The Crew feeling their best.

Throughout their life, your dog will have to go to the vet. Teaching your dog to be handled at home will make these visits—and regular grooming—significantly less stressful. If your dog is used to being touched, having their paws handled, or being set on their side, any future medical or grooming experience will be a breeze.

We also want to protect our dogs from daily environmental stress. We all know the frantic barking at the doorbell, hiding from thunder, or lunging at a lawnmower. Desensitizing your dog to these triggers improves their impulse control and makes their daily life (and yours) much more peaceful.

When Leo was diagnosed with arthritis in his wrist, he didn’t seem to get truly comfortable just relying on anti-inflammatory drugs like Carprofen. I started searching for a more holistic approach and was introduced to Dr. Donna Hein, a veterinarian specializing in TCVM.

Instead of just treating the symptom, TCVM looks at the whole dog—including their specific “Element” (Fire, Wood, Earth, Metal, or Water) and how their body processes energy. This opened up a whole new world of physiotherapy, acupuncture, and food therapy that drastically improved Leo’s quality of life.

In TCVM, food is not just about calories—it’s about energetic properties. Every ingredient is categorized as Warming, Neutral, or Cooling. For example, Leo is an “Earth” dog, which means he runs “Hot” and is prone to inflammation. Dr. Hein had us replace warming proteins like chicken with cooling proteins like turkey and white fish to balance his system.

Download the Food Energy PDF

Along with food therapy, we made physical adaptations for Leo, including house modifications, heat therapy, and massage. But the most powerful tool we learned was acupressure.

By applying gentle, sustained pressure to specific meridian points (like the powerful Bai Hui point for calm and recovery, or BL-60 for joint mobility), you can stimulate blood flow, release endorphins, and actively help your dog heal using nothing but your hands.