Dog massage around agility and canicross events
Before the run, after the finish: how animal massage therapists can offer sessions at dog sport events and plan visits before and after competitions.
6 min read
Work sporting dogs in two ways: short sessions on the event day itself, at your stand at the competition, and longer visits in the days before and after. For event days, create a service named after the event and open short back-to-back slots on that date, so owners can book a time that fits their dog's run. Ask for the dog's name, discipline and run time in the booking note. For the days around the event, a normal session at your practice or at home prepares and helps recovery.
Event-day sessions
At an agility trial, a canicross race or a flyball tournament, owners have short windows between warm-ups, runs and waiting. Short sessions fit those windows: a light warm-up massage before the run, or a recovery session after. On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end.
| Service | Example slot | Example price | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event day: warm-up session | 15 min | €15 | Before the dog's run |
| Event day: recovery session | 20 min | €20 | After the run |
| Pre-competition session | 45 min | €45 | A few days before, at the practice or at home |
| Post-competition session | 45 min | €45 | The days after |
Lengths and prices are examples: set your own. For each event, you can create a service with the event's name and place, such as "Event day, Spring agility trial", and describe where your stand is.
Setting up an event day
- Agree with the organiser that you'll have a stand, and where.
- Create the event service and open short back-to-back slots on that date, covering the hours of the event.
- Share your booking page with the club or in the event's group chat before the day.
- Keep a few slots free for owners who come to your stand without a booking; book them yourself from your calendar on the spot.
What owners write in the note
- the dog's name, breed and age;
- discipline and level;
- run time or race start, so you can check the slot fits;
- any injury or soreness, and anything the vet has said.
The public booking form asks for the owner's first name, last name, email and phone, plus that optional note. You see it in your new-booking email. If a slot is too close to the run, call the owner and move it.
Before and after the event
Handlers who compete regularly may want a longer session a few days before a big event and another after. At the end of a session, book the next one with the owner from your calendar, with the event date in the note. First and last name are required, email and phone optional; with the email, the owner gets a confirmation and a calendar file.
Say clearly in your descriptions that massage doesn't replace a vet check for a limping or injured dog, and that you won't work on an animal that should be seen by a vet first.
Weather and schedule changes
Outdoor events run late, and run orders change. If you need to move bookings on the day, do it from your bookings list and tell owners at the stand or by message: Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book doesn't take payments, so say how owners pay on the day. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.