Yellowknife (Feb 16/05) - It's quite possible that boxers Shelby and Raider are the two most pampered dogs in town. Their owner, Jana Brenton, who just started a new business, For Pets Sake, is a certified dog massage therapist.

Canine massage therapist Jana Brenton's boxer Shelby enjoys a rub down at her home. Brenton has started a new business called For Pets Sake, which specializes in pet massage, doggie-doo pick-up and walks. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

For $30 - equivalent to a half-hour session - Brenton will melt away all those nasty knotted muscles your pooch suffered barking at your neighbour's cat or digging holes in the backyard.

Shelby, who 15 minutes earlier was bouncing off the walls with the excitement of having a reporter in the house, now lay near comatose on the floor as Brenton worked along her shoulders.

"Boxers are very muscular, so they're pretty good candidates to learn on," said Brenton.

She said it's easy to tell when a dog is enjoying the treatment.

"They'll start panting," said Brenton.

"They'll eventually fall asleep, they'll yawn, and roll over and nudge you back for a kiss. You know you've done well when they're out cold."

She said dogs aren't the only pets that can benefit from massage therapy.

She said the technique she has learned also works with cats. There is a course for giving massages to horses, although she hasn't tried that yet.

"Horses are a totally different thing," said Brenton. "They have the same muscles and all that, but they're a lot bigger."

Brenton's business isn't all dog massage. For a negotiable price, she will also pick up the doggie doo-doo in your backyard, plus take your pet out for a walk.

She said she got the idea for the poop pick-up service after getting nowhere with her husband in cleaning up their own backyard.

"He won't do it," said Brenton. "So I was thinking, I'm sure he's not the only one who refuses to do it."

Brenton said she is no substitute for a veterinarian, but if your dog needs pampering, particularly if he or she is getting old and a little arthritic, you might want to give her a call.

"Any dog with stiff muscles or if you notice a difference in their walk, even," said Brenton.

"Take them to the vet first, but if it's just a muscle, by all means."