Posted: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 07:46 AM - 14,759 Readers

By: Anitra Brown

There are a handful of spas that are pet-friendly, but Lake Austin Spa Resort in Texas is taking it to a new level with a dog-centric program for dogs and their owners. Spas are about wellness, and living with a pet has measurable scientific health benefits for owners, such as lowering blood pressure, reducing stress and even decreasing mild symptoms of depression by triggering the release of the hormone oxytocin.

During "Celebrating Paws" February 2-6 and November 2-6, 2011, Dr. Patricia McConnell, Ph.D.,CAAB, Ethologist and Certified Animal Behaviorist will lead informative discussions on:

• The Power of Pets: What Science Has to Tell Us About Our Love for Animals.
• Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? What's Really Going On in a Dog's Brain?
• The Other End of the Leash: Understanding How to Communicate with Your Best Friend.

Additional pet experts participating in the program include Cara Shannon, JD, CPDT-KA, CAP1 and certified dog training expert who will lead hands-on classes in manners training and etiquette. Cara will also be available for private sessions.

Author of Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search and Rescue Dog Susannah Charleson and her dog Puzzle are members of the Metro Area K9 Rescue in Dallas, Texas. They will demonstrate how we can use our human senses to understand a dog's gift of scent and to experience search-and-rescue from the dog's point of view and the handler's.

Other scheduled activities during the four-day pet program include a Yappy Hour (for pets and their parents), mat training, leave it training, canine massage and a custom photography session with your dog.

Guests are welcome to bring their house-trained adult dog any time, as the property has a select number of pet-friendly rooms with private outdoor spaces for their pooch to play. The year-round pet fee of $300 covers overnight essentials such as a dog bed, bowls, treat and a blanket for your beloved pet to snuggle in and take home with them. In 2011 the fee will be donated to Animal Trustees of Austin, a non-profit organization that provides free health care to animals in need.

Partial proceeds from two new pet-inspired spa treatments, the Four Paws massage (focusing on your hands and feets) and Bow Wow Peticure, are also benefiting the organization.

Pets hold a special place in the heart of the co-owner of the award-winning destination spa, Mike McAdams, who owns two rescue dogs from the Dallas Humane Society. "I never knew the amount of joy these two girls could bring to my life," says McAdams of his dogs. "As an adult I only adopted my first pet a few years ago and I had no idea how it would change my life. Viv and Daisy are part of our family."

*  Story Contributed by: Anitra Brown