What Is Whole Energy Body Balance (WEBB)?
A gentle, whole-animal approach incorporating therapeutic touch, mindful presence, careful observation, and energetic awareness to support relaxation, regulation, connection, and physical and emotional wellbeing.
Whole Energy Body Balance (WEBB) is a gentle approach developed by veterinarian Dr. Edward Bassingthwaighte, “The Healing Vet.” It combines mindful presence, careful observation, and specialized forms of therapeutic touch to support an animal’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
WEBB is not ordinary petting or massage. The touch is slow, intentional, and responsive to the individual animal. In my own practice, I incorporate principles of choice and consent, carefully observing each animal’s body language and allowing them to participate, move away, return, or communicate when they would prefer the touch to change or stop.
WEBB may be especially supportive for animals experiencing fear, anxiety, stress, physical tension, shutdown, or high arousal. It may help promote relaxation and nervous system regulation, support more comfortable movement, and help animals recover more readily following periods of excitement or stress. For dogs who become highly aroused during training, play, greetings, or everyday activities, therapeutic touch may also support their ability to shift between active and restful states.
How WEBB May Help
WEBB may support:
• Relaxation and self-regulation
• Reduced anxiety and physical tension
• Confidence and resilience
• More fluid, comfortable movement
• Greater ability to cope with stress
• Recovery following excitement or stressful experiences
• Increased ability to settle and engage during training
• Recovery following injury or surgery
• A deeper relationship between the animal and guardian
• Overall physical and emotional wellbeing
Benefits vary according to the individual animal, and specific outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
WEBB for Every Dog
WEBB isn't only for dogs experiencing fear, anxiety, stress, or behavioral challenges. Dogs of all ages and personalities may benefit from gentle, whole-body therapeutic touch that supports comfort, relaxation, movement, and overall wellbeing.
Dogs can't tell us in words when or where they hurt, and animal pain has historically been misunderstood and underestimated. Dogs may continue to play, walk, train, and enjoy everyday life while experiencing physical tension or discomfort that isn't immediately obvious. Dr. Edward Bassingthwaighte uses the term “Silent Pain” to describe pain that may go unrecognized because the signs can be subtle or easily overlooked.
Through mindful observation and gentle, responsive touch, WEBB encourages greater awareness of the whole animal and may bring attention to areas of tension or sensitivity. WEBB does not replace veterinary diagnosis or treatment, and concerns about pain should be discussed with a veterinary professional.
finding calm
Supporting Sensitive, Anxious & Highly Aroused Dogs
Sensitive dogs may experience the world more intensely. Fear, anxiety, stress, shutdown, or high arousal can make it difficult for a dog to settle, recover after excitement, engage with their guardian, or feel comfortable enough to think and learn during training.
Moving Between Activity and Rest
The goal is not to eliminate excitement or expect a dog to remain calm all the time. A healthy nervous system needs to move between active and restful states. WEBB offers opportunities for dogs to experience these shifts and may support their ability to return to relaxation following activity, excitement, or stress.
With time and consistent practice, a dog may become better able to recover after stressful or exciting experiences, settle more readily, remain engaged without becoming overwhelmed, and reach a state in which thinking, learning, and responding to training may be easier.
A Whole-Dog Approach
WEBB + Positive Reinforcement Training
Positive reinforcement training is essential to supporting a happy, healthy dog. It builds skills and confidence, improves communication, and strengthens the relationship between dogs and the people who love them. WEBB adds another important and complementary dimension—bringing therapeutic touch and a whole-body approach to physical comfort, emotional wellbeing, energy, and nervous-system regulation.
Together, WEBB and positive reinforcement training allow us to support more than behavior alone. Dogs can learn and play, experience excitement and high-arousal activity, and also practice returning to a more regulated state afterward. This can support impulse control, self-regulation, engagement, and learning.
The connection can benefit both ends of the leash. Positive, supportive touch can promote the release of oxytocin in both dogs and humans—a hormone associated with social bonding and connection. By bringing training and therapeutic touch together, we can nurture not only how dogs learn and regulate, but also the trust, communication, and connection at the heart of a strong, healthy human-animal relationship..
Why This Work Is Personal: Freya's Story
Freya's Journey
From Hypervigilance to Finding Calm
Freya was once a well-socialized, trained dog who could go almost anywhere with me. That changed after she was attacked by loose dogs three times in a single month during a sensitive developmental period. Her fear generalized to other dogs, people, and unfamiliar situations, and she became intensely hypervigilant. Positive reinforcement training, counterconditioning and desensitization helped, but progress was painfully slow and our world became increasingly small.
I sought help from veterinary behaviorists and tried several behavior medications. Some increased Freya's arousal, and during one medication trial she became critically ill and spent three days in an emergency hospital. Other medications produced no meaningful behavioral improvement. Eventually, with veterinary guidance, I discontinued them—but I never stopped searching for another way to help her.
Then I heard Dr. Edward Bassingthwaighte speak and contacted him about Freya. During our first WEBB session, I watched her move from intense arousal into profound relaxation in about 45 minutes. I had never seen anything like it.
I continued consulting with Dr. Ed, began integrating WEBB with her training and behavior modification, and ultimately embarked on the WEBB practitioner certification program myself.
Today, Freya is still a sensitive dog, but she is no longer living at what felt like 110% hypervigilance. She travels more calmly, relaxes more readily, recovers more quickly when over threshold, and can once again navigate more people and unfamiliar environments. Our work continues every day.
Freya taught me never to give up on the animal in front of me. What I learned with her now informs my work with hundreds of shelter dogs, including dogs who are fearful, shut down, pacing, circling, panting from stress, or struggling with high arousal. Again and again, I have seen dogs find regulation, connection, and often profound relaxation.
Freya is why this work is personal—and why I believe so deeply in combining compassionate training, behavior modification, and therapeutic touch to support the whole animal.
In Memory Of My Joy Dog
My Joy Dog was a young shelter dog who struggled with high arousal, environmental stress, and reactivity to other dogs. During our first session, she entered the room panting, circling, and unable to settle. With time and therapeutic touch, however, I watched her move from that highly activated state into deep relaxation.
That remarkable shift happened during each of our three sessions—but she reached that deeply relaxed state more quickly each time. By our final session, she voluntarily settled beside me within minutes. Even when loud noises and activity in the shelter briefly disturbed her, she was increasingly able to recover and settle again. Her body softened and she let go; her breathing slowed, and her eyes drifted closed.
My Joy Dog was euthanized shortly after our final session. She did not get the future I hoped for her. I share her story to honor her far-too-short life—and because she showed me how much can exist beneath the behavior we first see.
But What About Cats?
Yes, Cats Too!
WEBB isn't just for dogs. Cats can also experience stress, anxiety, physical tension, discomfort, and Silent Pain—and they can be remarkably good at hiding when something isn't right.
Therapeutic touch offers another way to support a cat's relaxation, comfort, and overall wellbeing while strengthening the human-animal bond. In my practice, cats are always given choice and control over their participation. I work at the cat's pace, paying close attention to body language and allowing them to approach, engage, move away, or end the interaction.
Because with cats especially, connection begins with listening to what they are telling us.
Because Trust Begins with Choice
Choice, Consent & Connection
Therapeutic touch is never something I simply do to an animal. Dogs and cats are active participants in the process, with choice and consent guiding every interaction.
I pay close attention to body language and subtle changes in comfort, engagement, and relaxation. An animal is free to approach, move away, change position, take a break, or end the interaction at any time. By listening and responding to what each individual animal communicates, we create an experience built on trust, safety, respect, and connection.
What To Expect
Therapeutic Touch & Energy Connection
Using gentle, intentional therapeutic touch and energy connection, guided by your animal's responses, we support relaxation, regulation, physical comfort, and connection.
Moving Forward
We discuss what I observed and simple ways you can continue supporting your animal at home, helping carry the benefits of the session into everyday life.
Not Local?
Online sessions are also available, allowing me to guide you in therapeutic touch techniques you can practice with your own animal from the comfort of home.
Therapeutic Touch for Dogs & Cats
Ready to Support Your Animal in a New Way?
Discover how therapeutic touch can support relaxation, regulation, comfort, and connection for your dog or cat. In-person 60-minute sessions are available for $65, or choose a three-session package for $180. Online 60-minute sessions are also available for $55, so you can learn how to support your animal from the comfort of home.
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