Obviously not its official name, gadoonk is the name in our family for the bone right at the top of the dog’s skull. The little bump on the top between the ears.

(My friend Google has me even more confused this morning and I can’t tell whether the correct name is either parietal or occipitale bone – if anyone knows, please leave a comment. I never was any good at science!)

We know the value of a good massage in our family. So much so that since Bella and Beary were pups and every night since Bubba was born, all three of my gorgeous creatures enjoy regular massages. I’m not trained at all, but they don’t seem to mind the mumma technique.

Each night after Bubba’s bath I give her a massage. She seems to enjoy it, although as she gets older she knows when I’m getting near her ticklish spots so gets a little squirmy. Or just starts to giggle before I’m even there. It’s amazing to watch my tiny baby grow into a small person. Little nuances like her shoulders – which have always been square – are now strong and those of a little girl, not a fragile newborn. Her beautiful feet are now longer than the palm of my hand. Her muscles so much stronger and defined.

Beary loves a head rub. Under the chin and a firm gadoonk massage. On the top of my head between my ears and down to my eyes? Oh yes please pretty lady. And if I happen to be giving Bella a head massage and not Beary with my other hand (what am I thinking?) I get the under elbow nudge until Beary’s head is placed ideally under my hand.

Bella has always loved any kind of massage, scratchie or tickle. She’s particularly fond of the rump scratchie. Oh yeah, that’s the spot! It was regularly massaging her that alerted me to a problem a couple of years ago. One day in the middle of my pregnancy, Bella and I were sitting on our back deck enjoying the early Spring sunshine. I was giving her a massage and I felt a lump. It was a tiny lump, but I knew it hadn’t been there a couple of days earlier. Two days later it was bigger – not huge, but that it had grown was noticeable to my touch. Off to the vet for us. My vet was amazed I’d found it because it was on her upper inner thigh, but oh so glad I had. It was tested, found to be cancerous – and she was operated on later that same week. They took the lump and a lot of tissue around it, and they got the mass. Lucky for me, and my pup pal, we’d dodged the horrible C-bullet.

Never underestimate the value of a good massage – or a rub on the gadoonk.

Now, if only my kids could figure out how to give mumma a massage – my left shoulder and lower back would love it!