Exercise Tips for Senior Dogs

Ron Miller 04/17/2012

Since older dogs have already outlived their youthful, or “prime” years, some of their body parts and functions are starting to wear out, just like in us humans. That’s why we need to pay attention to exercise tips for senior dogs. Many elderly dogs experience arthritis, joint pains, slight blindness and hearing damage, and even get overweight due to lack of physical activity. This is why even older dogs need to do some exercise.

The benefits of exercise on any age dog can be outstanding. It can make humans feel younger even when they are old – and the same is true for old dogs. Regular exercise should also be practiced by senior dogs to maintain a healthy lifestyle even in its last few years. However, there should be, of course, safety guidelines in their physical fitness sessions.

Expert veterinarians should be able to give you plenty of advice when it comes to senior dog exercise. This is due to the fact that when dogs are old, many health issues can arise and can affect your dog’s health state during exercise. When you consult a certified vet, he or she will provide you the best and most applicable training program for your senior buddy.

A senior dog is usually around 14 to 16 years of age in small and medium dogs, and 7 to 9 years of age in larger dogs. So as you see, bigger dogs have a shorter life span than smaller dogs. But is not always like this – it depends on the breed of the dog and what lifestyle it has lived. Through constant maintenance and good healthy habits, dogs can overcome these age limits and live their lives to the fullest.
But how can you perform physical activities with your senior buddy?
Keep in mind that in an older dog’s exercise sessions, the level of comfort and physical activity should be balanced to meet up with the canine’s age and health. Because dogs’ energy decreases as they get older, don’t expect them to be as hyperactive as young ones anymore. Therefore, do not engage your dog in harsh or strenuous physical activity to avoid injury or health issues, or cause other unwanted trauma. Below is a list of some exercise ideas for your old dog:

Exercise Tips for Senior Dogs

• First, try taking your dog out for a walk, but only on a fine weather condition to which it can adapt to. This will stimulate your dog’s muscles little by little and be prepared for further physical activity. In short, it serves as a warm up for your dog.
• Explore the world together. There is nothing more awesome than taking your dog to many places to meet other dogs, preferably his age.
• Play some games! Your dog could have loved playing some doggy sports when he was still younger – why not give it a try but on a more relaxed way? However, keep in mind that you should not tire him too much.
• Play fetch with your dog. It always keeps him active and strengthens your bond with him.
• Swimming and other water activities can also help in physical fitness of your dog.
• Last, but not the least, HAVE FUN! Because no matter what you do, if both you and your dog like it so much, then almost nothing can go wrong, and your dog will thank you so much for giving him a rewarding life even at the very last years.