How To Exercise Your Senior Dog
Just like people, senior dogs can improve their quality of life if they remain physically active and mentally stimulated. But as pets age, many begin to have difficulty with their mobility.
Keep your senior pup happy and healthy by considering all your exercise options.
Key Takeaways
- Movement helps keep a dog's muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints of the body strong and healthy. Exercise also stimulates the mind, which helps to maintain cognitive function.
- Before you start exercising your senior dog, schedule a visit with your veterinarian.
- It’s generally recommended that senior dogs get at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily.
What Is a Senior Dog?
A senior dog is an older dog that may have started to experience age-related changes to their body and mind. The age at which a dog is considered a senior depends on their size and breed. Most dogs are seniors at the age of 7, but large-breed dogs typically age more quickly and can be considered seniors as young as 5 to 6 years old. Smaller breeds may be considered seniors closer to 10 years old.
The most common signs of aging in senior dogs are intolerance to exercise and limited mobility.
In addition to monitoring your senior dog’s mobility, help to keep your pup healthy by watching their:
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Weight
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Eating habits
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Sleeping patterns
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Drinking and urination habits
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Cognitive ability
If you notice changes with your senior dog, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian.
A general rule of thumb is that senior pets should have checkups with their vet every six months. These regular wellness visits help catch disease processes early so that any necessary treatment can be started as soon as possible, helping to prolong their quality of life.
How Much Exercise Should Your Senior Dog Get?
All pets, including seniors, should get adequate exercise to avoid obesity and bad behaviors that can come from being bored.
It’s important to work with your veterinarian to develop an appropriate exercise plan for your older dog.
Movement helps keep the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints of the body strong and healthy. Exercise also stimulates the mind, which helps to maintain cognitive function.
The amount of exercise your senior dog needs depends on:
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Their degree of mobility
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Their breed
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Their previous and current medical history
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Your lifestyle
If your senior dog is showing no signs of pain and is cleared by their vet to do so, you can exercise them daily. It’s important to work with your veterinarian to develop an appropriate exercise plan for your older dog.
Exercise for Your Senior Pup
Before you start exercising your senior dog, schedule a visit with your veterinarian.
A physical exam and senior bloodwork should be done to ensure your dog is healthy enough for certain types of exercise. Some medical conditions, like heart disease and osteoarthritis, might prevent your senior dog from being able to do certain exercises.
Ensure your senior pooch is on a well-balanced diet so they can keep up with the caloric demands of increased exercise.
It’s best to start any new exercise regimen slowly so you can assess how it affects your senior dog and ensure it doesn’t exacerbate any mobility or other health issues. Begin one exercise at a time so you know exactly what does and doesn’t work for your senior pup. If your dog has arthritis, they can still enjoy exercise. But the activity should be low-impact, and pet parents can monitor their dog for mobility changes such as limping.
For some senior pups, especially those with stiff joints from arthritis and other conditions, stretching prior to exercise can be beneficial. You can help your dog stretch by moving their joints through different ranges of motion:
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“Bicycle” the hind legs
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Extend the shoulders front and back and side to side
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Have your dog move from a sit to a stand position several times to stretch the hips and knees
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Help your dog move into “downward-facing dog” by putting their chest on the ground and stretching the front legs out to help stretch the groin muscles
Regardless of their exercise habits, most senior dogs can benefit from joint supplements and omega-3 fatty acids, which promote joint, brain, and heart health. Always speak with your veterinarian before starting any supplements to ensure they are safe for your senior dog.
Talk with your vet about some of the following exercise options for your older pup.
Walking
Taking a walk with your senior dog is a great way to add exercise to their daily routine. When possible, choose a low-impact walking surface, such as grass, dirt, or sand. Walking helps control weight, promotes healthy joint motion, can aid in digestion, and provides physical and mental stimulation.
Avoid walking your senior pup for too long when it's excessively hot or cold outside. A raincoat or sweater can help keep your dog dry and warm if walking during inclement weather.
Keeping a routine by walking around the same time of day and for the same duration can help your senior dog look forward to your walks together.
If your dog is up for it, aim for two 30-minute walks per day. Let your senior pup designate your pace.
If your dog begins panting excessively or is unable to keep their usual pace, slow down and shorten your walking time. If they’re still not interested, let them rest up while you schedule a veterinary visit.
Training
Obedience and recall training aren’t only for younger pets—they can help keep your senior dog moving, stimulate their mind, and keep their sight and smell senses active.
Have your dog practice sit, stay, come, down, and other commands. Use positive reinforcement training methods by rewarding your senior pup with a small training treat when they respond appropriately to your command.
When training your senior dog, ensure they aren’t getting too many calories in treats. Treats should make up less than 10% of your dog’s caloric intake. Obesity can worsen mobility problems and other health issues, so low-fat dog treats or healthy fruits or veggies are best to help prevent weight gain. You can even use your dog’s dry kibble as treats if they gain weight easily, have food allergies, or are prone to stomach issues.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent total-body exercise for your senior pup. It’s also the lowest impact exercise with almost no implications if your senior dog has arthritis or other mobility issues. Only allow your dog to swim in a pool, lake, or stretch of ocean shoreline that is pet-friendly, easy to get in and out of safely, and temperature-appropriate.
It’s imperative that you watch your dog closely when they're swimming to ensure they don’t get too tired, are unable to continue, or can’t get out of the water.
If your dog is swimming in a natural body of water rather than a pool, be aware that some lakes and streams can expose your dog to infectious diseases, like leptospirosis, harmful toxins (like blue-green algae), or dangerous predators (such as an alligator).
Keep your dog safe by using a life vest, especially if they have mobility issues, tire quickly, or are new to swimming.
It’s imperative that you watch your dog closely when they're swimming to ensure they don’t get too tired, are unable to continue, or can’t get out of the water.
Playing
Toys and puzzles are great for keeping your senior dog’s mind and body in shape. Here are some examples:
Exercising Your Senior Dog FAQs
Is a 20-minute walk a day enough for a dog?
It’s generally recommended that senior dogs get at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily.
But for a senior dog with mobility issues or underlying medical conditions that make exercise more difficult, a 20-minute daily walk can be sufficient. Have your senior dog examined by their veterinarian to see how much exercise they can tolerate.
How often should a senior dog be let out?
Your senior dog should be let outside as often as they need to.
Because some senior dogs don’t empty their bladder or bowels all at once, they may need to go outside more often than they did when they were younger. Keep an eye on your dog’s bowel movements and urination habits—sometimes changes can indicate a medical issue such as a urinary tract infection, diarrhea, or diabetes.
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