#AgingGracefully

What is the best thing you can do for your senior pup? Keep them active!!

As our dogs age, they start to lose muscle tone and abilities. We totally experienced that with Joey! As compassionate humans, our first instinct is to help and do it for them. So, instead of taking them for a walk, we’ll carry them or push them in a stroller. We’ll carry them to the backyard, instead of having them walk there on their own. But, that’s not always the right answer. As they stop using their skills, they will lose them. This definately was true with Joey...once we started carrying him, his mobility decreased quickly. He was ok on short walks, but not long ones, and his muscles weakened significantly.

After experiencing this with Joey, we have made an effort to not follow the same road with Pebbles. Even though she has a heart murmur. Even though she’s a “senior”. If she wants to walk, or hike...we let her...within reason...we never let her push herself too far, but we let her do it! And, if walking around the neighborhood isn’t her favorite thing...well too bad, she still has to walk. We’ve seen her on hikes and she has no problem hiking a mountainous trail! We completely believe that letting her maintain her independence, keeping her active and not doing everything for her has contributed to her spunk and active ways!

Unfortunately, we haven't taken the same approach with Benji. Since he’s blind and deaf, we have tended to “baby” him. It’s a natural human response. But, yet, he shows us every day how very capable and independent he can be. By carrying him, or not making him climb the curb or walk up the hill, we were helping advance his aging, without meaning to.

When Pebbles and Benji were evaluated by a professional, it was observed that Pebbles was in much better physical condition than Benji. Even though, we think she’s almost three years older than him! Staying active, and moving all day has kept her muscles strong, whereas Benji often sleeps all day and is rarely challenged to use his muscles. Except during his one walk a day which is a pretty simple walk without much challenges.

So, what do we do? Well, we learn and we change, and we do better. For Benji, for Pebbles and for all the pups who will come through our lives and experience life as a Senior!

Before starting any additional exercise, walks, or activity, make sure you have your pup evaluated by a professional!!

Action One: No More Sleeping All Day! One of the first steps we could take was to not let him sleep the day away. Benji is low maintenance, and it was easy to just let him sleep in, or sleep for hours on end in his fluffy beds. Even though the other pups were demanding attention and activity, he wasn’t. He was just chill. But, letting him sleep forever does a disservice to him and his muscles.

So, now, we’re waking him up, getting him to move around, doing small exercises, using his brain...anything but sleep all day! He still gets naps, but they don’t get to be 8 hours long! They don’t even get to be 2 hours long!

Action Two: No More Babying Him! It was normal for us to pick him up and carry him to his food bowl. Pick him up and carry him to his favorite sunny spot. Pick him up, carry him inside and deposit him in his favorite bed. Even though, he shows us all the time that he can get anywhere he wants to go...all on his own.

So, now, we wake him up and let him know it’s mealtime. He has to sniff out his bowl. We carry him to the edge of the yard, and he has to sniff out the sunny spot. We set him down right inside the door, so he can decide where he wants to go in the house from there.

While these are such small changes...they make him move a lot more!

Action Three: Interactive Walks! No more straight, up and down the sidewalk walks! We’re adding in curbs. Changing terrains. Going up and down steep driveways. Taking different routes. Even some minor, easy hiking. Mixing it up!

Action Four: At Home Workouts! We’re incorporating these for Pebbles and Benji! A homemade obstacle course. Over, under, around dog beds, chairs, tables...anything that adds some challenge. Working on walking backwards. Doing rounds of Sit, Stand, Sit. Adding in a balance disc to add an element of challenge and difficulty!

All of this is so good, not just for their muscles, but for their brain, too!

The best part is seeing how happy he is! During all the exercises, the hiking, and the walks, his tail is wagging away! There’s no doubt he wanted more stimulation, he just didn’t know how to ask for it!

It's a natural part of life that our pups are going to age...all we can do is help them do it as gracefully as possible. If we can help you and your senior pup in any way, please don't hesitate to reach out!