5 Dog Exercises to Keep Your Senior Pup Young at Heart

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but we’ve seen enough super-active seniors to know that isn’t true. As your dog ages, it’s important to find new ways to keep her moving, even if she’d rather be snoozing. A little bit of light daily exercise can be great for getting your senior dog to feel happy and healthy all the time. 

Take doggy for a dip 

Swimming is a great way to get your dog up and active without putting too much pressure on his joints. Find a shallow pool or body of water and help your dog wade and paddle. Make sure to dry him thoroughly afterward to avoid any chills. 

Walk the block 

While your senior dog may still love going for a jaunt around the neighborhood, she may not be able to go as far as she used to. Keep walks close to home so you can easily go back inside if she gets tired. 

Step up the game 

To keep joints and knees healthy, have your older pup do a few steps onto a low stool. Train her to step on the stool with one foot first and then the other. This improves balance and is basically the canine equivalent of those fancy step classes. 

New tricks 

Dogs love to learn and play, so why not add some new tricks to their routine? Teach them to do simple tricks like rotating in a circle or walking backwards or teach them to run circles between your legs. These tricks are simple and should be fun rather than perfectly precise. 

Hide-and-seek 

Senior dogs might have a hard time with the constant running and sharp stopping of traditional fetch, so hide-and-seek is a fun alternative. Cover your dog’s eyes and then throw a ball or toy slightly out-of-sight or far away. Uncover his eyes and let your pooch hunt and sniff around until he brings the object back to you. 

Make sure to talk to your vet before trying out any of these exercises, as every dog’s body is different. Find a workout routine that suits both you and your dog, and you’ll make her senior years more golden.