Clean Run - October 2020 - 37

Senior
Dog
Fitness
By Lisa Schmit, PhD, CCFT, CPM
© lisa schmit

Senior dogs are near and dear to my heart! One of
my goals with my dogs is for them to be sound, fit,
and happy running agility well into their double-digit
years. I am currently still running my 12.5-year-old
deaf dog Synergy in agility. She is running sound and
happy! I have run and competed at high levels with
my senior dogs winning the NADAC championships
a few times and placing many times with my doubledigit dogs. I attribute my senior dog's well-being to
many things, including keeping them in good shape!
As dogs age, they tend to gain weight, become less
active, sleep more, and lose mental focus. Just like
humans, dogs also find it harder to move around
due to deteriorating muscle mass, arthritis (or other
diseases), and normal wear and tear on their aging
bodies. The less they move, the more muscles atrophy, balance diminishes, and the less they move. To
keep senior dogs at the best quality of life possible,
we need to keep them moving. Fitness is essential
for maintaining mobile and active senior dogs. A
structured exercise program benefits senior dogs by
keeping muscles toned and flexible while maintaining balance, stability, and function. Conditioning the
senior dog also helps to mentally exercise the dog's
mind and also enhances the relationship between you
and your dog.
Senior dogs cannot do what they once did as young
dogs, so we must be mindful to create an exercise
plan for them that is geared toward their current physical and mental ability. Is your dog overweight? Has
he had any previous injuries? Any health issues? Any
diseases? What is his current exercise level? Those
are all things that need to be taken into consideration.
October 20 | Clean Run

And, always check with your veterinarian prior to
starting any exercise program with your dog.
When performing exercises with our senior dog, we
want to do a full-body workout, which means working the front limbs and core but with an emphasis on
the rear limbs. As dogs age, they tend to put even
more weight on their front limbs, causing a loss of
muscle tone in their hind limbs. Performing hind-limb
strengthening exercises is really important for keeping
those hind limb muscles strong and moving.
One of my favorite hind-limb strengthening exercises
to do with seniors dogs is to elevate their front legs
and do weight-shifts. By doing nose touches from
side to side, and up and down, the dog shifts their
weight and engages their hind limb muscles. To add
more challenge, you can put a balance pad under
their back feet to add more balance challenge.
Some important things to keep in mind while conditioning our senior dogs:
*

Warming up is very important to all dogs, but
it is especially crucial to warm up senior dogs
before activity.

Work in short periods, decreasing repetitions,
and using lower intensity exercises.

Make sure to perform a cool down after exercising.

You may need to use a harness to stabilize the
dog to prevent falls and help with confidence
on equipment. It is imperative to watch for
signs of fatigue so that you do not overdo it.

Clean Run - October 2020

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