The third and final part of the mini-guide on what we as dog owners can do to ensure our dogs have the greatest possible durability throughout their lives comes here, and focuses on the senior dog.
The guide has been prepared in collaboration with dog physiotherapist Helle Hoffmann .
Read Part 1: The Puppy here - and Part 2: The Adult Dog here
I always say that an old dog should just be an old dog. This should be understood in the sense that you as a dog parent must adjust to the fact that at some point you have got a senior dog who has different needs than the younger dog. They can become a little stubborn and strange in their own quirky way. Their physical needs and abilities will also change. This may mean that you as an owner must also change your habits a little. As an owner, you must take all of this with a straight face and just enjoy your senior dog.
Earlier in this guide, I wrote that your dog stops exercising on its own when it is about four to five years old. This means that you as a dog parent should be more proactive in keeping your dog physically active. I have also written about the importance of keeping your dog slim throughout his life, as being overweight can ultimately take years off your dog. And I have written about how by ensuring that your dog is warmed up and cooled down, you can prevent him from getting major injuries. All with the goal of ensuring that your senior dog can have as good a life as possible for as long as possible. Everything you do for your puppy and adult dog will come back to you and your dog tenfold when he gets old.
Tip No. 1: Finally, continue to keep your old dog physically active
In my clinic I often see dogs that are used for hunting or that are working/utility dogs. These can be professional dogs (such as police drug dogs) but also dogs that do some form of working dog work as a sport. Many people think that these must be dogs that get very tired and that they must have a hard time as they get older.
But my experience is that these types of dogs are actually the ones that do best even well into old age. I have had several 12 year old hunting dogs in my clinic that, despite their flaws, are still used for hunting. Yes, they may have developed a little arthritis and are not as light-boned as when they were 2 years old, but muscularly they are still supple and strong.
My opinion is quite clear that this is because their owners have ensured:
- Keeping their dogs slim throughout their lives
- That the dogs are allowed to use their bodies freely and are kept physically active well into old age
Of course, you should look at your own dog and take into account its physical capabilities. As your dog gets older, it may become weaker physically. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it is ready to lie down on a cushion in a corner of the living room and lie there for the rest of its life. If you have an old grandfather of 95, he may not care to go on a 20 km hike either. But he, like your old dog, will probably be happy to go on an adventure trip, but where you don't get physically overexerted.
I would therefore recommend that you look at your old dog as you would at a puppy. Make sure that it comes out and experiences something. As long as your dog can handle it, you should make sure to keep it physically active as described in part 2 of the mini-guide. Go for walks of a length that does not overexert your old dog. It is better to take several short walks in a day, rather than one long one. Make sure to walk on different terrain. And include exercises such as balance training or search exercises in the walk. So you should not be afraid to continue training or being physically active with your dog, as long as it is physically possible. It will only be good for your dog's body and mind.
Tip #2: Also remember to stimulate your old dog mentally
Our dogs are getting older and older. This is partly because we humans take better care of them than we used to. They get better food, and we have become better at treating them, so they now survive diseases that they might have been euthanized due to just 10-15 years ago. But it is of no use that our dogs can get older and older physically if we - to put it a little provocatively - just let them drag out their old age in boredom. Old dogs enjoy continuing to have experiences every day.
As I write this (in February 2021), the whole of Denmark is in lockdown. Many people are working from home, and children are being homeschooled. Apart from grocery stores, all shops, libraries, cinemas, shopping centres, museums, amusement parks, etc. are closed. The only thing we can do is stay at home, maybe meet up with a few close friends and then be out in nature. You might nod in recognition that it's starting to feel a bit monotonous, and that you need to do something else soon.
Just think about the life that many of us offer our dogs. The same four walls every day, and the same walk around the block three times a day. Even though your dog has gotten older, it still needs to be mentally stimulated. Just like we humans do. As I wrote under tip no. 1, you can take your old dog on adventure trips, just like you did when it was a puppy. It's a way to stimulate it. Your dog's nose probably still works well, and you can let it search for balls or food in the living room, in the garden or in nature. You can train it with the tricks it has learned before - or you can even teach it new tricks.
Coordination exercises such as sit, stand, cover, give paw, roll around, sit teddy bear and the like will help train its nervous system and its muscles. You can also do balance exercises with your old dog. Remember to start gently, though, if your dog has never tried it before – or it has been a long time and it is out of shape. You can teach it the same way you would teach a puppy (see part 1 of the mini-guide).
Balance training is really good for old dogs, as they get to train their core muscles and their nervous system. It will make their body awareness stronger, and it will be easier for them to straighten their body if they slip on a slippery floor, for example. This means that you can help your dog avoid injuries in later life. Physical training can even (preferably in combination with body treatments) help to release tension in the body's muscles and connective tissue. It will make your old dog's body stronger and more pain-free. And it will make your old dog happy to do something with you.
Tip No. 3: If your old dog has arthritis
Even if you do everything you can from the time your dog is a puppy to get a durable dog, you probably can't avoid that it will get some osteoarthritis as it ages. Studies from an American university show that approximately 60% of all dogs over 7 years old have osteoarthritis. But if you start while your dog is small by keeping it slim, making sure it gets adequate exercise throughout its life as well as regular body treatments, a good food with the right nutrition for the body, possibly supplemented with supplements, your dog has the best conditions to do well, even if it gets osteoarthritis when it gets old.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in a joint wears away. This is something that happens with age, but if you take care of your dog as described above, you can do a lot to postpone the arthritis process (or slow it down) for as long as possible. Cartilage in a joint does not receive nourishment from blood vessels like the rest of the body, but from the synovial fluid that is in a joint. This fluid is pressed in and out of the cartilage when the dog uses and puts strain on its legs. This is one of the reasons why it is good to move your body even if you have arthritis. You may also have experienced that your old dog can be stiff when it stands up, but after it has walked a little, it seems less stiff. Recent Danish research shows that once the cartilage in a joint is gone, it cannot be restored, as the body's ability to form new cartilage disappears with age. So it is all about prevention.
If your dog has arthritis, gentle physical exercise as described in tip no. 2, as well as swimming and frequent but short walks, may be a good idea. With the right type of exercise, you stimulate the remaining cartilage's ability to absorb synovial fluid. This will increase the cartilage's elasticity and shock-absorbing ability. In addition, you can supplement with various dietary supplements that can also help improve the condition of the remaining cartilage.
Finally, I would also like to encourage you that if you suspect that your dog has arthritis and thus pain, there is nothing wrong with going to the vet and getting painkillers for your dog. No old dog should be walking around in pain. I occasionally encounter dog owners who, with all their best intentions, would avoid giving their old dog painkillers so as not to fill it with chemicals. But in my world, old dogs should not suffer unnecessarily. Remember that dogs are designed in such a way that they will hide their pain and defects for as long as possible so as not to show weakness to the rest of their pack.
It can be difficult to know if your dog is in pain, but you will usually be able to tell by their behavior. They may defend themselves by jumping into the car or onto the couch. They may withdraw from the rest of the family. Or they may become “angry” with other dogs. My experience tells me that if you have had a dog that has always been happy with other dogs, they will also be that way as an old dog. I myself have a 12.5 year old Cairn Terrier who is blind. She has always been happy with other dogs, and she is now too, even though she has a disability and can’t actually see them. She likes to greet the dogs we meet on our walks with a wagging tail. That’s why I keep a close eye on her behavior because it will tell me that she is not feeling well and may be in pain somewhere. Remember that pain can also be in places other than the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, always seek veterinary attention if you suspect that your dog is in pain. It could be due to a bad tooth or a stomachache or something else entirely.
About Helle Hoffmann
Helle Hoffmann is a trained dog physiotherapist, reiki healer and craniosacral therapist for animals and humans, animal telepath, lecturer and co-author of the highly topical dog book: Læg din pato i min. She also teaches craniosacral therapy for dogs.
Helle is the owner of Hoffmann Dog Massage & Physiotherapy, has her own clinic in Mørkøv and is 1 day a week at Furesø Veterinary Clinic. She has 30 years of experience with her own dogs and dog training. Right now, she and her husband have 7 dogs: Addie (Labrador), Enya (Labrador) and Gracie (blind Cairn Terrier), Novo (Mallinois), Bastian (Labrador), Connor (Labrador) and Emmett (Labrador).
See more about Helle's work at: https://helle-hoffmann.dk
How to get a durable dog: The good life for the old dog - Part 3
The third and final part of the mini-guide on what we as dog owners can do to ensure our dogs have the greatest possible durability throughout their lives comes here, and focuses on the senior dog.
The guide has been prepared in collaboration with dog physiotherapist Helle Hoffmann .
Read Part 1: The Puppy here - and Part 2: The Adult Dog here
I always say that an old dog should just be an old dog. This should be understood in the sense that you as a dog parent must adjust to the fact that at some point you have got a senior dog who has different needs than the younger dog. They can become a little stubborn and strange in their own quirky way. Their physical needs and abilities will also change. This may mean that you as an owner must also change your habits a little. As an owner, you must take all of this with a straight face and just enjoy your senior dog.
Earlier in this guide, I wrote that your dog stops exercising on its own when it is about four to five years old. This means that you as a dog parent should be more proactive in keeping your dog physically active. I have also written about the importance of keeping your dog slim throughout his life, as being overweight can ultimately take years off your dog. And I have written about how by ensuring that your dog is warmed up and cooled down, you can prevent him from getting major injuries. All with the goal of ensuring that your senior dog can have as good a life as possible for as long as possible. Everything you do for your puppy and adult dog will come back to you and your dog tenfold when he gets old.
Tip No. 1: Finally, continue to keep your old dog physically active
In my clinic I often see dogs that are used for hunting or that are working/utility dogs. These can be professional dogs (such as police drug dogs) but also dogs that do some form of working dog work as a sport. Many people think that these must be dogs that get very tired and that they must have a hard time as they get older.
But my experience is that these types of dogs are actually the ones that do best even well into old age. I have had several 12 year old hunting dogs in my clinic that, despite their flaws, are still used for hunting. Yes, they may have developed a little arthritis and are not as light-boned as when they were 2 years old, but muscularly they are still supple and strong.
My opinion is quite clear that this is because their owners have ensured:
Of course, you should look at your own dog and take into account its physical capabilities. As your dog gets older, it may become weaker physically. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it is ready to lie down on a cushion in a corner of the living room and lie there for the rest of its life. If you have an old grandfather of 95, he may not care to go on a 20 km hike either. But he, like your old dog, will probably be happy to go on an adventure trip, but where you don't get physically overexerted.
I would therefore recommend that you look at your old dog as you would at a puppy. Make sure that it comes out and experiences something. As long as your dog can handle it, you should make sure to keep it physically active as described in part 2 of the mini-guide. Go for walks of a length that does not overexert your old dog. It is better to take several short walks in a day, rather than one long one. Make sure to walk on different terrain. And include exercises such as balance training or search exercises in the walk. So you should not be afraid to continue training or being physically active with your dog, as long as it is physically possible. It will only be good for your dog's body and mind.
Tip #2: Also remember to stimulate your old dog mentally
Our dogs are getting older and older. This is partly because we humans take better care of them than we used to. They get better food, and we have become better at treating them, so they now survive diseases that they might have been euthanized due to just 10-15 years ago. But it is of no use that our dogs can get older and older physically if we - to put it a little provocatively - just let them drag out their old age in boredom. Old dogs enjoy continuing to have experiences every day.
As I write this (in February 2021), the whole of Denmark is in lockdown. Many people are working from home, and children are being homeschooled. Apart from grocery stores, all shops, libraries, cinemas, shopping centres, museums, amusement parks, etc. are closed. The only thing we can do is stay at home, maybe meet up with a few close friends and then be out in nature. You might nod in recognition that it's starting to feel a bit monotonous, and that you need to do something else soon.
Just think about the life that many of us offer our dogs. The same four walls every day, and the same walk around the block three times a day. Even though your dog has gotten older, it still needs to be mentally stimulated. Just like we humans do. As I wrote under tip no. 1, you can take your old dog on adventure trips, just like you did when it was a puppy. It's a way to stimulate it. Your dog's nose probably still works well, and you can let it search for balls or food in the living room, in the garden or in nature. You can train it with the tricks it has learned before - or you can even teach it new tricks.
Coordination exercises such as sit, stand, cover, give paw, roll around, sit teddy bear and the like will help train its nervous system and its muscles. You can also do balance exercises with your old dog. Remember to start gently, though, if your dog has never tried it before – or it has been a long time and it is out of shape. You can teach it the same way you would teach a puppy (see part 1 of the mini-guide).
Balance training is really good for old dogs, as they get to train their core muscles and their nervous system. It will make their body awareness stronger, and it will be easier for them to straighten their body if they slip on a slippery floor, for example. This means that you can help your dog avoid injuries in later life. Physical training can even (preferably in combination with body treatments) help to release tension in the body's muscles and connective tissue. It will make your old dog's body stronger and more pain-free. And it will make your old dog happy to do something with you.
Tip No. 3: If your old dog has arthritis
Even if you do everything you can from the time your dog is a puppy to get a durable dog, you probably can't avoid that it will get some osteoarthritis as it ages. Studies from an American university show that approximately 60% of all dogs over 7 years old have osteoarthritis. But if you start while your dog is small by keeping it slim, making sure it gets adequate exercise throughout its life as well as regular body treatments, a good food with the right nutrition for the body, possibly supplemented with supplements, your dog has the best conditions to do well, even if it gets osteoarthritis when it gets old.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in a joint wears away. This is something that happens with age, but if you take care of your dog as described above, you can do a lot to postpone the arthritis process (or slow it down) for as long as possible. Cartilage in a joint does not receive nourishment from blood vessels like the rest of the body, but from the synovial fluid that is in a joint. This fluid is pressed in and out of the cartilage when the dog uses and puts strain on its legs. This is one of the reasons why it is good to move your body even if you have arthritis. You may also have experienced that your old dog can be stiff when it stands up, but after it has walked a little, it seems less stiff. Recent Danish research shows that once the cartilage in a joint is gone, it cannot be restored, as the body's ability to form new cartilage disappears with age. So it is all about prevention.
If your dog has arthritis, gentle physical exercise as described in tip no. 2, as well as swimming and frequent but short walks, may be a good idea. With the right type of exercise, you stimulate the remaining cartilage's ability to absorb synovial fluid. This will increase the cartilage's elasticity and shock-absorbing ability. In addition, you can supplement with various dietary supplements that can also help improve the condition of the remaining cartilage.
Finally, I would also like to encourage you that if you suspect that your dog has arthritis and thus pain, there is nothing wrong with going to the vet and getting painkillers for your dog. No old dog should be walking around in pain. I occasionally encounter dog owners who, with all their best intentions, would avoid giving their old dog painkillers so as not to fill it with chemicals. But in my world, old dogs should not suffer unnecessarily. Remember that dogs are designed in such a way that they will hide their pain and defects for as long as possible so as not to show weakness to the rest of their pack.
It can be difficult to know if your dog is in pain, but you will usually be able to tell by their behavior. They may defend themselves by jumping into the car or onto the couch. They may withdraw from the rest of the family. Or they may become “angry” with other dogs. My experience tells me that if you have had a dog that has always been happy with other dogs, they will also be that way as an old dog. I myself have a 12.5 year old Cairn Terrier who is blind. She has always been happy with other dogs, and she is now too, even though she has a disability and can’t actually see them. She likes to greet the dogs we meet on our walks with a wagging tail. That’s why I keep a close eye on her behavior because it will tell me that she is not feeling well and may be in pain somewhere. Remember that pain can also be in places other than the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, always seek veterinary attention if you suspect that your dog is in pain. It could be due to a bad tooth or a stomachache or something else entirely.
About Helle Hoffmann
Helle Hoffmann is a trained dog physiotherapist, reiki healer and craniosacral therapist for animals and humans, animal telepath, lecturer and co-author of the highly topical dog book: Læg din pato i min. She also teaches craniosacral therapy for dogs.
Helle is the owner of Hoffmann Dog Massage & Physiotherapy, has her own clinic in Mørkøv and is 1 day a week at Furesø Veterinary Clinic. She has 30 years of experience with her own dogs and dog training. Right now, she and her husband have 7 dogs: Addie (Labrador), Enya (Labrador) and Gracie (blind Cairn Terrier), Novo (Mallinois), Bastian (Labrador), Connor (Labrador) and Emmett (Labrador).
See more about Helle's work at: https://helle-hoffmann.dk