As your dog gets older, they may find it harder to cope with life’s challenges. Whether it’s illness or stressful events, like moving house or the arrival of a new family member, caring for a senior dog can require a little extra attention.
When dogs age, they go through a natural change known as frailty, which can include a loss of energy and enthusiasm for daily activities.
So, how can you keep your dog healthy as they get older? The good news is there are many ways to look after older dogs and help them grow old gracefully. By following these tips, you support your dog in living a happy and healthy lifestyle, regardless of their age.
Walking is a fundamental activity in a dog’s life, offering many benefits such as olfactory exploration (through smelling different scents on the walk), social contact and physical exercise. While it’s easy to confuse walking with exercise, when looking after older dogs, it’s important to remember that walking doesn’t have to be solely about physical activity.
During walks, dogs benefit most when they can sniff and mark their environment, which is especially important for males. As dogs get older, they may be able to tolerate less exercise but enjoy observing their surroundings much more than when they are young. When caring for a senior dog, it’s helpful to include extra breaks during walks, giving them time to quietly explore and recover. This allows them to continue walking at their own pace.
Another important part of caring for your elderly dog is to ensure they get enough sleep to restore their energy. Although senior dogs may sleep a lot, they are often very attentive at home. You may notice them start to follow you from room to room, or watching to see if you leave.
To help your dog enjoy a more peaceful rest, it’s important to signal your departures from home before starting to get ready to leave. This way, you can avoid your dog being hypervigilant and encourage a better sleep.
As much as we would love a stress-free life ourselves, stress is an inherent part of life for both us and our dogs. We all face stressful situations every day, and as dogs age, their resilience to stress can diminish. That is why it’s especially important when caring for a senior dog to provide extra support during stressful times.
As well as avoiding stressful situations and maintaining a predictable routine, you can help your dog recover with relaxation exercises, scent stimulation, and quiet areas for rest. The ADAPTIL Calm-On-The-Go Collar is effective for managing stress in dogs of all ages, releasing a comforting pheromone message that helps older dogs feel reassured wherever they go.
Healthy nutrition for dogs isn’t just about what they eat but also about how they eat. Providing a healthy diet for senior dogs, adapted to their age and activity level, is essential for their overall well-being.
Using commercial or homemade food dispensers during mealtimes is a great way to look after your older dog’s health. They encourage gentle physical exercise, mental stimulation and environmental enrichment.
It’s easy to think that if we make everything more simple for our dogs, it will make them happier. However, dogs need a sense of purpose and to feel that they belong. In canine behaviour, this is being increasingly recognized as important for the well-being of dogs, especially senior dogs.
Giving your dog purpose can include taking care of their territory, playing, exploring, grooming and maintaining healthy social relationships. When looking after older dogs, it’s important to encourage these activities to keep them mentally stimulated, engaged, and happy.
Encouraging healthy social relationships with all members of the household, whether human, canine or feline, is crucial. Positive relationships help your dog feel respected and comfortable around others, allowing them to interact pleasantly without fear or tension.
Regular and preventive medical attention is important at all ages, but especially for senior dogs. The sooner an illness is detected and preventive actions are taken, the more your dog will be able to successfully cope with it.
Regular vet visits are an important part of caring for your senior dog, as they can help identify any oral and joint pain problems, which can develop quietly but seriously affect your dog’s well-being, as well as other medical issues
With age, some dogs may start to expect access to certain places or food, such as being lifted onto the sofa or having a door opened to go outside. When understanding how to keep your dog healthy, it’s important to encourage their autonomy so they can access all the necessary resources they need for their well-being, including:
This helps prevent unnecessary dependency on us while supporting their confidence and comfort.
By following these elderly dog care tips, you can support your dog’s health, helping them stay active and connected with their environment. Introduce changes gradually, as each dog has their preferences, and over time you will discover which activities motivate them the most.
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