Old dogs and new playmates
There’s nothing cuter than seeing our older dogs playing with a new puppy and showing them the ropes. In some cases it actually gives an older dog a new lease of life, and they start acting like a puppy again themselves, playing and bouncing around all the time.
Returning to fitness after lockdown
After 8 long weeks of restricted exercise, most of us have been excited to get back out to some of our favourite walks, to walk for as long as we want and to walk more than once a day.
Before you head out to the hills for a long walk, think about your dogs fitness. Have they been as active over the last 8 weeks as normal? Unless you’re very lucky to have your own field and a variety of walks around you, the answer is no.
Quality of Life
Quality of life is something I often end up chatting with owners about, especially as many of my clients are senior dogs. We all worry at various times about whether we are doing the best we can for our old dogs, and whether they truly do have a good quality of life.
For me, determining quality of life is very much dependent on the dog and the lifestyle they’re used to. What is perfectly acceptable and enjoyable for one dog would be horrible for another dog. Some dogs would thrive with cuddles by the fire and lots of family attention, and just trips out to the garden. For others life wouldn’t be worth living without daily off lead walks in the countryside.
My Dog Hates Massage!
I really feel for owners whose dogs don’t enjoy massage and are either obviously just tolerating it or actively trying to escape. They get their dog treated to help them feel better, and end up feeling conflicted because their dog hasn’t enjoyed it and they wonder whether they are doing the right thing.
Well firstly let me confess - none of my three dogs enjoys a full massage treatment. And I would say it’s more common for me to treat a wriggly escape artist, at least on the first treatment, than it is a happy relaxed dog.
So why might your dog not be enjoying massage?
Managing Restricted Exercise
At some point unless your dog is extremely careful, bombproof or just plain lucky, they’re likely to have some kind of injury and need their exercise restricted. Managing restricted exercise comes with a number of challenges and considerations, which will vary slightly depending on your dog and their injury.
My Finn is currently recovering from a cruciate ligament sprain, which means very restricted exercise and a long recovery time. I’m not qualified to give exercise advice, that needs to come from a qualified physiotherapist, this is an owners perspective on managing restricted exercise and things to consider.