How Far Do You Walk Your Older Dogs?

[Loving my Oldies]

Friskie is 18 and until recently would happily do 3-5km but now she just wants to stay around the house.

Oh! Great age, PM.

[rubiton]

There was no way our old dog would have ever stopped going for walks you just had to judge which days you went a short distance and which days you went further but she would take off and 'run' on the days she felt good. Other days she was easy to turn around again. She was off the lead as I could out run her and never far from home.

[Loving my Oldies]

I waited until dusk to walk this evening. At the top of the street, I bumped into a lady walking her dog, whom I hadn’t see for ages. We stopped to have a chat and after a while instead of continuing, I said that it was too hot and I would walk back with her. Turned around and Bunter was as keen to get home as anyone. 100 yards is enough for him at times.

[mackiemad]

My max (mini schnauzer, 10 years old, so not super senior but no spring chicken) walks between 5-9kms every day in the morning. He also gets a short potter in the evening.

Every dog is different, but in the heat he does less as he is wearing a fur coat!

[mita]

Nana Gem is my 15.5 year old BC. When I got her about 16 months ago she was able to do about a 1.5km walk each day. I have stopped walking her now. We have outings where she can potter about and she visits people/dogs at their houses but I can't walk her any distance anymore. And to be honest she is happy as Larry. I think once they are older if they are struggling with their walks so long as they still get exercise and mental stimulation it's not a big issue to stop walking them. Go with what they can do and what they enjoy. Nana enjoys pottering so the most we will walk is to the end of my street (about 4 houses!!).

Absolutely my experience with the oldies.

Another on board with this. 16 3/4 yr old tibbie, Nina Zena, has a big park-like back garden to trot around in... & she works up a pace like a youngster. Not one thing wrong with her agility.

Her eyesight's a bit dodgy for getting up the 5 steps onto the deck. She has a family of flunkeys who lift her up, as it's dangerous if she slips & falls thro'. At her last vet check few months back, she got top pass for general health & suppleness.

Our little dog, Tessa, rescued thrown from a car as a puppy, got to 13 yrs. Looked like a cross between a poodle & a tibbie. We thought she was old & called her 'Gran'. She lived the same life as above & died when she was 22 years. She wouldn't have known what a walk was, in those senior years. Loved car travel, tho'. Never had any medical problem, until some dental work at 19 years.

[Dave-o]

Could be early signs of arthritis, although all of us slow down as we get older.

 

Might be worth taking some preventative measures or supplements for joint health - fish oils, green lipped mussels etc. I just wrote some info on the latter here which might be of use - http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/blog/green-lipped-mussels/ 

[DeltaCharlie]

I'd be getting a check over, preferably by a chiro/massage therapist/etc. The fact that it is a sudden change makes me think that perhaps it is a pain issue rather than an age thing. 12 really isn't that old for a lot of dogs, especially a long-lived breed like a staffy. Charlie is almost 12 and he is just as fit and active as he was when he was 2.

[Loving my Oldies]

On 1/11/2017 at 4:37 PM, mita said:

She has a family of flunkeys who lift her up, as it's dangerous if she slips & falls thro'.

 

Had to laugh at this, mita.  As that what I was to my precious Danny.  I did have a ramp built several years ago, which none of the dogs uses to go down, but use to come up.  Don’t ask!  I don’t know  .  But he used to come up the ramp fairly easily.    Jeune has NEVER used the ramp and she is now 16.  I have noticed that she sometimes stands at the bottom of the stairs as though psyching herself up and then bolts up at a rate of knots.  Pic of ramp below.

 

My back yard certainly isn’t park-sized, but it is big enough for littlies to wander around sniffing.  

Edited January 19, 2017 by Dame Danny's Darling

[mita]

DDD, I've love a ramp like that... even tho' I know there'd be 'ramp politics' here, too.  Like only going up but not down, or the other way round, or point blank not at all.  I've learned there's no arguing with the grandpa & grandma dogs.  

Also the back steps go down into a covered area where one car is parked.

So it's back to flunkey work.... lift up & down.  Our elderly sheltie used to stand at the bottom of those steps & bark for a flunkey, 'Steps!'   If no one inside the house heard her, our good neighbour used to call, 'Shelley wants to go up the steps!'.  Another flunkey.  

[Loving my Oldies]

4 hours ago, mita said:

 Our elderly sheltie used to stand at the bottom of those steps & bark for a flunkey, 'Steps!'   If no one inside the house heard her, our good neighbour used to call, 'Shelley wants to go up the steps!'.  Another flunkey.  

 

OMG that is the funniest thing ever.    

[mita]

1 hour ago, Dame Danny's Darling said:

 

OMG that is the funniest thing ever.    

You think that's funny?

I was carrying Shelley up the stairs one day...her nickname was 'horse' because of her size.

 I slipped but managed to still hold on to Shelley, while I tried to figure how to get up.  

She noticed we were going nowhere... & hollered 'Steps!'.  On cue, our neighbour yelled, 

'Shelley wants to go up the stairs!'

[Loving my Oldies]

19 minutes ago, mita said:

You think that's funny?

I was carrying Shelley up the stairs one day...her nickname was 'horse' because of her size.

 I slipped but managed to still hold on to Shelley, while I tried to figure how to get up.  

She noticed we were going nowhere... & hollered 'Steps!'.  On cue, our neighbour yelled, 

'Shelley wants to go up the stairs!'

 

At least you knew the neighbour was in hollering distance.