When Daisy was a young dog, we had trouble keeping up with the amount of exercise and enrichment she required. She had long daily bike rides and walks, endless fetching of tennis balls in the backyard, and if there was water around, she swam her little heart out any chance she got!
While her mobility and energy levels have decreased, she still needs enrichment activities to keep her mind and body engaged. So instead of longer walks, we take her on shorter “sniffaris” – we let her choose the direction we go, and stop to sniff whatever she’s interested in, for as long as she wants. There are are some bushes near our home she checks daily (her version of social media) and often leaves her own “pee-mail” before moving on.
Bob also plays daily “sniffy games” with her, where he hides a scented object and has her search for it among boxes and toys. Or we’ll hide treats around a room in various locations that she has to “sniff out” to find them.
When she hears “Do you want to do your tricks?” – Daisy perks right up. We give her a series of cues asking for a variety of behaviors she already knows how to do (sit, lie down, relax, spinners, roll over, touch, look, speak, etc.) and give her small treats for each one she does. Or we may ask her to retrieve a toy and drop it in her basket.
As dogs age, it’s important to find ways to engage their minds. So “think outside the box” to find ways to give your best friend mental exercise and stimulation if they are no longer as physically active as they used to be.
Bob Ryder, CSAT, PMCT-2, CPDT-KA