Senior Citizens And Dogs

I've noticed a lot of older athletes, many retired, talking about the litany of injuries they sustained throughout their careers. Some of the video interviews relate that they avoid lifting like they did in their 20's, and how they regret that they lifted as heavily as they did. Past injuries often never completely go away.

So, I also notice that seniors sometimes have difficulty working with their dogs. I have met numerous students that didn't walk their dogs, not due to weather, but because of worn out joints. It just hurts or it is just not possible. I had a lesson with a student yesterday who recently had a spinal fusion. He is going to need a workaround to get his dog sufficient exercise. 

Some thoughts. 

1. Get a dog, but not one that is more than you can handle. I like small dogs as much as big dogs. I am training a very smart Dachshund puppy right now. He is going to be a great dog. We are being careful to teach him to not jump off and on furniture to preserve his back as he gets older. 

2. Start the training early on before the dog is bigger and stronger. You can start training and socializing a puppy at 8 weeks of age. A good early foundation makes the difficult years, from say 6 months of age to 3 years of age, be significantly easier. 

3. Have an exercise plan for you and your dog. There are ways to exercise that won't make things worse. It is a mistake to go into a gym and start training like you used to. You will injure yourself. Many coaches are also not very good. You need someone who is familiar with physical rehab and therapy. They will make you do weird exercises that work but don't look like what you are used to doing. Your dog also needs an exercise plan. There are many ways to exercise a dog that won't beat up your body. For example, I like a dog treadmill, like the Dog Pacer.

** Amazon affiliate link