Experts have revealed the top things you should and shouldn’t be doing with your elderly dog – including keeping it mentally stimulated, but not expecting it to run for more than 60 minutes.
Celebrity vet Dr James Greenwood and dog behaviourist Caroline Wilkinson said teaching your old dog new tricks is beneficial when it comes to keeping your old dog healthy and happy in their golden years.
However, expecting them to run long distances, having them struggle on slippery flooring and ‘replacing’ them too soon are big no-nos for your elderly canine companion.
It’s critical to remember a dog’s life cycle runs much quicker than a human’s, so while you may still feel happy going for multi-mile walks or playing rough, they might have moved past this phase.
Keeping your dog’s mind stimulated
It comes after research of 2,000 dog owners, commissioned by Forthglade natural dog food, found 43 per cent believe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
And nearly a third (31 per cent) would continue treating an elderly dog exactly the same way they would a younger pup – 37 per cent feel unsure if they should even change their dog’s diet as it ages.
But 93 per cent recognise the importance of keeping an old dog mentally stimulated, to keep their brain active.
Caroline Wilkinson said: “It’s absolutely possible to teach an old dog new tricks, to keep it mentally stimulated later in life, and reduce cognitive decline.
“We know that half the time spent on mental activity is just as stimulating for your dog as double the time on physical activity, and so this is a really easy way to keep their life enriched and happy as they get older.”
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