During our last visit to Alex’s vet, one thing that resonated with me was the vet’s advice to keep my senior canine companion active. I told the vet that since she put Alex on supplements for joints, Alex does not limp at all and walks without a problem. There are times when she has so much energy, yes at 11 1/2 years old, that she runs back and forth inside the house. This is my cue to increase the walks.
But, I am also very vigilant regarding signs/cues that on occasions she displays that tells me that I need to make the walks shorter and perhaps more frequent. Alex was only walking a maximum of about 30 minutes right after she was put on supplements, but now she can easily walk as much and as long as she used to do before, but I don’t let her over do it.
Today, Saturday, Alex and I went to a pet store in Annapolis, MD and after that we went to PetSmart to get her food and some treats which kept us out for a couple of hours. She had her morning walk, but not her evening walk because she looked tired. I had her pose for this picture with one condition.
The condition was that she would have some time to “explore” the area without having me rush her.
Keep your senior dog active, but don’t over do it. The key is, like in almost everything in life, moderation. If ever in doubt, ask your dog’s vet.
AllMyCanineCompanions 
My shepherd Abby could keep up with the young’ uns until she was almost 12-after that the dysplasia kicked in big time and she needed a harness for her back legs. That still did not stop her when we went outside for much smaller walks from using those front legs to get to something. Senior dogs teach us so much about getting old and doing it with grace-I like the promise you made to Alex-you caught a good picture of her!
Thanks for sharing:) Yes, senior dogs, well I think all dogs, teach us so much. Alex sleeps more than before, and when I don’t have any dogs staying with us in the winter we go for our morning walk a little after 8am rather than 6am which is what we do in the summer. Aren’t they amazing?:)
That is one of the things I miss-life can go at a bit slower pace. Right now we are up with the birds (sometimes before) and then it is off to the races!!
🙂
My old girl (9 1/2 year old Chocolate Lab) is on thyroid meds, and she runs circles (literally) around my husband and me – and our landlord’s 3 year old Rottweiler. We all stand patiently while she gets her “puppy crazies” out of her system, but there’s been times I’ve stopped her before she was ready for the very reasons you mention – I can tell she’s tired and close to over-doing it; she just hasn’t realized it yet!
Lol. Wow! Your girl is just as bad as mine. I am so glad to hear from pet parents going through the same thing I am going through with my Alex. “Puppy crazies?” I think this is more like “never-ending crazies”:) don’t you think? Have a great Sunday:)