HOW IMPORTANT IS EXERCISE TO MY ELDERLY DOG?

Your dog still needs to have daily exercise unless your vet advises otherwise, both to keep him as physically fit as possible, and for stimulation. Walks may take on a different flavour however, and as your dog’s other senses become less acute, his sense of smell may begin to dominate. Take time to stop and smell the flowers — literally. Allow your dog his sniffing time, and don’t be in a rush to get there and back.

Instead of one long walk a day, do three or more shorter walks and try to vary the routes so your dog gets lots of different sensory experiences.

Enrichment can ward off some of the symptoms of canine cognitive dysfunction, and also helps keep your elderly dog healthy and happy, so time soaking up the sights and sounds — and sniffing — is time well spent.