My senior dog never stops running. Is he getting too much exercise?

This is a great question! It is normal that your dog will slow down with age, and want to play less. I would recommend following her lead. If she wants to play ball for 5-10 minutes and then stops after that, it's fine. Same for when she is on walks. If you wants to end early, I would stop the walk and bring her back home. It's great that you are getting her as much exercise as you are now, and I'd keep it up as long as she wants it :-)

Yes keep up with daily moderate exercise. As Lucy ages the length of the walks and exercise may decrease but should still be done at least twice daily. Many people stop exercising their dogs as they age. This results in muscle loss, and increased joint instability causing pain and arthritis. When you maintain the muscle mass it helps support the joints and keeps the tendons and ligaments strong. Dogs with arthritis actually have less discomfort when they are up and moving. So keep up the regular exercise and listen to Lucy and don’t push her when she’s had enough. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lucy.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you feel that Bailey has lost energy and is not as playful as she used to be, I would recommend having her checked out by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. In regards to exercise, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours per day is sufficient for exercise for most dogs. If there are other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, discomfort, inappetance or decreased appetite, etc. then there may be something more serious going on. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Keeping Josie thin and fit will increase her quality of life. Walking once or twice daily will keep her muscles strong and help reduce arthritis discomfort. I prefer to limit jumping and heavy physical activity. Keeping her thin can be a challenge as dogs age. I like to feed a good quality senior food and if she's heavy reduce the amount and add in vegetables like green beans, broccoli or canned pumpkin to fill her up. As far as supplements I recommend a high dose of omega 3 to reduce joint inflammation. She can have up to 6,000 units of fish oil daily, usually I split this morning and night. Other joint supplements are good too. If she's painful and reluctant to exercise then pain medication may be helpful. A big dog like Josie needs to be able to rise to maintain her quality of life so addressing her weight if needed and regular exercise to keep the rear legs strong is the most important thing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Josie.

Given that this is a change to his behavior a quick check up to rule out underlying medical causes such as heart disease or early arthritis would be recommended. If all clear then limiting the exercise to 50-60% of the current time and reducing the intensity by throwing them less far should keep him interested and excited without tiring him completely

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bernie. She sounds very sore. I would give her some time to rest. Then only walk her as far as she can handle. Fresh air and being outside is good for a dog's well being, however the walk needs to be kept within her comfort level. If she shows signs of struggling, you have over done it. She may only be able to go for a minute or two to start. Follow her lead. I hope this information helps!

Hello. I think with a high energy dog like a BC, the exercise you are providing is fine. You are doing this off-leash, so he is not forced to keep up & can go at his own pace. I would not be concerned about this at all, as if he was in a large yard, he would probably cover this distance multiple times a day. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.