Would you restrict her exercise at all?

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Amy lurcher is my one remaining ‘oldie’ now - I’ve had her 10 years and Cayla from on here had her a while before that so she is around 12 now. Being Amy she still thinks she is 2!

Yesterday she decided that chasing a tennis ball from one of those launcher things was the best fun she’d had in ages when we were at the dog field 😊 she hasn’t really bothered with it before, it was so sweet to watch ❤️ but at the same time I did wonder whether she should be doing sprint work at her age 😂

Do you restrict exercise for your older dogs? I have to do it for Millie lurcher, who is only 3, as she literally has no ‘off button’ at all but Amy has always been a lot less frenetic 😊

 

[CorvusCorax]

I probably would, I have an 8 year old showing no signs of slowing down so I'm hardly one to talk! But I don't do so much sprinting with either of them now (certainly not after balls) as I have seen some nasty injuries.
Incidentally, did you see this article?

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1135270/dog-ball-throwers-arthritis-blamed-guilty-over-exercising

 

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Lol I thought someone was bound to tell me how bad they were 😊😊 - fortunately I only use one occasionally when we go to the dog field, not something I’d use at home. I have already reflected that the movements they create - sudden burst of speed, then sharp braking & turning - aren’t likely to be good for a dog.

It was rather more interesting yesterday to see Millie (18kg) being chased down by 35.5kg of Ace greyhound who apparently has no brakes! She only snapped at him once and he quickly learned... 🙄

 

[paisley]

Sadly, yes, particualry as its a new form of exercise that isn't usually done.
I stopped using the ball flicky things about six years ago, based on the speed the mostly-whippet went, and the turns he would do when catching it. A couple of times he went a bit lame/sore after and based on a bit of family history it was binned.
I thought it was too close to how polo ponies stop and turn and thought the vet bills were already too much!

 

[AmyMay]

I think you have to be sensible whatever age they are, and walk them within their capabilities and fitness.

My Daisy is five, and will chase a ball all day. But we restrict it as I don’t want to overdo the running and jumping.

We recently lost the 14 year old collie we walked daily. Up until the week before she was put to sleep she’d have chased a ball and walked all day. But, we restricted it. Ball was thrown a couple of times only, but she was allowed to keep it and carry around. And instead of two walks a day, she had three shorter walks.

 

[Blanche]

I probably would, I have an 8 year old showing no signs of slowing down so I'm hardly one to talk! But I don't do so much sprinting with either of them now (certainly not after balls) as I have seen some nasty injuries.
Incidentally, did you see this article?

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1135270/dog-ball-throwers-arthritis-blamed-guilty-over-exercising

I have never been a ball thrower and now I have a reason not to. When I had collies I didn't want them to end up like some of the neurotic town collies I had seen, plus they had enough off lead exercise. When I got dallies they were not impressed at all by that lark. With my first dallie I remember trying to get him interested one day in balls. I threw it and sent him to fetch, which he did, and then I threw it again but he refused to go after it. He just looked at the ball, at me and then back at the ball again. After giving me a pitying look for throwing my things around he marched off in the opposite direction. I was laughing too much at the look on his face to do anything.

 

[planete]

I would certainly limit how much I throw a ball for an older dog not used to doing it. Since Ollie terrier snapped a cruciate and had to be operated on, I have become very conscious of how destructive on the hind leg joints chasing a ball repetitively can be. I still throw balls for the lurchers but only two or three times in a session. I concentrate more on getting them to do a controlled, decent retrieve (not always easy with lurchers!). I have also started throwing low so that the dogs do not need to leap into the air and possibly twist and land badly. I do other things involving the beloved ball. I put dogs down in a stay, go and hide the ball then send one to find and retrieve it, or put the dog in a sit, walk away, then throw the ball straight towards his mouth. I also bought a lattice ball and Dylan who is ball obsessed enjoys walking around the field with me while i kick the ball around, he retrieves it and I do it again, walking all the while. The lattice ball is more sluggish and does not seem to make the dog do the usual hard stops. It is also easier to find in the grass if a dog loses interest and does not pick up.

 

[splashgirl45]

my collie cross is ball obsessed and is now 13 and has arthritis in her front legs/feet, she loves it so much that when we walk in the park she is always finding balls that others have lost and proudly carries them around and drops them at my feet every so often. i just throw it a very short distance so she cant get up to top speed or kick it a couple of feet and that seems to keep her happy. i walk both dogs the same distance but luckily my little terrier gallops everywhere and also plays with other dogs so gets lots more exercise than she does.. i think for older dogs a stroll a couple of times a day is plenty..when i go to support my friend eventing i now leave my older dog at home and just take the terrier....

 

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Oh dear Amy will not want to read these replies 😂

don’t get me wrong, I agree with you all, but she has apparently never aged and is like a little Peter Pan of the lurcher world 😄.... other than she no longer murders squirrels (always a relief!) and deer are safe around her because she doesn’t actually see them.... 🙄❤️❤️❤️

I’m wondering if she will be bothered about chasing balls next time as she has never tried it before, but I’ll adapt as required for her if she is keen 😊

 

[CorvusCorax]

I did do a lot of ball chucking when mine was a youngster but I think I was just delighted to have a dog that was interested in a ball and when a dog with high ball drive goes careering after a ball, it is quite spectacular to watch.
He gouges a trench into the ground when he skids, he will miss the ball and land on his arse and roll over four times and get up and be on it again, he has no sense of self preservation. I had a set of photos taken years ago of him leaping up vertically to catch snowballs and it makes me cringe to look at them now (I think Cayla gave me a good telling off, lol).
Now that I know a bit more, if I am using a ball as a reward, I will just drop it at his feet or give it to him from my hand.
If I had any advice (and I got this from an old school dog trainer) it would be, if you are throwing a ball, make it a 'running rabbit', IE, bowl it along the ground, that's more of a natural prey movement, don't fling it into the air, making it into a bird, and risk awkward landings, more high impact injuries, etc.

 

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Ah we like rabbits 😂😂😂

 

[rara007]

Yes, always. He’s pretty fit but has no concept of being tired or self preservation when the energy is up. He’s only young (3) but not many spaniels get out without OA and prevention (as much as possible) is key. We do have to do plenty of retrieving and hunting to keep him focused on us and he can’t be allowed to carry his ‘rewards’, but we mix it up with forced lead walks, caniX, lure work and swimming. He’s a moving liability, I doubt he’ll get to Amy’s age with 4 sound legs and 2 eyes..! To an extent I’d let her live her life but I’d be as careful about anything she’s not conditioned to, you’ll kick yourself otherwise.

 

[deb_l222]

All mine are on restricted exercise to some degree or another. Rufus would chase a ball all day but he also has a weak lower back so he’s allowed to chase as a very occasional treat. He is however happy just carrying something.

Button is restricted because she’s now 15 and walking for miles and miles would just be unfair, even though she would probably still manage it.

Willow will always have restrictions due to her health issues. She’s absolutely under no circumstances ever allowed high impact exercise like ball throwing. This was written IN BLOCK CAPITALS on her vet report

They all still walk together but we go much slower now because in her old age Button feels the need to stop and sniff at EVERY blade of grass

 

[meleeka]

“Better to burn out than fade away”.

When my dog got old we still used to throw a ball but just not as far or as much. We didn’t restrict the distance we walked, but the jarring of her joints could make her stiff if chasing balls. She was also on Yumove.

 

[Aru]

Depends on the overall fitness of the dog and how they are coping with the exercise....muscle supports bone so keeping an older dog fit and in good condition is an advantage even with some bony changes on the Skeleton....it really depends on if she's coping with it or not.
If stiff and sore afterwards then I'd reconsider...but if acting normal... Life's for living and quality of life would win out..
For an arthritic dog stopping exercise can cause a more rapid deterioration as they lose muscle tone so unless there's a medical reason or risk(cruciate spinal issues poor conformation etc) then I'd usually say exercise away within her comfort limits....

 

[Stiff Knees]

“Better to burn out than fade away”.

When my dog got old we still used to throw a ball but just not as far or as much. We didn’t restrict the distance we walked, but the jarring of her joints could make her stiff if chasing balls. She was also on Yumove.

Better to burn out than fade away !! Totally agree with this, our beloved 16 year old Labrador, Spot was walked for at least 3 miles every day until just weeks before she was put to sleep, the exercise kept her mind active and she had a choice of walk, on good days she'd drag us on the 6 miler, on those days when her arthritis was troubling her she'd choose the 3 miler. She'd likely cover twice those distances running back and forth. She didn't just mooch behind us either, she set the pace and woe betide you if you didn't keep up! She loved her exercise and it kept her muscles strong, her mind active and her heart healthy. Although we lost the battle with her pain in the end she lived a great life until very close to the end and her tail never stopped wagging. I'd say let the dog dictate the exercise to you, personally we have never played ball with our labs as I think that sort if exercise is very high impact but for lighter framed breeds its possibly ok. Ours much prefer mooching and looking for birds to send up and flat out nose to the ground running anyway so are not particularly ball motivated. We also have plenty of time to exercise them so don't need to find a way of tiring them out quickly. Perhaps we could have had Spot for longer if we'd wrapped her in cotton wool, but she really was not a cotton wool sort, much preferring to rampage around the countryside than stay at home. Her quality of life was all important to us and her zest for life an inspiration. Let dogs be dogs I say. 🐾❤️🐾

 

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I love that description SK 😊 Amy is very nearly as active now as she was 10 years ago, her hearing and eyesight let her down a little now but she is always out ahead on the walks literally running rings round us 😊 The dogs only go to the dog field once a week so the greyhound boys & Millie can have some off-lead time, we are going tomorrow so I’ll see how Amy is with ball-chasing - knowing her she might be bored of it by now & will be searching for rabbits and squirrels in the undergrowth 😂

 

[Stiff Knees]

We are so fortunate, we live just out of a small town with lots of fields, streams and lovely walks just on our doorstep, we also have some very dear friends with a large farm just a few miles away from us and the land is open access to us and the dogs, they lead a very good life in that respect. We're not far from the coast either and can be there in a half hour for a run along the beach, a paddle in the sea and an ice cream!! Jake's sister lives on the farm so he sees her at least three times a week, and Spot used to get a new lease of life when we took her up there, which we did regularly, even towards the end. Her ashes will be scattered there when I can bear to part with her, she would not appreciate being kept in a box, she needs to be blowing in the wind 😇🐾😍

 

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Oh that is lovely - Spot will always be there for you every day, in your thoughts and in your heart, you never really lose them at all 💕💕💕

 

[Peter7917]

I personally would rather a dog have a shorter life, having succumbed to arthritis, than I would one have a longer life but have had an average 'pet' life.

I had my collie PTS last year. She was just shy of thirteen. She went due to arthritis.

She chased a ball A LOT, she followed me on horse back for many hours a day. There were times we would be point to point training and she would come along and keep up. What a life she had.

The last year she no longer chased a ball, she no longer followed a horse. She was still allowed to be a dog and run in the fields, swim in the rivers etc and when there became a day where her pain killers were insufficient to keep her comfortable after a walk, she was PTS.

If I had restricted her exercise further still then perhaps she may still be here now. Who knows. But she wasn't the sort of dog who would have been content with any less than she was getting. She loved to run and as such I allowed her to run until the end.

 

[splashgirl45]

exactly my sentiments peter 7917, lost my lurcher to arthritis at almost 13 as well, she had stopped chasing squirrels and rabbits so i knew she was pretty bad.....sorry you had to lose yours as well for the same reason...

 

[Stiff Knees]

I personally would rather a dog have a shorter life, having succumbed to arthritis, than I would one have a longer life but have had an average 'pet' life.

I had my collie PTS last year. She was just shy of thirteen. She went due to arthritis.

She chased a ball A LOT, she followed me on horse back for many hours a day. There were times we would be point to point training and she would come along and keep up. What a life she had.

The last year she no longer chased a ball, she no longer followed a horse. She was still allowed to be a dog and run in the fields, swim in the rivers etc and when there became a day where her pain killers were insufficient to keep her comfortable after a walk, she was PTS.

If I had restricted her exercise further still then perhaps she may still be here now. Who knows. But she wasn't the sort of dog who would have been content with any less than she was getting. She loved to run and as such I allowed her to run until the end.

I think your Collie and our Labrador, Spot would have been firm friends, sounds as though they had the same outlook on life. Life is for living🐾

 

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Just as an update, Amy wasn’t bothered about chasing tennis balls next time we went to the dog field 😃 Today I had to persuade her to come out of a storm drain full of water as we walked around the woods, she thought it was great fun 😍😍