14/11/2025
Use it so you don’t lose it!
Older dogs often lose muscle strength, especially in the hindquarters. In the course we will discuss in detail different ways to maintain muscle strength for as long as possible, and even build it up again.
A simple exercise which almost any dog can perform, is to stand with the front paws on a small elevated target no higher than the dog’s wrist. This can be anything, depending on your dog’s size: a bathroom stool, a shelf, a book. As long as it is sturdy and not slippery. Your dog should not be able to slip on this target, and the target itself should not be able to slide along the ground. You can always start at a low level and make it higher later.
Put your target, between you and your dog, and see if he is willing to put his front paw on the target in exchange for a treat. If he finds this a bit stressful, you can first let him get used to the target by putting the treat on it and letting him eat the treat off it. This will usually work just fine. Above all, don’t rush, build up slowly until he no longer finds the target scary. And when he does put his paws on it, the treat is the reward – and praise him for doing well, of course!
Next, let your dog stand with his front paws on the target for a few seconds, and then gently coax him away from it with a treat. Don’t let him make any wild jumps! The weight shift puts the hind legs and back muscles to work.
If your dog can do this easily, you can also move the treat a little to the left and right while he is standing with his paws on the target, which will engage the abdominal muscles as well.
