How much exercise does a senior dog need?

On this page

1. When is a dog a senior?
2. Ten-to-twenty-minute bouts, 30 to 60 minutes total
3. Arthritis and weight: the loop
4. Surfaces, pace and sniff time
5. Signs to stop, and signs to call the vet
6. Consistency beats distance

Most senior dogs do best on 30 to 60 minutes of gentle walking a day, in two to four bouts of 10 to 20 minutes, on flat, soft ground where possible. Consistency matters more than distance: a stiff old dog who walks 15 minutes three times a day does better than one who does a single 45-minute walk on Sunday. Weight is the lever that changes everything for a senior, because overweight dogs are about 2.3 times as likely to have osteoarthritis and the two feed each other.

When is a dog a senior?

Bigger dogs age faster. The usual veterinary thresholds: giant breeds from about 5 to 6 years, large breeds 6 to 8, medium 8 to 10, small and toy breeds 10 to 11 or later. A 9-year-old Chihuahua is middle-aged; a 9-year-old Great Dane is very old. Use the threshold for your dog's size, not the number on the calendar.

Ten-to-twenty-minute bouts, 30 to 60 minutes total

AKC Pet Insurance and PetMD both give the same shape: keep the total but shorten the pieces. A senior's joints and heart handle 15 minutes well and 45 minutes badly, and stiffness the next morning is the cost of the long one. So:

• Two to four walks a day, 10 to 20 minutes each, at the dog's pace.
• A few minutes of slow walking at the start before any real pace; stiff joints warm up like anyone's.
• The same route, or a small set of routes, so the dog knows the distance and can pace itself.
• Total 30 to 60 minutes; less for giants, less in heat and cold, less on the day after a longer outing.

Measured, that is typically a mile to a mile and a half a day for a medium senior, because senior pace is slower and sniffier. That is fine. A GPS record of the week, rather than the clock, shows whether the total is holding, and the adult baselines it is drifting from are in How much should you walk your dog?.

Arthritis and weight: the loop

Osteoarthritis is nearly universal in old dogs and weight makes it worse: Banfield's State of Pet Health report found overweight dogs about 2.3 times as likely to be diagnosed with it. The loop runs both ways. A heavy dog's joints hurt, so it walks less, so it gains weight, so its joints hurt more. Breaking the loop usually means two things at once: pain management from the vet (there are good options now) and getting the weight down with portions, since the 2019 study of 50,787 dogs found that a healthy body condition adds up to two and a half years of life. The evidence is in Do overweight dogs live shorter lives?; the plan is in Helping your dog lose weight by walking: an 8-week plan.

Seniors also need fewer calories, often 20 percent less than in their prime, because they move less and carry less muscle. Feeding an old dog the young dog's ration is how many seniors get heavy. The calorie needs calculator shows the low-activity multiplier vets use.

Surfaces, pace and sniff time

• Grass and dirt over concrete. Every step on hard ground is a small impact on sore joints.
• Flat over hills. Downhill in particular loads the front legs and the elbows.
• Their pace, not yours. A senior walk is a sniff walk. Let it be. Sniffing is the mental exercise an old dog can still do at full capacity; see Why do dogs sniff so much on walks?.
• Grip. Rugs on slippery floors at home, and a harness with a handle for stairs and the car.
• Weather. Old dogs regulate temperature poorly in both directions; shorter still on hot and freezing days.

Signs to stop, and signs to call the vet

Stop today's walk when the dog lags, sits or lies down, pants heavily out of proportion to the effort, or starts to limp. Shorten tomorrow's if there is stiffness on rising the next morning. Call the vet for anything new: sudden reluctance to walk, a limp that persists, coughing or breathlessness on mild effort, collapse, or a dog who stops halfway and cannot continue. Pain, heart disease and breathing problems all announce themselves on walks first, which is one more reason to keep walking a senior: you see it early.

Consistency beats distance

The senior years are where a walk-tracking habit earns its keep. The distances are small, the pace is slow and the point is the routine: every day, a little, on purpose. Build rest days in rather than waiting for the stiff morning to impose one; the reasoning is in Do dogs need rest days from walking?. Weigh monthly, keep the trend against the ideal weight, and let the vet see both when you visit.

Frequently asked questions

When is a dog considered senior?

It depends on size. Small breeds around 10 to 11 years, medium around 8 to 10, large around 6 to 8, giant breeds as early as 5 or 6. Vets often start "senior" wellness visits at those ages.

How far should I walk my senior dog?

Less per walk, not necessarily less per day: two to four walks of 10 to 20 minutes, adding up to 30 to 60 minutes. Distance follows from pace, which is slower, so a mile to a mile and a half a day is typical for a medium senior.

Should I walk a dog with arthritis?

Yes, gently and regularly. Movement keeps joints lubricated and muscles supporting them; rest makes stiffness worse. Short, frequent, flat, soft-ground walks, a warm-up, and pain management from the vet are the recipe.

My old dog stops on walks. Should I make him continue?

No. Stopping, lying down or lagging is a senior saying the walk is long enough. Turn around, and next time go shorter. If it is new or sudden, mention it to the vet: pain, heart and breathing problems all show up first as reluctance.

This guide is general information from published veterinary and scientific sources, not veterinary advice. Every dog is different: for exercise, weight or feeding decisions, talk to your vet. Pawdometer never gives diet advice.