Like us, as our dogs age, their ability to do all the things they used to be able to take in their stride reduces but, with some careful management, a watchful eye and a lot of love and care, we can ensure we make their veteran years happy, healthy and fulfilling. When living with an older dog, they still have the same mental, emotional and social needs as they have always had, and indeed by paying attention to those we can keep our older dogs stimulated, happy and, if anything, deepen the relationship we have with them. Exercise is still important though. In humans it seems to play a significant part in holding mental ageing at bay – or at least it seems to engender a positive mental attitude – and the research we have means we can safely assume the same for our dogs. So while our older dogs can’t do the great long walks they did when they were younger, they can still enjoy several short walks through the day. Not only will this give them the physical exercise they need but it also gives them more contact and interaction with you – and social interaction, especially with their owner, seems to play a definite role in keeping dogs mentally sharp with a more youthful attitude.