Swimming

Swimming is low-impact, non-concussive, and non-weight bearing. When submerged, the water takes on most of your dog’s weight, supporting their body and relieving their skeletal system from the stress of jarring impacts that can occur when exercising on land. Also swimming can improve their range of motion.

Short Hikes

Taking your arthritic dog around outdoors on a regular basis will help them exercise. Also New places and experiences can improve their mental state. You can take your dog to a local park – just be sure to pick a trail that doesn’t have much of an incline.

Walks Around the Neighborhood

Your dog’s joints will benefit from the consistent low-impact activity of daily, leisurely walks. Opt for a couple shorter walks throughout the day. Put them on-leash so you can control the pace. Running may cause them to overdo it, bringing them more harm.

Modified Fetch

This activity is the best way to develop the bond between your dog and you. But you need to make some adjustments to this activity. You can roll the ball slowly or lightly bounce it a short distance and let your dog bring it back to you at a leisurely pace. It's also great to choose a soft, padded surface, like a lawn in your backyard, or even a plush rug indoors.

Hitting the (Dog-Friendly) Beach

This one combines the benefit of low-impact, leisurely walking and potentially swimming as well. Most beaches are flat, so you won’t have to worry about them straining themselves on an incline. You can try to avoid your dog for more time, which will prevent your dog from getting too excited and causing overexertion.

When we see our dog struggling to get up in the morning with stiff joints or refusing to go upstairs, our instinct is often to get them to rest and relax as much as possible. But in fact, being inactive or doing the wrong thing only aggravates their pain. Therefore, you can engage in the right, gentle, low-impact activities with your dog this summer.