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CC140: Aged to Perfection: Keeping Your Senior Fit in Mind and Body

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CC140: Aged to Perfection: Keeping Your Senior Fit in Mind and Body

Course Details

 

As the owner of multiple dogs in their double digit years, each at various stages of ‘aged to perfection’, I understand the challenges that can come with having an older dog (or several!)  This class is all about celebrating our older dogs and working within their abilities to maintain or regain physical strength, mental health and a joyful outlook.  Let’s make the most of every day we share together! 

What is a senior dog anyway? 

Commonly, giant breeds are described as seniors starting at 5 or 6 years of age;  medium to large breeds at 7 or 8 and smaller dogs a little later in life. But this class doesn’t require that your dog fits into any particular age frame. If you feel like your dog is starting to show signs of aging or even if this is just something you are worried about for the future, this class will help you be proactive in their senior care.  If your dog is already deep into their retirement and teetering on becoming an antique, you are welcome here too. Anyone who is willing to really dive into the individual and changing needs of their dog will find this class useful. 

Concepts of enrichment, conditioning, and husbandry skills will be our focus as we look at a series of games and exercises that can be modified to suit seniors of all abilities. There will be an emphasis on promoting what your dog CAN do and focusing on the positive! Older dogs often find patterns and routines comforting, so we’ll examine how to provide the security of structure  - but without turning life into a bore. We’ll explore ways to add safe, interesting twists to their daily schedule that require little in the way of time or equipment, but add a lot in terms of joy and bonding and will bring a sense of purpose back to your training time together! And because older dogs often do require more veterinary and grooming care, but frequently grow less excited about these things with age,  we'll spend some time making sure the care tasks you'll use most often are fun and doable for your dog. 

This class is suitable for all levels of dogs and handlers. The conditioning exercises in this class are foundation level functional exercises which can be adapted to a wide range of dogs but are not meant to replace veterinary care for dogs with active injuries or rehabilitation needs. 

Teaching Approach

Lectures will be released at the beginning of each week. Each week's topics will be divided into 4 categories: 

A) Concepts on Training and Aging relevant to the class homework 

B) Brain Games 

C) Body Conditioning Exercise & Movement Puzzles

D) Cooperative Care Skills 

Lectures will contain written material which includes descriptions of all exercises in detail, supplemented by short demonstration videos- generally one minute or less in length- selected to highlight specific parts of the exercise that are most important, helpful steps to introducing your dog to the exercise, or progressive challenges on an exercise your dog has already learned. 

In this class, the basic lesson plan and homework will begin the same for all students, but Gold students can expect to receive personalized modifications when suitable for their dog, which may be presented via written description or video example. Gold and Silver level student feedback is provided in a kind, supportive, and detailed format.  Students may or may not get through all Conditioning or Cooperative Care Skill exercises during the 6 weeks of the class- progress will depend on their individual dog's current fitness level, past training history, and their individual personality-  but all students who are able to practice short sessions two or 3 times a week should be able to participate in all of the Brain Games activities or a modification thereof.  

*** Outdoor exercise and activities will be discussed and explained but each week will have exercises that are meant to be completed indoors. Teams in all climates will be fully able to participate in this class regardless of weather.  

Erin LynesInstructor: Erin Lynes

Erin (she/her) is a lifelong dog enthusiast from Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. Erin is certified as a Karen Pryor Academy Training Partner, a Certified Profesional Canine Fitness Trainer, a Licenced Family Dog Mediator, and as a Cani-Fit Leader, ...(Click here for full bio and to view Erin's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

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Pre-class Lectures

  • Syllabus and Supplies
  • Getting Started
  • Marker Cues
  • Signs of Pain and Fatigue

Week 1: 

  • What is Enrichment?
  • Brain Game: Egg Carton Quick Search
  • Fitness: Front Paws Up 
  • Movement Puzzles 
  • Cooperative Care- Assessment Positions

Week 2  

  • Feet and Posture
  • Schedules and Surprises
  • Brain Game: Cookie Trail
  • Fitness: Weight Shifting Exercises
  • Movement Puzzle: Step Over
  • Cooperative Care: Friendly Foot Care Tactics

Week 3 

  • Aging, Mobility & Exercise
  • Brain Game: Which One?
  • Fitness: Back Up, Position Changes
  • Movement Puzzle: Platforms
  • Cooperative Care: Happy Harnessing & Front Foot Scratch Board 

Week 4  

  • Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
  • Enrichment: Sensory Stimulation
  • Brain Games: Sensory Challenge
  • Fitness: Pivots & Lateral Stepping
  • Movement Puzzle: Narrow Spaces
  • Cooperative Care: Chin Rest & Rear Foot Scratchboard

Week 5 

  • Vestibular Syndrome
  • Enrichment: Choice vs No Choice
  • Brain Game: Nosey Roller
  • Fitness: Flexibility and Balance in Motion
  • Movement Puzzle: Noisy/Texture 
  • Cooperative Care: Relaxed Restraint

Week 6  

  • Behavioral Diversity
  • Brain Games: Knot Puzzle & Spaghetti Tree
  • Fitness: The Circuit Square
  • Movement Puzzle: Combinations
  • Cooperative Care: Trained Eating

Prerequisites & Supplies

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No previous skills are required. Training is food based on food rewards so a reliable level of food motivation is required.  

Supplies:  

3-4 egg cartons 

3 cones, toilet plungers or wingless jump standards  (or objects of similar height) 

Stable front foot target  

  • No wobble 
  • Should be dewclaw height or lower 
  • Wide enough that dog can place both front feet on it comfortably- so at least shoulder width.  
  • Grippy 
    • Ideas: Phone book with yoga mat taped to top surface 
    • Foam mats stacked to appropriate height and taped 
    • Rubber Feed Bowl  

A platform large enough to sit on (A cato board works great for many dogs). You can also make your own out of foaml floor tiles and duct tape (instructions provided in the first week's lectures). 

2 food bowls 

Nail Clippers, Dremel and/or Scratch Board (I use a home made scratchboard which has gator grip taped on to one side of an old cutting board). 

 

We'll also use some random household objects like pillows, cardboard boxes, or brooms! No need to specifically acquire such things in advance, we'll work with what you have on hand.  

***A surface area with good traction for games and conditioning is a must (most can be done in a 6 foot x 6 foot space, with some exercises requiring about double that- all training spaces require good traction. Consider adding matting to slippery floors to create a safe training space if needed. 

Sample Lecture

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Balance Challenges via Weight Shifting

When we introduce balance challenges, we'll start on stable surfaces first.  There are many functional ways to do this which create big results! Consider each one of these balance challenges as its own skill that you can work on individually in a stand- some are also appropriate to do in a sit. 

For each of these exercises, you do want to start out with your dog in their ideal posture- facing forward. You may need to provide something to focus on visually if your position would distract from this forward head posture. We can't safely and effectively challenge balance if the dog is not balanced to begin with. And because these exercises increase the challenge, note that the number of repetitions that your dog can do will probably amount to less time than they are normally able to hold in a still stand, sit or down. Do watch for signs of fatigue! 

Side to Side Weight shifting 

Use slower and smoother hand movements than I am using at the start of this video- but the idea is that you'll feed your dog slightly to the right or left of their center line. When your dog's head moves from side to side, their weight shifts, and that is a balance challenge. Ideally you want to challenge them only enough that they can move their head, but do not need to move their feet to adjust.

Getting the weight shift with reward placement:

 

Front to Back Weight Shifting - head lifts 

 

Weight shifts in a sit-

This clip demos reward placement side to side, and up and down. As with the stands, you need to be a little careful that you don't create movement out of position (lowering the treat too far may cause the dog to stand or lay down, for example)- we want pretty subtle weight shifts, not actual movement. 

 

Manual Weight Shifts

In this exercise, we are challenging the dog's balance by putting a small amount of measured pressure against the dog. We are not trying to move them, but just feel that weight shift. For dogs who are very sensitive to pressure, you may need a very light touch. Having one hand on each side of the dog prevents them from thinking that we are trying to move them over. Start with very brief pressure, first to one side, then to the other. When your dog understands the exercise, you'll be able to feel them bracing against your hands- and you can even then hold the challenge for slightly longer.  This exercise is excellent for building the stabilizing muscles and is very functional- when your dog gets bumped by you, another dog or a creature in their daily life, they will be experiencing balance challenges very similar to what we are doing here. I like to challenge at three points in the stand- shoulders, ribs, and hips.  

 

Manual Weight shifts in a sit:

 

Single Leg Lifts- Stand

A pre-requisite for this exercise is that your dog is comfortable with you handling their feet. You can certainly incorporate the bucket game here to judge their comfort level and add that extra layer of consent history to foot handling.  Lifting a leg causes the dog to shift their weight onto the remaining 3 legs- meaning that they are working harder. A slightly easier version than a human standing on one leg. Your goal is to just lift the foot enough that there is no weight on it, and keep it in a natural position- don't pull it out to the side, lift it high or out front/behind the dog or you will greatly increase the challenge. When your dog starts to get the idea of this exercise and can hold with a foot up for several seconds, the foot you are holding will start to feel weightless in your hand. Be sure to practice with each foot equally. Place each foot back down gently when it's turn is over (don't just suddenly let go).  

Sit with leg lifts:

In the sit, you can only lift the front feet, for obvious reasons. You can either lift these as you did in the standing exercise or if your dog understands a paw-shake cue, you can use those! In this clip, Shelby demos her 'shake a paw' (right paw) and 'high 5' (left paw) using my hand as a target- and then I also show it where the cue just results in a leg lift without touching my hands for support. 

 

Testimonials & Reviews

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 A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...

Lots of great material! Helped me better assess the impact of arthritis, show Vet some of my videos and adjust physical therapy sessions accordingly. Enrichment games have made a difference with my most senior dog - better connection (she has started to follow me around the house once again). Definitely recommend it!!         


This class gives a broad overview of all aspects of your senior dog's well being and different ways to improve that health and your relationship with your dog. I will use this resource for years to come.       


The content in this course is extensive, thorough, informative, valuable AND fun! Erin was a great instructor. She was very responsive to homework videos and questions. She clearly paid close attention to uploaded video homework and answered clearly and concisely. Due to some health issues that pooped up mid-class for my dog we weren't able to follow through with all of the exercises through the length f the class but I look forward to catching up with it once we're all back in good health and ready to get back to it! Highly recommend this class to anyone with an aging dog. I only wish I had taken it sooner in my dog's life!


I really enjoyed working through this course with both my senior and young dog, they enjoyed it too! It was easy to play the games and do the fitness exercises in my living room, a fun alternative to cold dark walks in the winter evenings. We will be working on the husbandry skills building up to nail clipping for a while still but I feel we are actually making progress towards it not being a terrible experience. I learned a lot about things to watch for in my so far healthy senior.


I think that the course covered a broad range of senior dog topics.  It is a great look at dogs physical, mental and happiness quotient, for lack of a better term.           


Erin Lynes is just a terrific instructor! She has developed an excellent curriculum loaded with good information along with fun and useful exercises to help enrich the lives of senior dogs. She was so responsive to the Gold posts, always encouraging and providing detailed and helpful feedback. She is excellent with technology and was able to provide custom visual aids to each team to help dogs and handlers improve their mechanics. Highly recommend!


Very much enjoyed this course. Erin gives clear instructions, her videos are clear, she gives detailed feedback and has great suggestions. Optimizing care of senior dogs is an important topic that doesn’t get enough attention         

Registration

There are no scheduled sessions for this class at this time. We update our schedule frequently, so please subscribe to our mailing list for notifications.

Registration opens at 10:30am Pacific Time.

CC140 Subscriptions


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Tuition $ 260.00 $ 130.00 $ 65.00
Enrollment Limits 12 25 Unlimited
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