You may have heard me talk about the importance of continued training, socialisation, enrichment and mental stimulation throughout your dog’s life. These things keep the brain working and can slow down the process of brain ageing.

Things we can train our dogs when younger may help later in life, things like coming back to hand signals as well as voice cues, training your dog to use a ramp to get into the car, using their nose and walks in different places and environments.

From the veterinary side, don't forget the importance of getting senior health checks, for eyesight, hearing, weight problems, heart problems and very importantly dental problems.

We assume as our dogs age they will slow down - and they do; but we can help them have a better quality of life if we can provide regular training, exercise and stimulation on top of health checks.

With health we can make sure we do basic health checks like checking their teeth and gums, watch for changes in behaviour like movement not seeing too well or weight problems. If you are concerned do not ignore it, the vet could help you and your dog.

Let’s make sure we put the same effort into our senior dogs as we do our puppies.

Spend a little time weekly keeping our golden oldies s as tip top as we can.