I really think the best thing for all dogs is to keep exercising them as they grow older. They may not need the exercise so much to calm them down but it keeps the weight off that can lead to heart disease and other disorders. Our Gracie still loves her exercise mainly because she is so interested in smelling every scent that is out there. Our rescue dog is less active and has a heart defect so I am reluctant to exercise that one as much but I do watch the diet closely to keep the weight off. They probably all enjoy sleeping more as they get older but at the age of 8 they should still have a lot of spunk left in them. An overweight dog is going to find it more difficult to move around and will prefer sleeping to moving. Carrying that extra weight is very hard on their bones, joints, and muscles. Keeping the weight off is a kindness we should all do for our pets. |