How to entertain an old dog
Just like people, dogs don't lose their desire for entertainment and play as they age. It just may take some adjusting.
Playtime helps with an older dog's mental faculties as well as their physical abilities, and just plain makes them happy. So treat your dog right and consider some strategies to keep them entertained well into their senior years.
He may not be able to go for a run or hike up hills anymore, but a good game of hide-and-seek is a great way to get an old dog to play. A dog's sense of smell usually remains strong, so you can use that.
Put some stinky treats in a few small boxes, then scatter the boxes on the floor along with boxes that are empty. Encourage him to find the treats, you can use a "Find it" command and point, to start with, and cheer him on when he does. You can then work on using other containers, mixing up the hiding spots, and the like.
Consider hiding treats in the folds of a towel or blanket as well, which gets your dog to sniff around and uncover it. An old dish towel works well, too, and you can increase the level of difficulty by tying the ends in loose knots.
