‘Living his best life’: Senior dog gets the royal treatment after vet suggests a masseuse-level daily treatment

Owning a senior dog can be tough. Every dog is a bundle of pure, unadulterated joy, but they’re also excruciatingly short-lived when compared to their human companions. 

As a result, we’re all forced to say goodbye to our beloved fur-babies eventually. The ravages of time come for us all, even the precious pets we care so deeply for, and watching them go from pouncing puppy to stiff senior will pull on any heartstring. There are things we can do to make their transitions from energetic puppy into cranky old woofer easier, thankfully, including a handy set of stretches outlined by TikToker Florencia Alvarez in a charming video shared by @pubity. 

The video shows as the owner of an adorable golden retriever helps his senior dog through a series of stretches, something the sore old boy clearly enjoys. He lays nice and still while his papa stretches his front legs all the way above his head, and he even gets a gentle kiss for his patience. It’s when the second half of the stretch comes around that viewers were really won over, however, thanks to the impossibly charming smile the happy, stretched-out doggo tosses toward the camera. 

There’s no denying the clear enjoyment the dog takes in this new nightly ritual, and seeing how easy and helpful the practice is encouraged more than one commenter to follow suit. They also wasted no time in cracking jokes beneath the video, noting how “absolutely delighted” the dog is with the vet’s advice. Commenters assume the dog is utterly content with the vet’s directives, and quite a few noted that “he’s [living] a better life than me.”

“Bro was ready to sleep on the spot right then and there,” one viewer aptly noted. “All the stress flew away after that big stretch,” another added. Viewers are, as a whole, both delighted for and completely jealous of the joyful old pup, who’s living the good life with those daily stretch sessions.

Stretching is an excellent way to help your dog maintain comfort and agility as they enter their golden years, according to PetMD, and there are a few easy stretches anyone with an aging pup can try out. There are five recommended stretches that don’t require anything more than a bit of time and attention recommended by the site, starting with a simple bicycle.

To tackle this one, you’ll just need to settle your dog on their back and slowly cycle their back legs through the air. This will improve their blood flow and loosen up those hips and joints. You might face a bit more pushback from your dog when you attempt a shoulder extension — which involves situating them on their sides and raising their paws up to a full stretch — than you will from a simple bicycle, but the efficacy of the move can’t be overstated.

Commanding your dog to sit and stand is the easiest stretch on the list by far, but once again, it’s a vital one. The simple act of sitting and standing can be huge for keeping up your dog’s mobility, particularly as they get older and weaker. This can be stacked with hip flexions, which require owners to once again lay their dogs down on their sides before lifting and carefully rotating the leg.

The final recommended stretch zeroes in on the back and groin and simply requires a bowing movement. Shifting those front paws forward, raising the hips, and extending as much as possible is particularly helpful after vigorous play or a long walk, as dogs with knee issues often overwork the groin area, and they’re not going to stretch themselves without human intervention.