A companion dog's idea of a workout
The Shih Tzu was bred as a palace companion, and a senior Shih Tzu's ideal exercise still looks like that heritage suggests: a gentle potter in good company, a little exploring, and then a comfortable place to rest near his people. Exercise that suits him is short, frequent, and social, with two or three brief walks a day on flat ground and plenty of time to greet favourite neighbours. He does not need distance or speed; he needs regularity, because a companion dog who stops going out loses muscle, gains weight, and misses the mental stimulation of the world beyond the garden. Keep the outings cheerful and end them while he is still trotting happily, not trudging.
Short face, short legs, strict heat limits
Like other flat-faced breeds, a Shih Tzu breathes less efficiently than a long-nosed dog, and his exercise tolerance drops sharply in warm or humid weather, so walk him in the cool of morning and evening and skip outings in real heat. His prominent eyes also deserve thought on walks: keep him out of long, seedy grass and low twiggy hedges where his eyes can be scratched, and check them after outings in dusty conditions. A harness is kinder than a collar for his neck and breathing. If his breathing becomes loud and effortful, he drools heavily, or he wants to lie down and refuses to continue, stop, rest in the shade, and head home slowly.
Indoor play for a people-loving dog
Much of a senior Shih Tzu's activity can be built around the thing he loves most, which is being included. A slow game of following you from room to room as you hide a few pieces of his dinner, gentle rolling of a soft ball across carpet for him to amble after, or simply a supervised potter around the garden while the family is outside all count as exercise for him. Keep his coat and the hair around his feet trimmed so he can see and grip properly, and avoid encouraging jumps onto furniture, since his longish back and short legs handle landings poorly in old age. Floor-level play on rugs gives him confidence and grip.
Grooming that makes his walking easier
A Shih Tzu's coat can quietly sabotage his exercise if it is neglected: mats between his toes make walking uncomfortable, hair over his eyes limits what he can see on a walk, and a heavy, dirty coat tires a small old dog. Keep the hair on his feet trimmed level with his pads, tie or trim his topknot so his eyes are clear, and brush him through after outings. These small routines are part of his exercise plan, because a comfortable dog walks willingly while a matted one understandably refuses, and owners can mistake that refusal for laziness or old age.
When gentle slowing is something more
A vet visit is sensible if he starts refusing walks he used to enjoy, breathes noisily at rest, bumps into things in familiar rooms, or has red, cloudy, or weeping eyes, because eye and breathing problems in this breed benefit from prompt attention. Note how far he walks comfortably and how that changes across the seasons, since heat tolerance often declines gradually. Assigning his short daily walks through KinsLe Care Teams means each family member can take a turn giving him his outing, with completed walks marked by a timestamp so he is happily exercised and never walked twice in the heat by mistake.