I hope some of you are dog lovers. My soulmate is a gentle angel of a dog named Owen. Owen has been experiencing declining proprioception (his brain's perception of where his body is in space without looking) which is seriously impacting his ability to walk, and hence, his quality of life. One of his greatest joys is hiking, so this is very important to him.

His doctor says it's a natural part of aging (and Owen is quite old, but otherwise amazingly fit and healthy). He says there isn't much that can be done except to keep Owen active because couch potatoes decline faster than active bodies. Owen has been a pretty active guy most of his life, but recently his body doesn't always cooperate.

Since declining proprioception is a common problem in many neuromuscular diseases, and I'm sure at least some of you knowledgeable people are also dog-lovers, I'm hoping you have some insights for me, and and some ideas about what I can do for my darling boy.

There must be motor skill exercises, dietary supplements, etc. that some people use to slow the progress of declining proprioception. Any insight into how this feels to Owen, what I can do to help him, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.