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A white-haired woman stretches on a gray yoga mat while a white Bichon Frise beside her lowers into a play bow. 12 / 39

Grandma Ruth Unrolled Her Yoga Mat. Cotton Showed Up Ready to Teach.

AI imagebichon frisestretchingliving room

Stretch time in the living room has a new student. Ruth kneels on a gray yoga mat, arms reaching forward toward the wooden floor, smiling as she glances over at her classmate. Cotton has planted his front paws on the mat, chest low and fluffy tail curled high, in what looks remarkably like a textbook downward dog. A coffee table with books and a mug, a sofa draped in a knit throw, framed botanical prints, and a row of plush toys on a shelf make the room feel warm and well loved.

That pose Cotton is striking is known as a play bow, and it is one of the most recognizable signals in dog body language. Front end down, rear end up, tail often wagging, it usually means the dog is feeling friendly and inviting fun. Dogs also stretch this way after waking up, just as people do. For older adults, gentle stretching with a pet nearby can be a pleasant routine. Light movement helps with flexibility and balance, and a dog can make it feel more like play than exercise. Before starting any new exercise program, though, it is a good idea to check with your doctor, and to keep the floor clear of toys that could cause a trip.

Ruth may be the instructor, but Cotton seems determined to prove he is the most flexible one in class. If every workout came with a fluffy partner like this, a lot more people might stick to their stretching.

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An older woman in a quilted vest washes a wet white Bichon Frise in a sudsy galvanized metal tub in a garden yard.Bath Day in the Old Tin Tub. Cotton's Expression Said It All.A white-haired woman in a cream puffer vest reads aloud from a book on the couch to a white Bichon Frise gazing up at her.Grandma Started Reading Out Loud. She Didn't Expect Such an Attentive Listener.
A smiling gray-haired woman in a navy quilted vest poses cheek to cheek with a happy white Bichon Frise on a porch.Grandma Ruth Tried to Take a Nice Selfie. Cotton Had His Own Idea of Posing.A smiling white-haired woman in a navy vest sits on a lake dock with her feet in the water, petting a white Bichon Frise.Grandma Dipped Her Toes in the Lake. Cotton Wasn't About to Stay on the Dock.An older woman in a quilted vest picks red apples from a tree while a white Bichon Frise sniffs apples on the ground.Grandma Ruth Was Picking Apples From the Tree. Cotton Found a Shortcut.A white-haired woman in glasses reads an old handwritten letter while a white Bichon Frise rests its chin on her knee.Grandma Unfolded an Old Letter She Had Kept for Years. Cotton Seemed to Know.