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An older woman in a gray cardigan plays checkers on a porch table while a fawn Boxer rests his chin on the edge. 8 / 24

Ruth Was Planning Her Next Move. Bruno Was Planning to Stay.

AI imageboxercheckersporch

The checkerboard is set with red and black pieces, and Ruth leans over it with a thoughtful tilt of her head, one finger poised above a piece. She wears a gray cardigan over a teal top, her glasses on, her silver hair tidy. Across the table, Bruno has laid his heavy chin right on the weathered wood, his dark eyes fixed on the board and his loose jowls spilling onto the surface. A steel water bowl sits in the foreground, and a blue watering can, garden tools, and a few clay pots crowd the edge of the porch behind them. Her reading glasses lie nearby, along with a stray red piece.

Board games are a nice mental workout for older adults, and playing with a pet nearby makes the afternoon feel less like a contest and more like quality time. Dogs enjoy being near their people during any quiet activity, and Boxers in particular like to be in the middle of the action. If your dog rests his head on the table, a lightweight game piece could disappear in a flash, so keep small pieces out of mouth range. A water bowl close by, as Ruth has set out, helps a dog stay comfortable on a warm porch. A simple rest routine gives a lively breed a way to join in without getting in the way.

Bruno has no stake in the outcome, but he clearly wants to be at the table. Ruth takes her time, and the game will go on a good while.

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