Tips To Train An Older Dog

If you have an older dog that is untrained and is experiencing behavior or training problems, this article is for you. Perhaps you've recently adopted an older dog from a local shelter or rescue group.

Maybe you've heard the term that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Well, I'm here to tell you that isn't true, you CAN teach old dogs new tricks. Hopefully these tips will help.

1. The first thing to keep in mind is that the training needs to be fun not only for you but for the dog as well. In fact a good way to make your dog enjoy it more is after each training session give him five minutes of something that he really enjoys. That could be as simple as throwing the ball, going for a walk or even getting his belly rubbed for five minutes.

2. Always keep your training sessions short. I tell my client to never train their dog for more than 15 minutes at a time. However with your older dog you may need to start with a shorter period of time, let's say 10 minutes in the beginning. Trying to train for longer periods will simply cause problems because you'll lose the dog's attention. If you haven't noticed already they have short attention spans.

3. Consistency is very important to any dog. You want to make sure that you always use the same commands, and make sure you only say them one time. In the beginning make sure your training area is free of distractions. The kids and other pets shouldn't be there to distract your dog. In fact when we talk about consistency that includes the trainer. During initial training your dog should only have one trainer because body language is very important and they actually pick up on body language before they pick up on the verbal command.

4. Patience is very important and is considered one of the basic principles of dog training. Make sure that you are patient with your dog and give him time to learn. You will not have a trained dog overnight, I can guarantee that. However with patients and consistent training you will have a trained dog quicker than you might imagine.

I hope these tips will give you a head start in training your older dog. If you'll be patient and give him time to learn you will have a happy dog and a welcome addition to your family.

Source:ttp://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-To-Train-An-Older-Dog&id=8159060