Training An Old Dog: Is It Possible?

You may have been told that it is impossible to teach an old dog new tricks and commands, but that is entirely untrue. In fact, many dogs are willing to learn at just about any age because they love the attention that they receive. If you have decided to adopt a dog from a shelter that is not a puppy, you can start working on the training process as soon as you bring it home. You may be surprised to see that the dog does understand some basic commands.

When training a puppy, you are starting from the very beginning. However, most of the older dogs have had some type of training in the past, even if it was just for a short period during their stay at the shelter. Older dogs will also give you more attention for an extended period. Puppies have such a short attention span because they are young and want to move around all the time.

An older dog is normally ready and willing to learn. If you are working with an older dog that does not understand even some of the most basic and simple commands, you can still work with it. The dog will begin to get the hang of what you say to him or her when you constantly practice the commands. Your dog will enjoy the time that the two of you are spending together during this training process, which is something you can use to your advantage.

You should always be understanding when you are trying to train an older dog. The dog may not be nearly as active or hyper as a puppy, but that does not mean that it is not willing to go the extra mile to listen to your directions. Never push the dog to do too much at once, especially if it suffers from some health conditions.

Just like humans, older dogs can end up with arthritis, which causes joint pain. Do not get frustrated if the dog takes a little while to get up and move when you say a command because the dog may feel a bit of pain when moving around. It is still good to take the dog for walks and visits to the park, but avoid overdoing it because you do not want your pet to become hurt.

Sometimes dogs have had bad experiences with previous owners who may have abused them. If your dog seems frightened by your commands, try talking in a gentler voice so that there is an understanding between the two of you. You want your dog to respect you, but you do not want him or her to fear you. If you can show your dog love and patience, you can train it do just about anything.

The next time someone tries to tell you that training an old dog is impossible, all you have to do is prove them wrong by introducing them to your dog. You will notice that your older dog is intelligent and willing to learn. You can teach basic commands, along with tons of tricks and other specialized techniques if you want to. There is never a bad time to train a dog, even if the dog is old, especially because you will create an amazing bonding experience.

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When Is The Right Time To Start Dog Training?

Many people wonder what age is appropriate to start training your dog. Whether your dog is old or a puppy, it is always smart to start training as soon as possible. In this article, we will look at why it's important to train your dog right away.

New puppies brought home need to receive training right away. You don't want your puppy to develop bad habits. The faster they are trained the sooner they will be housebroken, obey commands, and be under control.

If you don't train your puppy immediately, the puppy is likely to develop some poor training habits. It may bite more, relieve themselves in your house, and bark uncontrollably. Reinforcing that this behavior is not acceptable right from the start, is the best thing for your household, and the puppy.

Always establish the house rules for your puppy right off the bat. If you wish for your puppy to not lie on your couch, never let it lie on the couch from the beginning. A puppy will be very confused if you let them lounge on the couch sometimes, but not all the time.

When you begin to train your puppy make sure to repeat commands numerous times. It will take them a good while to learn commands like sit and stay. Repetition is key. It's like teaching a new language to someone.

Puppies will only respect someone who is authoritative. You must be the dominant pack leader to your puppy. If a puppy senses that you are weak, they will engage in bad behavior.

If you adopt an older dog, you should also train it right away. The older dog may have had previous owners, so you must reteach them how to behave in your household. Older dogs can definitely learn new tricks.

Some older dogs will be harder to train if they are physically unable to respond to the training. Older dogs tend to get arthritis, hip pain, or even heart problems. If your dog is not responding to training, you may want to take them to the vet.

There is no better time to train your dog than the present. Start positively reinforcing the good behaviors your dog is doing, and teach them not to engage in the bad behaviors. Be authoritative and consistent about the rules for your dog.

Remember that if your dog perceives you as weak, they will not respond to your commands. Let your dog know you are in charge by having a firm commanding voice, and through your body language. Do not react with anger if your dog disobeys you. Responding with wild body gestures is not going to get your dog to do what you want.

Whether you bring a puppy home or adopt an older dog, start training it right away. Dogs need to be told what the ground rules are for your household from day one. If you let them do what they wish when you first bring it home, it will be much harder to correct their behavior.

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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.

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