Senior dog pet owners will agree that one of the most difficult hurdles they’ve had to overcome is crate training an older dog. Most pet owners can’t bear the thought of leaving their dogs in a crate for hours. But it’s also one of the most important. If you’re leaving for work or an important appointment, you don’t want to come back to a house with your furniture all chewed up!
The guy in this video makes crate training sound so easy! Some excellent points are explained in this video, and you might get a handful of helpful tips on what it takes to make your dog feel comfortable in the crate.
It will take a little time, but housebreaking a senior dog is not so hard!
If you’ve just made the admirable decision of bringing home an adult dog from the shelter, housebreaking an older dog is the first challenge you and your new companion will overcome.
Though advanced in age, your dog might have gone through several stages and will need re-training, or they’ve probably never been housebroken before. Either way, there are tried and tested methods that will help your dog adjust to the new environment.
First of all, take your senior dog outside on a leash when you bring him home for the first time. This will help them understand that this is where your dog should pee and poo.
The next concern of you and your new buddy is the time to eliminate. You must set up a schedule for this, and follow that schedule religiously. It could be after meals, at playtime, or during your morning walks. Follow this routine until your dog gets used to it. In the meanwhile, you can place your dog in a crate until your dog gets used to the routine.
House training your older dog won’t happen overnight, and sometimes they won’t stick to the routine. In this case, watch out for some telltale signs.
Housebreaking an older dog is easy!
Dogs will often pace, pant, bark or run around the house to get your attention when they have to go. Take them outside as soon as you notice such behavior.
It is best not to overreact or punish your dog if he or she goes in the house. If you do, it could make your dog fearful. If you catch him or her in the act, it is best to firmly say “stop” or “no.”
Take your dog outside promptly if he or she does eliminate in the house, and continue using positive reinforcement. (More here)
Because older dogs are more patient, house training them should be easy. All it takes is a positive attitude, and you and your furry pet will get there soon!
Crate training will help your new older dog feel like they have their own space
You may happen to be one of the wonderful and amazing pet owners that picked out your new family member from a shelter. This is so wonderful since shelters often have lots of older dogs. Older dogs are usually a lot more calm and are able to pay attention better than puppies. For this reason, older dogs are often a bit easier to train than puppies. The training itself, however, is best when you follow tried and true training methods.
Meaning, the training methodology itself really should work no matter what age your dog happens to be. With an older dog, your approach might be slightly different in that you want to be sure your dog can hear you well and can see you well enough, otherwise, you simply need to be nice and patient.
Crate Training Older Dogs
First, have your new dog tire out by exercising him outdoors. Even if you have a fenced-in yard, it’s still better to keep him (or her) on a leash when you first bring him home. Being outdoors also allows your dog to go potty before he enters his crate.
Crate Train Immediately
Although some people may think sticking a dog in a crate is mean, it’s actually good for not only you and your house, but for the dog as well. A crate is a safe haven where your dog will grow to be secure, knowing this is his “room.” Realize dogs are den creatures that naturally gravitate to crate-like areas in nature. (Read more here)
Always prepare a crate before you even bring your new dog home. It should have a washable dog pad for the bottom and perhaps a towel and a nice soft towel. You can entice the dog into the crate with a treat. When he goes in, be sure to praise him lavishly and with lots of positive wording. You do not want to close the door after the dog goes in, but instead allow him or her to go in or out freely.
Keeping a positive attitude and being patient will really go a long way here. Repeat this training exercise for a maximum of 5 times. This is just often enough that your dog will get the idea but not enough to tire him or her out. Keeping their attention really is half the battle!
Okay...this isn't a "Trick" - but how cute is this dog sleeping in the pot!?
The saying “you can’t teach and old dog new tricks” in its literal meaning is not entirely true. While you may find it a little hard to train your old dog, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to achieve.
With proper motivation, training and right circumstances (your pet is in good shape), your old dog can still learn new things. Besides, training an older dog new tricks provide great benefits not just for you but also for your pet. Training your dog makes for a perfect bonding time between you and your pet.
Though using food reward as your motivational technique usually does the trick, here are some easy tips on getting your old dog to obey you.
Training An Older Dog – New Tricks
Never use a choke chain.
Borrow and buy books on dog training from your local library and your local bookshop.
Get some treats that your dog likes.
The very most important command you can train your dog is to come.
Take your dog, on a leash, to somewhere you can train them.
When you start your walk, give your dog a command, such as heel or walk.
If you want your dog to speed up, give it a command to do so.
If you want to train it not to chew on something, scold it whenever you catch it chewing on it and tell it drop.
Praise your dog and give it a treat when it does what you tell it to, whether you had to make it do what you told it or if it did it on its own.
Work with your dog every day for at least a few minutes.
Do not shout at or hit your dog as aggression often comes from fear. (Click here to read more)
While puppies tend to have lesser behaviors that need to be changed, their attention span tends to be short since they are easily distracted. That is why compared to them, older dogs are more able to focus on learning new tricks as they have longer attention span, making it easier for them to be trained.
Be sure to take a break in between strenuous activities so as not to exhaust your dog. Check with your veterinarian to know the kind of training activities that your pet can handle. You may also want to get some guidance from a dog trainer, especially if you have no idea on how and where to start when it comes to training an older dog new tricks.
Many training steps are the same as with a young dog.
Keeping older dogs as pets is becoming more popular these days since people just can’t seem to deal with younger dogs in the house anymore. Younger dogs are more playful and have to be taught everything–from the basics of toilet training to how the pet should behave with kids in the house. Now, who would want to go through all those troubles? Older dogs tend to be more mature and can be taught much easier than younger ones. As such, more and more households are taking in older dogs as family pets. Housebreaking an older dog is a challenge that pet owners should answer if you want to have a better experience with your pet dog. Though teaching older dogs the basics can be at times as difficult as teaching a younger dog but it has all its rewards. Here are some easy tips on housebreaking an older dog that will make the process much easier.
Easy Tips on Housebreaking an Older Dog
1. Bring your dog, on a leash, to the area you want him to use as soon as you get him home. Stay outside with him, in that area, until he goes, before bringing him into the house. Praise him enthusiastically when he eliminates.
2. Take the dog in and out the same door all the time, even if you have two doors that lead to the same general area. Using the same door teaches her that is where she should go when she needs you to let her outside.
3. Limit the amount of space you give to your new older dog until you are confident he is housebroken. (Click here to read more)
You might think that you can never teach new tricks to an old dog, but this is not entirely true. A lot of older dogs usually have some background on basic skills like housebreaking, which will make teaching your dog all the more easier. More so, older dogs have had some experiences and will be more mature and less playful as you teach them skills essential to the housebreaking process. What is more, there are a lot of useful resources that are more than willing to provide you with the information you need to guide as you housebreak your new pet. All you need is to patiently search for ideas on the internet and you’re off to a great start. There might also be friends and family members who can provide you easy tips on housebreaking an older dog.
Any dog owner would want to eliminate the accidents that the pet is causing inside the house. Young dogs aren’t that much of a problem for you but having an older dog for a pet will certainly make the process of housebreaking your pet much more difficult. Most adult dogs have not been given any housebreaking prior to your ownership so you’d literally have to start from the basics. And though it is not entirely true that you cannot teach old dogs new tricks, housebreaking can be a little more difficult as compared to housebreaking a younger dog.
There can be a time that no matter how extensive your efforts might be, your dog will not seem to learn and stop having accidents inside the house. If you don’t seem to be having any progress with it, you could try housebreaking an older dog using the umbilical cord method and see the amazing results.
Housebreaking an Older Dog Using the Umbilical Cord Method
1. Put a 6 foot leash on the dog and tie it to your belt. The dog is connected to you (umbilical cord). He goes where you go.
2. When it is not possible to keep the dog tethered to you on the leash, he should be placed in his crate. (Except for overnight, a dog should not be crated for more than 3 to 4 consecutive hours. Many working people find it necessary to hire a pet sitter to give the dog an afternoon “break.”)
3. Take the dog outside every hour using the verbal cue “want to go out?” in a happy high pitched tone when you get to the door. (Click here to learn the steps on how you can housebreak your older dog using this method)
A lot of dog owners give up all hope when their older dogs just don’t seem to have any progress with their housebreaking. Most would completely yield and make do with the little accidents inside the house or would let go of their pet. This is not advisable and there are several ways that can help you in housebreaking your adult dog, the umbilical cord method for an instance.
Housebreaking an older dog is really difficult but it is not impossible as long as you have the patience to do it. It often involves several steps which you have to follow very closely. Housebreaking an older dog using the umbilical cord method is one of the easiest and most effective housebreaking techniques out there that you can use to your advantage.
