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.