Older dog training might sound like a difficult thing to do, especially if you’ve ever heard the old saying about teaching old dogs new tricks. But in a lot of ways, training an older can be much easier than trying to get an energetic and fun-loving puppy to cooperate.
Older dogs tend to be more calm than younger ones. This can really be an advantage when it comes to getting your dog’s attention. Older dogs seem to understand that someone else is the dominant force. Once that bridge is crossed, it’s much easier to get your dog to cooperate during training.
One of the main reasons people end up with older dogs is because of a surrender issue. Whether your dog came from a friend of the family who just can’t care for her any longer, or from a shelter or some other rescue situation, you may not know a lot about the history of your new friend.
The first step in older dog training is to determine if your dog is housebroken. While this can be one of the biggest challenges when training pups, older dogs may have an advantage or two. They usually have more control over their bladder and have already developed a routine.
In the beginning, give your new dog plenty of chances to go outside, and plenty of love and affection when she does her business where you want her to. The first few days will be very confusing to your new dog, with all sorts of changes in her environment and habits. Even the food she’s eating can play a role in her potty training, so any praise and affection you can give will positively reinforce the teaching.
Obedience training is another area that your new dog may need help in. Depending on the environment she came from, a little or a lot of work may need to be done. You’ll know right away if you need to concentrate in this area, as living with a misbehaving pet can be a challenge for everyone.
There are two ways to approach obedience training. You could enroll your dog in some sort of formal training class with other dogs. There are many options for this route, and some of the advantages are that trained professionals usually conduct these classes and they have a high success rate. They can be a bit expensive though, so you may opt to train the dog yourself.
Remember that just like training puppies, patience needs to be used. While an older dog may be more accepting of training, the environment she came from may play a factor in how quickly she picks up on your commands and intentions. Use plenty of rewards and loads of love and affection and your dog should respond well.
Older dog training can be a challenge, but with patience and consistency you should be able to get your new friend to understand what you expect from her. Older dogs can give many years of rewarding companiopnship.
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