Can Older Dogs Be Trained?

As the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Is that true? Partly true but not impossible task.

An older dog will take a lot more training and dedication from its handler than a younger dog will. Basically, an older dog’s mind is a lot more “set” in his ways. An older dog has passed that crucial period in his life that influences what he will behave when he’s older. Therefore, he thinks he knows how to behave. Trying to teach him other ways to behave can take a lot of time and effort.

How to Teach Basic Commands to Older Dogs

It is not impossible but you can’t train an old dog like you train a puppy. You have to be a little bit stricter on an older dog because they have a lot more intelligence than a puppy and know how to drive you round the bend. An older dog will more likely do something if he thinks its his idea rather than yours. For example if he goes to sit , say sit and then praise him. He will think it was his idea and if you keep on repeating this process, sooner or later you will have him sitting on command. This process will work for many of the commands, like fetch, come, stay and heel.

Some Dogs are Just Plain Stubborn

In saying that you may find that your older dog is particularly easy to train, some dogs have a streak of stubbornness which means they do not train as easily as others but some are a lot more susceptible to training methods. Training an older dog will be difficult but bad habits need to be broken and long term habits need to be stopped. Your dog will thank you for it in the end and the end result will be well worth the trouble.

Get Professional Dog Training Help

Training an older dog can be a grueling task but try to make the training fun and interesting. Here’s are some places and ideal to help you make training easier

• Joining a class (not puppy kindergarten, for adult dogs).
• Get some support from family or friends.
• Invest in some training books and products like toys and treats.
• Go for training school like clicker training school for adult dogs.
• Hire one-on-one dog trainer.

One thing for sure is that the bond between you and your dog will grow and become inseparable once you trained him well or things he needs to know.