Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
By Kyra Kirkwood
People often mistakenly feel that dogs cresting the senior generation are done deals, unable to learn or modify their behaviors. This simply isn’t true, say experts. In fact, there are many benefits to training an older dog.
When it’s time to train a puppy, you have other issues to deal with: housetraining, teething, constant hyperactivity and curiosity. A senior dog, on the other hand, may not have all the energy of a puppy, but they boast perks their younger counterparts can’t claim.
Senior dogs are mellower, and more apt to focus on you for longer periods of time, making training easier. Having already lived a long life, senior dogs can be more adaptable, accepting of new behaviors and routines with a bit less struggle then their more youthful counterparts. Even if in their younger days your senior dog was a bundle of energy and impossible to train, their golden years may bestow on them a type of serenity that makes training much easier than before.
Besides helping your senior dog to be a well-trained companion, teaching them new tricks has additional health benefits, too. Experts say that exercising the brain keeps senior dogs young. Don’t medical professionals tell senior citizens to do crossword puzzles and other brainteasers to keep sharp and alert? The same goes for senior canines and training allows dogs of all ages to have a purpose and skill. Just because they are advanced in age doesn’t mean they’re not up for some fun.
Some physical limitations may obviously inhibit training a 12-year-old dog versus a 12-week-old puppy. For example, if a dog is arthritic it may be hard for them to reside in a “sit” command for a long period of time, or it may hurt them to walk for long distances. If deafness is an issue, you may need to repeat commands or say things louder to get your dog’s attention. Other health issues that can slow training include mental deterioration and sight deficiencies. As well, more strenuous physical training or tricks can be difficult for the more senior dog to master.
Of course, there are some difficulties when training a senior dog. “Some older canines can become very enmeshed in old habits, making it tougher to change them,” says Robert Kuty, professional animal trainer and owner of San Diego Pet Training. When training their dog, owners need to be consistent, persistent and most importantly patient. “When you go to teach them something new or to alter an old habit, their stubbornness is more willful than your persistence to train them,” says Kuty. “Point being, once you commit yourself to the training, always follow through with it.”
Keeping physical and mental conditions in mind, training a senior dog should still follow the basic rules of training: positive reinforcement, consistency, and time limits. They just have to be adjusted slightly to accommodate your senior dog’s condition.
Positive reinforcement: Always reward your dog, be it with happy words or high-value treats/toys, when they do the desired action. A combination can work wonders with many senior dogs. Use a calm, authoritative tone when issuing commands, and a happier, perkier voice when praising. You may have to speak a bit louder if your senior dog is hard of hearing, but the tone is still the same.
Consistency: By using the same command (for example, using “off” not “down” when you want to stop them from jumping on people) each time, your dog will identify the request with the desired action. If you don’t want them on the bed or begging from the table, don’t let them ever get away with it, not even “just this once.” If you make the rules known, and stick to them, you are helping your dog learn the ropes and setting them up to succeed.
Time limits: Keep training times short, no more than 10 minutes. Maintain a happy environment. Once it gets stressful, even the mellowest senior dog is going to react negatively.
But what about the senior dog that once was a model of canine composure that now acts like a forgetful, destructive puppy? “Senior dogs can regress if we, the owners, don’t regularly reinforce the training,” said Kuty. “You can always take a refresher obedience class to jump start yourself. The good thing is with a little refresher, you and your best friend will be back at it in no time.”
All dogs are individuals, and that means there is no one-size-fits-all prescription for training a senior dog. “Training any dog, old or young, has countless advantages,” says Kuty, “A few examples are the bond you form with them, respect for each other, trust, confidence, and a sense of pride.”
Even without previous training, senior dogs can still learn new behaviors. Just because a dog is old doesn’t mean your dog doesn’t require physical and mental exercise. “It doesn’t matter how old your pooch is as long as [they] are mentally and physically sound,” said Kuty.
Kyra Kirkwood is an Orange County, California-based freelance writer specializing in dog reporting. Visit her website at www.kyrakirkwood.com.
