How Do I Train My Older Dog
There is a saying that has besieged elderly canines for many years . This saying, 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' is a fantasy . Many species, including humans, absorb new things never confronted before. Everyday like humans, dogs learn new things throughout their life. Even my ten-year old Yellow Lab is still intellectually clever and craving to learn in new ways. He relaxes on his new sofa dog bed more than usual, but is still very thirsty to learn.
comprehending new behaviors and tricks is sometimes as laborious as unlearning old tricks. Take golf for example, its more challenging to unlearn an unbalanced swing then it is to be educated the correct way the first time. Dogs thrive when they have a routine. Changing that routine after years of repetition takes much more time and composure . Trying to get my old lab to do 'high five' was simple , but when i try to get him to do 'shake' all he wants to do is 'high five'. It requires a lot of focused instruction and redirection of old routines.
Depending on your dogs age, physical limitations could hurt your canine's ability to be taught new tricks. A two-year-old canine has the greater ability for retrieval, jumping, running, or obstacle course maneuvers . The older canine , though able and eager in it's younger years, may still desire to do all those things, but tires more easily and becomes distracted more often. If you're going to teach your old dog new tricks, you're going to need to provide the canine with sufficient dog bedding for faster recovery of long sessions of instruction .
Training sessions with your older canine should be for only small lengths of time with as many repetitions as possible . If you have obstacle courses make them smaller and jumps lower. If you're taking your canine for runs make them shorter. If you toss the ball twenty times normally , only throw it a few times. The concept here is to make the excercises and teaching less strenuous and more engaging . You want to keep your older canine attentive and not let them drain focus because they are too tired .
Always give your canine the opportunity to recover from a training session. Let the canine have a longer time to rest between sessions. Be sure not to forget that all canines want to satisfy their trainer so much that they will jeopardize their own body to do it. Be aware of your canine's signs of fatigue and never push them too much .
Food rewards have always been a positive motivator for any dog . This is still true for elderly canines , but only in moderation . We may want to reward our older canine for comprehending a new behavior, but elderly canines can easily be 'over treated'. They collect weight more quickly and shed pounds slower due to an older metabolism.
We all know the saying, location, location, location for the real estate industry . The almost exact saying goes for teaching canines , consistency, consistency, consistency. If you change the routine in which you execute a trick the canine will become confused or begin compromising tricks and behaviors together. Be specific with the time of day you teach your dog tricks. Train them in one area of your lawn and play with them in another. Similar areas for specific activities help maintain an idea of familiarity as a foundation for new lessons. For example, when you grab the dogs leash, does he/she not incorporate that with a walk or car ride? Grab Gather a stick for playtime and grab a tennis ball for lesson time. The canine will still think its having fun but will know the difference in how much focus is needed for the task at hand.
Always try to focus more on improving on the canine's existing strengths, since elderly canines are less adaptable and the teacher more easily discouraged. One canine will be excellent at fetch and release, the other does well with a Frisbee. The point is, rather than push desired behavior, work with each dog's special strengths. Remember, consistency, and enjoy many more years with your elderly dog .
