Older dogs are no less susceptible to training than their younger fellows. Yes, it’s more difficult for them to change old habits and learn something new, but they still do need training.
During training sessions, a dog thinks actively and makes decisions. It is safe to say that training a senior dog is a great way to prevent them from dementia and an opportunity to prolong their life.
Senior dog training is almost the same as training younger ones. We say “almost” because there are still some peculiarities.
5 rules of senior dog training
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Carefully monitor your dog’s state and don’t overwhelm them. If you see that your pet is tired or feels unwell, end the training session.
- Remember that it takes a senior dog more time to master a skill or learn a command. Give them the time they need.
- Don’t be too pushy and explain new things to your senior dog carefully. If your dog doesn’t seem to remember a command, just postpone it for a while.
- When coming up with what you want to teach your dog, always take their physical capabilities into account. Not all the tricks available to young dogs can be performed by the senior ones.
- Train your older dog in short blocks several times a day. The same model goes for puppies.
In other aspects, training a senior dog does not differ from training a young one. So, contrary to a popular saying, it is quite possible to teach an old dog new tricks.
