Teaching an old dog new tricks
Everyone has heard the old saying, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. Here at Animal Friends, we want to prove that this isn’t true, and with the right amount of patience, plus a little bit of direction, you can have your old boy impressing everyone with his newly learned behaviour skills.
Where to start
With older dogs, you should always assume that they have already been trained, even if it is incorrectly. A dog that has grown with a different owner will already think it knows how to act in certain situations, and what is deemed ‘good’ or ‘bad’ behaviour – with rehomed dogs this is especially important, as you must first understand how the dog will react to different stimuli. In this regard, positive reinforcement is the only way to train an older dog, as punishment for an action which you see as incorrect may confuse the dog when all it is trying to do is what it has learned is ‘favoured’ behaviour. With positive reinforcement, you convince the dog it is more rewarding to replace one way of acting with the behaviour you want them to have.
Start the training in a place where you and your dog are comfortable, such as your garden, or even your home if there is space. Have your dog’s favourite treat, and if it is quite large cut it into smaller pieces – you will need a number of treats so that continued reinforcement can be given. With each command given, take the time to allow your dog to respond, and reward when the desired action is undertaken. There is no point in shouting or punishing a dog – simply the withholding of the favourite treat will allow the dog to understand that doing what you want will be rewarding. Use verbal praise every time the dog undertakes the given command, as you will eventually want the dog to respond favourably without the need for a treat.
What are you teaching? What are the limits?
Remember that whilst teaching your dog can be done at any age, there will be limits to what is actually possible to learn. An older dog will be less able to perform jumps and even flips on command compared to younger animals, so scale your expectations. Sit, stay, lie down and even roll over are simple commands that are easily within understanding of even the oldest dogs, and through these you can progress to slightly more complex commands, such as the popular ‘play dead’ or ‘bang (you’re dead)’ where the dog rolls onto his back once the command is given. Remember to take things slowly, as this kind of training is new and different to how your dog is already acting.
When trained a rehomed dog, ensure first that the dog is comfortable in your presence and responds to you positively – trying to train the dog before it is settled may cause more stress than is necessary. Finally, remember that patience really is key when training any dog, so only go as fast as your dog wants to, and before long you will see some remarkable changes.
Older dogs can become more prone to illness and accidents, so make sure they are protected with pet insurance to help cover those costly vet fees. Animal Friends offers a wide range of comprehensive cover to suit you, so call us on 0845 55 70 300 or email us at info@animalfriends.co.uk to ask how we can help you protect your friend today.
