How to Train Older Dogs
Posted on Mar 16, 2008 under Dog Training |Of course, ‘you can’t teach an old dog a new trick’ is a myth. Like humans, dogs learn new things every day throughout life. My ten-year old Golden is still mentally alert and eager to ‘play’ in new ways.
Physical limitations should always be taken into account. The three-year-old dog has a huge capacity for running, jumping, retrieval, obstacle course maneuvers and so forth. The old dog may still want to do all those things, even learning new configurations, but is tired more easily and loses interest more rapidly.
Take training sessions in shorter time chunks and expect to carry out many more repetitions. Make obstacles lower and runs shorter. Throw the ball two or three times, rather than twenty. Hearing loss occurs in older dogs too. Don’t assume they are ignoring you when far away and facing away.
Allow for longer recovery periods between sessions. An active game of fetch is still a possible source of enjoyment. Restrain food rewards for older dogs because they gain weight more rapidly and shed pounds slower.
As with younger dogs, consistency is still essential. Focus more on building on the dog’s existing strengths, since older dogs are less malleable. One individual will be excellent at fetch and release, the other more inclined to hang onto the ball.
The dog more inclined to hang onto a ball is a good candidate for learning to pull a wagon by a rope. The better ‘fetch and release’ dog can more easily be taught to get a plastic food container. Handy things, since trainers get older too.
