Elderly Dog Training Services: Turning Over a New Leaf
October 1, 2009
It is never too late to teach your old dog new tricks…
Many dog-training services specialize in dog training for elderly dogs. Adult and older dogs, contrary to popular opinion, still have a great ability to concentrate and learn new things. In fact, many leading dog-training services claim that elderly or senior dogs are far easier to train than most puppies. For the past few years, dog trainers are developing separate courses for this purpose.
Old Dogs and Their New Tricks
Older dogs adapt quickly when exposed to new routines, and you will find proper training quickly gives them new skills and abilities you never thought to be possible. This specialized category of dog training not only uses normal training methods but incorporates dog-training exercises to help improve an elderly dog’s quality of life when entering the senior years. Dog injury prevention also plays a large part in these curriculums.
Praise is King
An elderly dog can be taught using incentives, such as small food treats, but they seem to respond to positive reinforcement and praise even better than when using rewards. In the beginning, a trainer will likely praise the elderly dog student as they give the treat, but this is quickly phased out and praise alone becomes sufficient. It seems even our dogs are subject to maturing.
Addressing Problem Behaviors
Preventing behavior problems such as destructive digging and chewing are also taught at an older dog-training course, and for many owners the main reason for enrolling the help of a trainer is to address long-ignored behavioral problems. It’s never too late to address these issues, and finally doing so can cut back on your own stress, especially if the dog has a history of chewing up your favorite dress shoes.
When home, always be sure to manage the dog’s environment in the effort to eliminate distractions that may lead to inappropriate activities or bad behavior. When an elderly dog continues to display inappropriate behavior, take note and address the issue with a professional as soon as possible. Most elderly dog behavior problems are easily resolved in their training class, but sometimes a particular problem or display of bad behavior may be related to medical issues.
Getting to the Root of a Problem
If a medical or physical situation is the cause of these problems, the trainers can usually identify this and will urge an owner to visit their dog’s veterinarian. If the veterinarian rules out physical causes, the trainer will concentrate on this isolated issue and find a way to remedy it. In the rare event that a solution is still not found, most professional dog trainers will be able to advise the owner recommend a licensed dog physiologist or behaviorist located nearby.
Finding Harmony in an Old Relationship
You and your dog have spent a lot of years together, and just like old friends there are likely things about them that get on your nerves. Usually, these have to do with bad habits from their early years, which can be controlled with proper training. So maybe its time to up the ante and calm your own nerves. A good dog training service can do wonders for keeping things civil in your home and not letting a poorly behaved dog stir up old resentments.
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