It’s an old adage that an old dog cannot be taught new tricks. However, this adage is incorrect and new dogs can indeed be taught new tricks!
The most important tools are patience, time, and lots of treats and praise.
There are benefits to teaching older dogs tricks including a longer attention span and having a more
established relationship. Dogs that have a great relationship with their owner are more willing to work and learn. A good tip is to make sure to train a dog before eating meals (a full dog is less likely to want treats!).
Some Tips of Training
One of the most important rules to establish is eye contact. Eye contact is one of the ways to establish trust and for a dog to realize they have fulfilled the command that the owner has asked. First, the dog should be sitting in front of you. Use “high dollar” treats (hot dog slices, lunch meat, chicken, cheese, etc). First, allow the dog to smell and see the treat. The owner will then slowly move the treat up the corner of his or her eye.
When the dog’s eye meets yours give the treat. This process can be repeated Use the cue “watch” or “look” right before the treat is moved to the corner of the eye,
Clicker Training
Clicker training is an easy way to help dogs learn that they’ve done a good job and can serve in place of a treat. Clicker training uses a small little device that makes a little click like noise after the dog performs the desired action followed by a treat. The clicker noise serves as “mark.” The way clicker training works is to first introduce the dog to the idea of the marker. The owner can have one trainer in the hand and the treat in the other hand.
The owner can click the clicker and when the dog turns or responds to the sound then the
owner gives them a treat.
When training, such as teaching sit, after giving the command, “sit” then owner
will then click and give the treat. The sound of the clicker can eventually phase out treats.
Teaching Sit!
If the dog has not had any kind of training the best kind of training are the simple tricks or obedience basics.
The first and easiest to teach is of course sit! The owner can choose the word for sit (some choose the word in a different language or a signal)
First, be sure the dog is in a quiet space with few distractions. For early training sessions use “high dollar treats such as sliced up hot dogs, pieces of chicken, beef, or other types of treats.
The treat should be held above the dog’s head and done in an L-shape motion and the dog’s bottom
will naturally go down towards the floor. If the dog’s bottom does not touch the floor, the owner can gently push the dog’s bottom down. The moment the dog’s rear touches the ground, say “sit”
and reward with a treat. Once the dog begins to master the command in first spot, the owner
needs to try the command in different spots and begin to phase out the treat and use more praise.
The dog needs to practice the command outside (leashed) as well.
The owner can still occasionally offer a treat for performing the command.
Respect the Dog’s Limits
The best thing an owner can do it to be sure that he or she knows his or her dog well and building a trusting relationship. It is best to keep training sessions short, , about ten to fifteen minutes. If a dog does not want to engage in a training session, the owner should not force him or her to do so. Of course, a dog that is ill will not want to engage in training sessions. Some breeds are higher energy in nature, even in older age and can have more vigirous training sessions. Keep in mind that it can take several repetitions for a dog to remember a command depending on the complexity, breed (some breeds learn very quickly), and age. Many dogs learn best with not only verbal commands cue as well.