Can You Teach Old Pets Dog Tricks?

The saying " You can't teach an old dog new tricks" has been made popular by an Englishman named John Fitzherbert. It was written on his book called the " The Book of Husbandry". It was published in 1534. If you have read the book, his exact words were" The dogge must lerne it, whan he is a whelpe, or els it will not be: for it is harde to make an olde dogge to stoupe."

 

This popular saying left a huge question mark in a lot of pet owner's mind. The question and challenge is how to teach an older pet dog tricks.

Trainers' take on training a dog is pet owners should have their pet dogs trained before they reach a year old. This is, according to them, perfect for dog training seeing that the dog's personality at this stage are not fully set yet. They are still malleable so they can easily be taught.

Experts say that there is really nothing much you can do in changing your dog's unique personality when he reaches full maturity. The task of changing an anxious and fearful dog to a confident one is next to impossible. However, there is still a way to teach your dog to modify its behavior and how he responds to a particular situation.

The trick is consistency. This is the key to successfully training your pet dog, whatever age he may be at, whether he is still a puppy or an old dog. Consistency plays a huge role in successfully training your dog even as simple as letting him come on your side whenever he is called or rolling over when he is told so.

Whether you have a puppy or an older dog, pet training is all about reinforcing the behavior of your pet. In order to make the training a success, you need to impose rewards such as giving your dog a treat should they obey and responds to your command. As you go along and continuously associate them with such tricks, in the long run they will get used to the behavior and will perform even without rewards. This is the best way to reinforce the behavior of your dog. It is also worth taking note that the treats should be given right after he has responded to your command for efficient results.

If you have a pet who has an unwanted behavior like excessive barking and soiling anywhere they please, pet training would be very ideal for them.

More than being a source of entertainment at social gatherings, having your dog trained gives you two advantages as the owner. First, you get the mind of your dog stimulated so they become more alert and agile. As for you, this can improve your bonding with your pet.