Older Dogs And Obedience Training
One of the largest misconceptions about older dogs relates to the adage that "you can't teach an ancient dog new tricks." Contrary to well loved opinion, where obedience training is concerned, this is completely fake. It's just that an older dog has to be handled carefully and the training procedure needs to be altered slightly. Obedience training tends to be both mentally and physically demanding, and not just of the dog. The norm with training any aged dog mandates that you have a lot of patience, but an older dog will oftentimes require even more of that virtue.
It isn't so much a fact of the dog's age affecting the success of the training as it is the method or technique that is used. Certain aspects of the procedure may have to be altered based on factors such as eyesight and hearing. Remember that hand signals as well as verbal commands need to be clear and concise. So if the dog's eyesight and hearing are anything less than perfect, certain adjustments will have to be made to those methods and techniques being employed.
Bear in mind that the training does not have to be perfect in every aspect, so if it becomes necessary for that training period to be extended beyond the norm, so be it. What is vital is that you never stop the process until the dog has completed the training. One of the most critical areas requiring patience on behalf of the trainer is the animal's reaction time to those commands and signals. Oftentimes, the trainer perceives that the dog is deliberately reacting slowly and this is not the case in most instances.
Remember that as a dog ages, their movement and reaction times slow down - a normal part of the aging process. Additionally, if the dog is suffering with arthritis, this will also hinder their mobility. You need not only be patient, but exercise some flexibility as well, because if any reaction to a command causes the dog pain, they will be less receptive to responding to it. For instance:
" If the dog experiences difficulty sitting, you should avoid giving the command to "sit."
" If getting up from the laying position or walking become painful, then try to find a softer surface for the dog to be trained on.
Just remember that most dogs will take a small bit longer to get up once you have issued the "sit and stay" command, so give them a few extra seconds to "heel."
Here are some additional considerations where an older dog is concerned:
" though the condition can occur in younger dogs, older dogs have more of a tendency to develop cataracts
" the so-called "experts" would have you believe that mixed breeds outlive pure breeds - there is no clear evidence to support this hypothesis
" hookworms are a malady that is much more prevalent in older dogs than younger ones, and the dog's well-being has everything to do with how susceptible they can be
" they are now experimenting with canine organ transplantation, but these are very costly operations
" there is more of a tendency for older dogs to shed versus younger dogs
