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Teach Your Old Dog New Tricks
If you adopted a rescue dog and you wonder if it’s possible to teach your old dog new things? Yes you can! It’s more than possible!
The key is to teach your dog in small steps just as you would with a new puppy. Adult dog have likely learned many things. so when you begin teaching them they are not only starting to learn new things, but they are unlearning what they already know.
Dogs are smart and they love to learn, and learning builds confidence too! So where did the old adage came you can’t teach old dogs new tricks come from? It came from a time when dogs were mainly working animals used for things like hunting or herding sheep. Then, once a dog lost the ability to do his job, sadly that this was marked the end of life for many a dog.
Today though there are working dogs, our canines are so much more to us. They are our best friends and family that fill our lives with love and joy.
And, we happily do whatever it takes to keep them well from puppy to senior. We cuddle them, walk with them and we can keep their brain active as they age. One way is teaching the dogs tricks just as we do when we are eliminating bad habits when they are puppies.
Why Teach Your Adult Dog Tricks Important
One example is say that you adopted a adult shelter or rescue dog. Many of these beautiful rescue dogs came to be ‘rescued’ for reasons such as abuse and neglect. This means that many of these dogs never got their most basic needs met. But now that yous beautiful rescue dog can relax while you care for him. He will be probably enjoy learning a few of the basics.
Getting Started with Teaching Old Dogs New Things
The first thing you want to do is acclimate your dog to his new home. Let him get comfortable for a few days before getting started with some basic commands. Once you and your feels ready then its time to work on teaching your dogs new tricks. However, it’s not as hard as you think.
Training Improve Brain Health in Older Dogs
Before we get into the meat and potatoes, it’s important to be aware of any underlying health concerns with your dog.
Especially in some older dogs. As they may have sight or hearing impairment that may mean taking a new approach when teaching him new tricks. If your dog came with little history then a vet check will give you a lot of answers, such as; hearing loss, breed, emotional issues, poor vision, cognitive issues, and bone health that will help as a baseline for wellness.
Getting Your Dog to Focus
Once you’ve ascertained whether or not your dog is healthy enough to go through some training with you, it’s time to get started. If your dog has attention issues, start with a brisk walk or run to get the zoomies out. This encourages relaxation and focus in your dog.
Patience is Key to Teaching Older Dogs Things
According to studies, older dogs may take twice as long to grasp new things, even though they are thought to have a higher capacity for logical thinking and reason.
Before teaching your dog new tricks get into the right space for your canine to learn. Make sure that you are relaxed and then pick a quiet time when training or teaching your dog. This way neither you, nor your dog fees any pressure. This way you’ll not get rushed so you can maintain the necessary patience.
Follow a positive method and be sure to practice little and often. Don’t force him or get discouraged, lot, just pick training back up a bit later on. Oh, and don’t forget to give a little healthy reward, that way he knows he’ll be in for treats next time.
Use Treats for Teaching
Using treats, especially something they really love, are excellent for building an effective reward system. By offering your old dogs reward they’ll associate you teaching new tricks with their canine goodies.
Limit the Time When Teaching Older Rescue Dogs
It’s also very important to remember to take breaks when needed. Remember, if you’re teaching your adult pup to play fetch or to roll over, it’s supposed to be amusing and fun. And not an activity that is exhausting.
If you see any signs of your dog being ‘over it’, like drooping ears, excessive panting or yawning and general distraction, maybe give his training a break for the day. These signs are particularly important to be aware of in your rescue dog, as their threshold for new stimuli is lower than that of a dog that’s been in a stable environment.
Far from impossible!
Remember that your rescue dog will feel anxious at first. He’ll need some time to get used to his new surroundings and build up comfort and trust in you, so don’t fire the cannons right away. Introduce a new command or trick only after the first one has been mastered.
Teach Your Dog New Things With Brain Training for Dogs
Brain training is an effective way to increase your dog’s ability to pay attention to you! You dog will learn fun ways to lear how to do new things. In addition to increasing your brain health while building their confidence. As a dog parent you will learn the best games to play with your dog. You will know the noises that dogs respond to and when to give them a reward.
Brain training is a best selling course that if affordable and fun for both your and your dog. I highly recommend it and you can check it out here. > BrainTrainingforDogs<
Concluding Teaching Your Old Dog New Things
When teaching your older dogs new things be sure to focus on one thing at a time. Learning something new can be overwhelming! So, being consistent with training times and duration, will help. Along with speaking in a positive and gentle tone to your dog.
Like I said, this is supposed to be fun! It’s bonding time with your dog and reinforcing a strong connection between you two.
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Visit the Best Dog Online Training Program and See Their Courses
Our favorite: The Dunbar Academy Training Program. If you want a happy and obedient dog, this is one of the best online dog training programs available today! You can get the first month free using dunbar.info/RescueDogHappiness <
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