![\"Stetson](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/stetson-old-dog-new-tricks-770x578.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOne of my rescues, a sheltie named Lady, didn\u2019t even know how to sit on cue when I adopted her. She was about seven or eight years old when rescued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had been in at least three other placements and knew her name, but that was about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the first commands most people teach their dogs is to sit. New puppy parents are usually so proud when their puppy learns to sit on cue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, no one gave Lady any attention when she was young apparently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lady was the sweetest dog. She loved everyone\u2013and was in heaven when she was petted and told what a good girl she was.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Rescued](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Lady-close-up.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nRescued sheltie Lady paying attention<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After she settled in, we started training. She was a quick study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was so cute when she learned to sit on cue. She didn\u2019t lure back, so I captured the behavior and rewarded it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me as if to say: \u201dI\u2019ve been doing this all my life. I didn\u2019t know I could get a treat for sitting!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Lady](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Lady-sitting-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nLady sitting on cue<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within less than a year of her arrival, Lady learned all 10 exercises to pass the AKC\u2019s Canine Good Citizen test<\/a>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the tests involved sit and down stay, loose leash walking, come, calmly greeting people and dogs, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She even learned tricks and became a therapy dog who accompanied me to a hospital to comfort patients. Lady beamed with pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many reasons to teach an adult or senior dog new behaviors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve just rescued the dog, you may need to teach him even some basic things such as house training. Or if you\u2019ve had the dog for years, he still should keep learning. Reasons include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So there are many reasons to teach your older dog some new obedience cues or behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you can or should teach the dog depends on many factors. You need to take into account his physical and mental health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Older dogs may suffer from joint pain or degeneration, arthitis, vision or hearing loss, or a decline in cognitive function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So have a full vet check-up before beginning a new training program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And ask your vet about any limitations your dog may have so that you can choose the right tricks for his abilities and needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your vet may even recommend a physical therapist for your pup if he needs it for certain physical exercises. Or may even show you how to have your dog stretch prior to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your dog has cognitive decline, ask about what your dog\u2019s limitations\u2013and abilities\u2013are. The same is true of hearing or vision deficits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also have his teeth checked, as older dogs tend to have dental issues, which may affect his abilities to do some tricks such as retrieving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my senior rescue shih tzu Trevor was losing his vision, we still played scent-work type games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I would toss some kibble and treats<\/a> down. And he would happily sniff them out and scarf them down. The game really perked up his spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n Trevor relaxing<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, he was used to being active. When Trevor was younger, he was a therapy dog who loved the attention he received. And he used to go with me to class and was shown in obedience and rally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But by his last few years, those activities were too strenuous for him. So he needed something to do or he would have been very bored and unhappy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So he looked forward to playing \u201cfind it\u201d and other games he was capable of participating in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many ways to keep your dog entertained<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other than the previously mentioned physical and cognitive limitations your dog may have, remember that there are other matters to take into account when deciding on and implementing your training program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 2016 study conducted by the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Clever Dog Lab<\/a>, found that dogs 10 and older took more than twice as long as puppies aged six months to a year old to learn new behaviors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But it found that older dogs did retain behaviors that they knew. So the study found that dogs of all ages retained known behaviors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The study didn\u2019t find any correlation between dog breed and an aging dog\u2019s ability to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But remember that, according to experts such as Stanley Coren, different breeds are able to learn and retain information at different rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He rated <\/strong>some breeds as learning at faster rates and retaining information more readily. These included border collies, German shepherds, poodles, labrador and golden retrievers, rottweilers, and papillons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shih tzus and Lhasa apsos, two breeds that I\u2019ve had for years, are near the bottom of his rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve trained many breeds and mixes over the years. And I pretty much agree with his rankings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But we have to remember that dogs bred for a working purpose\u2013such as herding, hunting, or protection\u2013were bred to work with us and learn certain tasks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And they generally learn more quickly than those bred for other purposes\u2013such as being companions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So my goldens, shelties, and Aussie mix learned obedience commands and tricks pretty quickly without a ton of repetitions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And my shih tzus<\/a> and Lhasa apsos<\/a> took more repetitions and time to learn and retain information. So teaching \u201csit\u201d may take five repetitions for the working breeds and maybe three times that for the shih tzu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But my shih tzus and Lhasas did<\/em> learn and retain <\/em>even very complicated behaviors such as scent discrimination where she had to find a dumbbell I touched amongst others that I didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My shetties Amber, Duffy, and Murphy learned these pretty quickly and within weeks were pretty reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n Murphy demonstrating the sit cue<\/p>\n\n\n\n But my shih tzu China took months to become reliable in finding the right scented dumbbell\u2013especially in new, distracting environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course dog training takes patience. And training an older dog can take more patience than training a younger one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Older dogs can take two times longer to learn new behaviors than younger ones do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So have plenty of time for your sessions. And appreciate your dog for who he is now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course using positive reinforcement is the best way to train. Behaviors that are rewarded will generally be repeated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But what is positive reinforcement really? It involves what your particular dog finds reinforcing.<\/em> And this isn\u2019t always treats<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course most dogs love receiving food rewards. But there are many other ways to reward your pup<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Praise, play, petting, and experiences he likes such as going on a walk or sniffing in your yard can all be used to reinforce your dog\u2019s behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I usually advise starting with treats and praise. Then you can also transition to other rewards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As far as treats go, remember to count them into your dog\u2019s daily calories. Older dogs are often less active and more prone to gaining weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When training my now-senior rescued golden retriever<\/a> Riley, I do much shorter sessions than I used to do. <\/p>\n\n\n Riley sitting<\/p>\n\n\n\n We even used to do half-hour or longer sessions sometimes when he was younger and showing in obedience and rally competitions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He was very energetic and loved learning new things\u2013and making known commands more precise. My vet even called him \u201cthe wild child.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Training gave him some impulse control. And he loves it and we bond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, we may just do two exercises each training session for a few minutes total. I don\u2019t want to wear him out or bore him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Train every day if possible. But keep the sessions short. Take breaks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your dog will learn better if you do three short five-minute sessions than one long half-hour session. Most dogs learn better with short sessions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Senior dogs will generally tire more easily (depending on breed and health) than younger ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So you may teach only one behavior per session at first. It may take a few weeks for him to consistently perform the new trick depending on its difficulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You want to keep your dog interested, not bored. And watch out for signs of exhaustion, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know your dog. So you\u2019ll recognize his limitations. Just stop the session before he disengages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you can do will depend on your dog\u2019s age and physical and cognitive limitations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many basic and advanced behaviors that he can learn. You just need to know his limitations and abilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some tricks that you may want to teach your pup are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can toss about 10 treats and kibble down, scattered, and tell your dog to \u201cfind it.\u201d Or you can hide some in the room and tell him to find them.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Limitations To Take Into Account When Training an Older Dog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Trevor](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Trevor-in-chair.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFactors To Consider When Training an Older Dog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How an Older Dog Learns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Murphy](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/murphy-sit-cue.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHave Patience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reward Desired Behaviors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Riley](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/riley-sit-reward.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nDo Short, Consistent Sessions With Needed Breaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
What Training Exercises Are Best for an Older Dog?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
![\"You](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/old-dog-new-tricks-770x1155.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"