Adult dog training might seem like a wearisome task. Unlike puppies, old dogs might have bad habits and this is the reason people do not want to adopt older dogs. However, you can teach any old dog new behaviors and new tricks. Often, people need to train their dogs to make staying with them easier. Training an older dog gives you a chance to build better relationships and help you keep the dog happy and less bored. The training can be easy and fun, follow these tips.
Evaluate Issues That May Affect Adult Dog Training
Take the dog to a veterinary to assess any issues which might affect the training. These may include vision, arthritis, hearing and hip dysplasia. Employ methods that can address the problems like teaching a dog that suffers from arthritis to sit on soft surfaces, use louder voice or hand signals for a dog with hearing problems and avoiding tricks that involve jumping for a dog with hip dysplasia.
Healthy Treats
Obtain many different healthy treats for the dog. Use the treats during training only. Cut these treats to tiny pieces to avoid overfeeding.
Reward Good Behaviors
Begin with the basic commands and reward the behaviors the dog performs, for instance, making eye contact or sit down. Speak one-word cues like “look” and “sit” and give it a treat. After quite a few times, give a command then treat only when it performs one cue. Always keep the training sessions short, a maximum of 15 minutes a session is enough. Do this 2 to 3 times a day.
Create a List of Training Problems
Write down the current behaviors of your dog, for example, housebreaking issues, barking while in a crate or pulling on a leash. List behaviors beginning with most significant and then work on them one by one. As well, create a list of tricks to coach your dog.
Develop a Good Training Plan
Come up with a training program to assist the dog stop bad behaviors. Use methods like stopping if your dog pulls on the leash, feeding the dog in an open crate to connect crating with a good event and taking the dog out often to stop house-soiling. Work on stopping bad behaviors before you start training it for positive ones like crating with the gate closed, heeling or signaling when it wants to go out. Always reward the dog when performing any positive behaviors, for instance, pottying outside and not pulling at the leash.
Teach Simple Tricks
Teach the dog simple tricks like fetch, turning in a circle and shaking hands. Alternate teaching sessions between the tricks and problem areas to help keep the training positive and interesting for your dog. Work on the tricks approximately 5 minutes per session and twice a day.
Develop Realistic Training Goals
Develop sensible training goals for your dog. Your older dog will learn slower and don’t expect it to change temperament. Assume that older adopted dogs perhaps lack house training. So treat them just like puppies. Don’t punish the dog during training sessions. This might make it fear you. Adult dog training requires one to be very patient. Being patient will enable the dog to unlearn bad behaviors and learn positive ones.
