Advice And Secrets for Training An Older Dog
There was a time when someone wanting to adopt a dog almost always went for a puppy. These day's though, it's just as common for a prospective dog owner to adopt an adolescent or fully grown dog from the local dog shelter.
This is a laudable trend and one that I hope with continue to grow but it does raise some issues. For example, unlike a puppy that can be taught patterns of behavior, older dogs come with established ways of being, and sometimes with major behavioral problems like anxiety and aggression.
In many cases, the dog soon finds himself back at the pound, and the owner is left with guilt and regret. But it doesn't have to come to this because, with the right method, consistently applied, just about any dog can be trained.
Before you begin with training though, there are two beliefs you need to eradicate. The first is that the dog needs, or deserves, your pity.
It's a sad reflection on our society that many of these dogs have been beaten, mistreated and abused, but unfortunately you can't change that. What you can do is provide love, care and affection. You can show them that not all humans are like those that have hurt them. But pity plays no role in this.
Dogs are quite willing to forgive and forget, so focus your energy instead on creating a stable environment, and providing consistent leadership and positive training.
The other mistaken belief is that the way to train a "difficult" dog is to make him comply by using force. This is a lie, plain and simple.
Barbaric methods like choke chains and shock collars have no place in modern dog training. No responsible trainer uses them and if one so much as suggests you do, take your dog elsewhere.
These methods are possibly the worse thing you can do with an aggressive dog. Effectively what you're doing is approaching an already aggressive animal with violence, and that my friend, is just asking to be bitten. So don't ever use violent training methods with any dog.
What approach should you take? Start with the basics, crate training, potty training if required and then some obedience work. Keep it positive and reward based with lots of praise and treats, and remember that dogs can learn at any age.
You'll need to be patient and persistent because your dog will already have established behaviors and will likely be more difficult to influence than a puppy.
Also keep in mind that dogs are individuals. Breed, age and other factors all affect trainability, but even within the same breed there are variances of personality. With a dog that has been adopted there's also the added complication of past events influencing how the dog reacts.
But with persistent application you will succeed. Need a role model? Well Frank Inn, the famous Hollywood dog trainer found virtually all his star performers (including Higgins, the dog who played Benji), at dog shelters.
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