Secrets To Training Older Dogs

When you hear of someone of getting a new dog you probably think of a puppy. But with the growing trend towards adopting dogs from shelters, its just as likely these days that the new dog will be an adolescent, or even an adult dog.

As a dog lover, I applaud this trend and hope that it continues to gain momentum, but it does create some new problems. The main one is the behavior and temperament of the adopted dog. With a puppy you know what you're getting, with an older dog behaviors are already ingrained and may include serious problems, like 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.

Many of these dogs have unfortunate, heart-breaking and even tragic backgrounds. Some have been abused and neglected. They deserve your love, patience and affection. But they don't need, nor want, your pity.

Dogs have an infinite capacity for forgiveness, so address your attention towards creating a home where the dog feels safe and to providing consistent but kind leadership, and gentle training.

The other misconception is that negative training methods are needed to control "difficult" dogs. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Most of these methods, which include things like shock collars and choke chains, have been proven to be ineffective for dog training, and no reputable dog trainer uses them.

No only that, but they can be dangerous. You may be dealing with a dog that was previously abused by these methods, and if so, they dog may well attack you. This treatment of a previously abused dog may also cause other behavioral problems, so there really is no dividend in negative training methods. Just don't do it.

How then, should you approach training an older dog? Well, for starters, appreciate that dogs are receptive to learning at any age. Start with the basics - crate training, and house training (if needed), then move on to basic obedience work. Above all keep it positive and reward-based.

Be mindful that your results will be less predictable than if you were training a puppy, and that you'll need tons of patience and persistence.

Also bear in mind that not all dogs are as easy to train as others. Many factors come into play, such as breed, age and state of health. With an adopted dog there is also the issue of an unknown past life which may have left the dog traumatized and fearful.

But with persistent application you will succed. 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.