It's pretty obvious where the saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" came from. In reality, this saying is probably more accurate for people than it is for dogs. Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks, but good luck with teaching grandpa.
"Old" is a relative word. What's old to some dogs is not old to other dogs. Generally speaking, you can train a dog of any age. Sure, dog training might be a little tougher with a dog that's 8 years old than it is with a dog that's 3 years old, but it's probably more of a challenge for the dog's trainer than it is for the dog.
The fact is, most people get rid of dogs because of dog obedience problems. Every dog needs basic obedience training[/tag], and if you're not spending time training your dog, even your older dog, your neglecting your responsibility as a pet owner.
So how can you teach an old dog new tricks? With patience and persistence. Without getting into actual dog training techniques, let me tell you a story...
A man in North Carolina had a dog for 7 years. The dog had NEVER been inside the man's house. Never! It just lived outside, roaming the property, sleeping in his dog house for 7 years.
One day, the man died, so the his niece decided to take care of the dog. The dog was a mutt, by the way. She took the dog into her house and after 6 weeks of consistent training the dog was completely housebroken and had learned to sit on command.
So, yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks.
| Alex Page has been a happy pet owner for nearly 30 years. He enjoys helping pets and pet owners have the best relationship possible. He is currently a key article contributer to 123-pet.com, a site dedicated to discussing all things about pets such as dog training techniques, correcting dog behavior problems, and cat and dog products. |
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