People are bound on the common belief that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This is because change is very difficult to make if a certain habit, practice or behavior has been done constantly over and over for years. Many people believe that this is also true with dogs. People just have this state of mind that it is hard to break certain behaviors that the dog has been doing for a long time; and it is all the more difficult to teach an old dog new tricks because we are of the mindset that it is too old to learn. This could be true in some way, but if you have determination, patience, time and consistency on your shoulders these constraints will not stay with your dog for long. Training an old dog for 15 minutes per day for 15 straight days will break its “closed mind,” says “The Animal Planet.” It further states that within this period, you can already make your dog sit, roll over and other tricks that you want your dog to perform.
Knowing that this is not impossible is already a plus that you should take into consideration, however, the challenge is a reality and it needs you to have an outlook of one who sees the glass as half-full and not half-empty. But its not right to assume that your dog can absorb everything in the time-frame you set. It would not be reasonable to expect that your dog can learn at your pace. The dog’s learning also depends on the amount of effort you put into it.
Training Your Old Dog
To teach an old dog new tricks, you should recognize its previous training before embarking on the changes that you want to inject. After a day’s work, you need to emphasize to the dog that you are pleased with its job by giving it plenty of treats and physical rewards. Do it subtly and nicely. The attempt to change should not be made in a way that confuses your dog. Do it in little steps.
You should remember that when training an old dog, you are actually touching an established pattern that is associated with its previous behavior training. Training an old dog should be made regular and determined in order for you to get results.
When you teach an old dog new tricks, you should consider its individuality, not just your being the alpha leader or its master. Don’t be too harsh on your pet and be easy in dealing with it. Create a bond that will help your training more of an enjoyment rather than a task.
Your dog only responds to a situation you create. The way your dog responds is the exact measure of how you influenced it with your training. Your dog’s learning actually depends on your motivation and persistence or style, perhaps . So if you have an old dog that needs additional skills or behavior improvement, it is not at all too late.
Habits that are hard to break are the ones that people practice, while dogs can break them. You can teach an old dog new tricks that it will surely learn because your dog someone who will teach it how to do the job.