Teaching an old dog new tricks

    • Puppy

    Teaching an old dog new tricks

    Does anyone have any tips for teaching an old dog new tricks? Admittedly, when our dog was a puppy, I was super hyper with her. And now (she's three years old), while she's very friendly, she's a little "too" friendly with strangers and jumps on them when she meets them. Anybody have any tips?

    • Gold Top Dog

    I dont know what size dog you have but my 60lb lab used to do this.  It requires finding a method that works and sticking with it for repitition.  I am not a trainer but my boys react very well to routine and repitition.  I would hold my hand  out open face (like the symbol for stop)  At the same time I use a "uh-uh" type sound.  This is very effective for my boys.   No yelling, no yanking on collars or leashes and no treats for doing well.  I do compliment the boys when they do as they are told.  A "good boy" goes a long way in our household

    • Moderators
    • Gold Top Dog

    Hi, I would recommend finding a good obedience class that always helps. Also, no praise or affection until she is calm. Dogs are never too old to learn. Make her sit before anyone pets her and start practicing only giving praise when she is calm. Eventually she will figure it out...Good luck

    • Gold Top Dog

    Yep -- everything they both said ...

    Contact your local SPCA or community college -- often they have short, inexpensive dog training classes that can be a great starting point.  

    The "older" a dog gets the MORE they will get out of a class!  Because at 3, your dog already knows a lot about what you want ... and the dog is mature enough to be able to focus.  But more than that a class can do a lot to teach *you* what to do and what not to do.

    There's something about a "class" that signals to a dog "Ok -- we're doing something NEW here -- and no matter what you've done before, we're doing it THIS way now ..." and it helps.