DH wants to get our dog trained before we move but I think he is too old! He is almost 5....
Has your "older" pet taken obedience classes? Did it help?
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Unless your dog has a physical limitation, there is no reason why you can't train him/her. We did basic manners classes with our dogs when they were under 1 year. We had to get a specialist for my oldest dog when she was 6 years for a barking issue that cropped up. She responded beautifully to the training and it was very successful. You may need to put more practice into it since your dog has been doing one thing for the past 5 years and you are now wanting to change it but consistency is key and working with your dog makes all the difference.
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Aww, my dog is 5 and the vet did make a whispered comment that she's middle aged now.
But that doesn't mean they can't learn things! Not at all! She still surprises me by learning commands that I haven't even tried to teach her. Like over the past month or two she decided she wanted me to say "okay" before she could jump on the bed or sofa. And I don't know how she figured out that "get back" means to stop running around the front seat of the car and jump in the back.
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Depends on the breed, I think! Smaller/medium sized dogs age differently then large/draft breeds, and even then it can be breed dependent!
Also dog dependent, my dog the keen, eager to please goof he is, will likely still be training then quite keenly, a dog more aloof and independent might take a bit more work and patience, with perhaps lesser "results".
What type of training do you want or behaviour are you looking to modify?
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You can teach an old dog new tricks
It probably is a good idea before you have 2 little ones running around!
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@Beebug: He is very aggressive with all male visitors and humps all of our female friends. He also pees in the house even though he goes on regular walks. DH is afraid he will mark up our new carpet when we move.
Can he be saved?
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@autumnlove: I'm assuming your dog is neutered, correct? If not, that may be a contributing factor to those issues.
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@pelikila: Yes, he is neutered!
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@autumnlove: Oye! I would definitely say stuff like that can always be "fixed", or at the very least improved. I am a big fan of leashing the dog to you to correct some issues and then you are able to correct all three of those things more diligently, it's a pain, but a start, I would take away his freedom around the house that he is clearly abusing! Tying him to you will reinforce you (or your DH) are the leader's as well....and not him, which I would guess with the humping/dominating and peeing in the house he may have issues with
Allows you to correct behaviour right away, and not give him distance to either engage in the unwanted behaviour or get away to evade correction!
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@autumnlove: I'm wondering if having a trainer/behaviorist come to your home and work with him would be better than an obedience class. A class may teach him to follow basic commands, but you're looking to change certain patterns of behavior and a trainer could spend more time with just him in his environment.
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@spaniellove: I think that would be better than group classes at the park...but it costs a lot more!
DH is going to email a few dog specialists!
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There is still time, he is salvageable!!
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@Beebug: thanks for the tips! I hope we get him to improve before baby 2 arrives! He nipped my dad when they stayed with us after LO was born. BTW- I have a shih tzu...I heard they are stubborn!
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@autumnlove: It's worth the extra cost! I hope it all works out!
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I had training with our two dogs before DD came. One was 6.5 and the other was 5 at the time of the training. They might be a little more set in their ways as they get older, but still very capable of learning
Good luck!
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@BabyBoecksMom: awesome! They look so sweet with your LO!
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5 is definitely not over the hill! For most dogs, 5 is either middle aged or younger- unless you've got something HUGE like a Great Dane. Think about it like a middle aged person- sure, you probably learned better when you were a little kid, but does that mean that by the time you hit your 30's or 40's you're totally done and will never ever change or learn new things again? Of course not! Dogs are similar.
We actually brought our dog home at age 5, and we were able to potty train him (he was not housebroken at all), train him to walk appropriately on a leash, and teach him some basic commands (sit, stay, lie down). The fact that he didn't learn more than that is due to my training more than anything else- I just never saw the need to add in more since he did just fine with what he knew.
If your dog is very aggressive and humps people, he might need more than just a standard dog trainer (though it's a good place to start). There are actually certified animal behaviorists and veterinarians with behavioral specialties out there. They're less common and likely more expensive than a regular trainer (after all, you're paying for a real expert), but if the training dead ends they can be a good resource to look for.
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I forgot to add this resource which might be helpful. Dr. Sophia Yin is a veterinarian and animal behaviorist with a really solid training program called the Learn to Earn program. If you browse around the site, she has articles about training aggressive dogs, too. I think you start with tethering them to yourself and teaching them manners, and move on to other things from there.
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@LittleFox: Thank you for your tips!
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DH is having a dog behaviorist come over tomorrow. He gave DH some tips and told him we need to eliminate wheat and corn in his diet and he needs to be crated at night. We will learn more tomorrow!
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There are grain free foods at Petco and Pet smart. I think Natural Balance makes one, as well as Innova, Merrick, Canidae, Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, and others. Plenty will say "grain free" right on the bag or can, so they can be easy to spot. They tend to cost a bit more, but sometimes you can feed less than a food with more fillers so it can balance out.
But that doesn't mean they can't learn things! Not at all! She still surprises me by learning commands that I haven't even tried to teach her. Like over the past month or two she decided she wanted me to say "okay" before she could jump on the bed or sofa. And I don't know how she figured out that "get back" means to stop running around the front seat of the car and jump in the back.
Good luck!
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