The Common-sense Dog: You can teach them new tricks
By STEPHANIE VICHINSKY
The Commonsense Dog
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
I’m not sure who said this originally, but I suspect he/she was not very knowledgeable about dog psychology, behavior, or learning patterns.
Unfortunately, many people still believe this to be true, and even go as far as thinking if the dog has not been fully trained sometime within the first year of life that the dog can no longer learn new things.
When you move into a new home, does your 6-year-old dog learn where to potty at that new home? When you change the sound of your doorbell, does your 3-year-old dog learn that it still means someone is at the door?
Does your 10-year-old dog learn that snapping when someone touches their painful spots creates space and makes said person stop touching? Does your 2-year-old dog learn that digging under the fence gets them closer to the dog next door? Does your 4-year-old dog learn that you always feed it at the same time and pesters you like crazy when that time comes?
Does your 7-year-old dog that has never heard a gunshot learn that it is startling? Does your 9-year-old dog avoid the dog dish after being stung by a bee while eating? Does your 12-year-old, overweight dog learn exactly where the air conditioning vents are located on the floor and lie on top of them year-round? Does your 5-year-old husky learn that the ice maker is a magical thing after you feed it the first ice cube from the new refrigerator? Does your 8-year-old dog learn that running from the new vacuum is a lot better than confronting it?
See what I’m trying to say?
The concept that dogs stop learning at a year old (or any other age) would essentially guarantee their extinction. No different than people, dogs survive by consistently adapting to their environment, which means they are in a constant state of learning.
If you have an older dog that struggles with obedience, simple tasks like going in and out of the dog door or walking on leash, or even learning a new trick you want to try, examine your technique before dismissing the dog. Very often we send mixed signals and the dog struggles to interpret what we’re actually trying to teach them. Teaching older dogs new things also requires patience because as dogs grow older (just as with humans) they develop habits, and the deeper those habits are, the longer it takes to change them.
Take the time to learn how to communicate with your older dog, have patience, teach the obedience, teach the tricks, teach the loose leash, and above all, enjoy the bonding time with your dog! Your hard work won’t go unrewarded.
Happy Training!
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Stephanie Vichinsky is owner/head trainer at Method K9 in Post Falls.