House Training an Older Dog: Is it Really This Hard?


house training an older dog

House training an older dog, all dogs can be trained, but not in the same way. Their age and character (often depending on their breeds) should thus appear as decisive factors in the choice of a training method.

To the master to determine what is best for his four-legged companion … to share a path with a balanced, affectionate and obedient animal.

House training an older dog

Obedience is paramount: it is not only by necessity (that of the master) that a dog must be trained, but above all by necessity. The hierarchy is natural (not to say vital) for the animal: he must know where his place is and understand that the master, as a dominant, gives orders and obeys.

Wanting to establish a relationship of equality with his dog will result in only one result: an animal at best unmanageable, at worst aggressive, even dangerous.

How to house train an older dog

The first lessons of training must be very short, a few minutes maximum and must be repeated every day. For optimal results, it is best to divide the sessions several times a day.

  • Attention it is important to be diligent, and consistent with other members of the family, because a dog breaks like glass. As the months of training, try to increase timidly the duration of the sessions.
  • Remember to always reward your dog, because reward training is the most effective and you will get what you want. Here’s an article that explains “why and how to reward your dog?”
  • Just like the human being, a dog is constantly evolving until its last hour. Never forget that!

If you have a dog over 5 years old, then do not worry, it is always possible to do something interesting. Do not make a fixation on the voices of some negative people, they do not know what they are talking about.

We will give you a real secret of pros, to succeed the training of an old dog, is to teach him in the complicity and play, ACTION-REWARD are effective at any age,

Potty training older dogs   

house training an older dog

Older dogs are a lot easier than new puppies. On average, it takes a full month to learn how to do on the pot before a puppy learns to the outdoor toilet. When you adopt an older dog, they are already trained! In addition, older dogs are crated and know how to relax in your home without accident. They will also let you know when they need a pot, relieve themselves quickly and return to the living room on the couch. Is it easy?

House training an adult dog – house training an adult dog

The master and the dog are now a team, and work as a team. Attached to his master, the dog is happy to accompany him at every moment of his life: jogging, TV, gardening … The happiness of sharing a little time together, simply!

But if the dog training is now bearing fruit, it should not be that the master relaxes his efforts. Admittedly, the apprenticeship is complete and the adult dog is educated … but it must remain so! And a sociable and well-mannered dog is a balanced dog, who moves and spends himself.

How to housebreak an older dog

The dog enters his senior years in his seventh year. His needs will evolve, according to his constitution and race: he can move more slowly, lose his senses one after another, have, like humans, health problems requiring medical attention …

As with the young puppy, you have to know how to be patient. The older dog is much less alert and active: less inclined to make the four hundred strokes and disobey (and for good reason!), He will prefer a quiet place to enjoy his well-deserved retirement.

House training an older dog without a crate

Unlike puppies and young dogs, old 4-legged friends have already forged bad and good habits and training a dog with a chaotic history can take much more time than a young dog under 12 months old … unless you have an old dog of exception.

Many owners are convinced that it is too late to train a dog over 5 years old and unfortunately this misconception is also a cause of abandonment in our country.

I assure you right now, it’s never too late to train a dog. Whether he is 7 years old or 2 years old and whatever his race, it is quite possible to have a similar training.

But beware, you will have to prepare yourself to spend a lot of time with a lot of patience and perseverance.

Punish your dog

house training an older dog

How to punish your dog when he was disobedient? This is a complex issue because new positive education methods tend to exclude this word, yet punishment is part of the educator’s toolbox, and it is possible to make punishments while remaining positive. Small point on what to do, and not to do.

Punishing your dog is not an insignificant act, so be careful what you do. A bad punishment, given at an inappropriate time, that the dog will not understand, will cause more damage than it is supposed to correct. It is important to reserve punishment at rare times, and to favor other methods (positive reinforcement, desensitization) whenever possible.

When to punish your dog?

The punishment of the dog must therefore be used exceptionally. The punishment is to correct the dog when it does not do what is expected of him, either passively (it does not act as we hear) or active (it acts with undesirable behavior). In the majority of cases, it is much more effective to orient the dog on the behavior to have, and to reward him once this behavior adopted. Indeed, the motivation provided by the reward allows for better learning.

Is it possible to train an older dog?

The answer is YES but I will not lie to you, training is much easier in puppies or young dogs because they are more receptive and assimilate more easily and quickly. That’s why it’s important to start education and training as early as possible.

There is no point waiting for your dog to be an adult to begin his education and training.

House train an older dog: an important step

Why adapt your training?

Because dogs are like humans: they each have their little character (a character that fluctuates according to race, but also age). The dog training method must absolutely be individualized, in order to adapt to the canine behavior of the animal (essential for the dog does not shine).

Certainly, some breeds will learn faster than others and with much more good will … Certainly, it is easier to educate his puppy than to change the bad education of his older dog …

But in the end, all dogs can be trained, as long as we take the time to define the qualities and behavioral traits of each. It is not worth doing long sessions. Only 15 minutes is enough

If dog training age is important to properly educate his pet, his race is also a lot, because while some tend to be zealous in learning, others rather balk at the task !

Each breed of dog has a character of its own, and therefore a training that corresponds to it. It is therefore strongly advised to inquire before choosing a breed over another … or a method of training, if the dog is already at home.

Character, age, race are all criteria to consider before choosing a dog training method over another. A necessary constraint, because a dog who learns while being respected will be a balanced dog.

Conclusion

How to house train an older dog depends on the methods and steps that you take. It takes time and effort but the end result is something to be proud of.

To know more about how to potty train a Rottweiler, check Top Methods on How Do You Potty Train A Puppy Rottweiler.

Share your experience with us. How was it house training an older dog?

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Nada

Welcome to my bio everyone, my name is Nada. Ever since I was little, I have loved animals because they are so loving and kind. All they need is you attention, love, and care but I didn't understand them very well because I didn't get the chance to raise them. Well, That changed when my family and I got our first dog Rocky, a German Shepherd. Rocky was fun and loving with funny quirks. Being loyal and protective of us, he made me see the nature of a German Shepherd. Now, we have another German Shepherd named Mia. She is a wonderful dog and a rescue who just needed a second chance in life. Mia has long grown from being a terrified dog to the brave and caring German Shepherd that she is today. P.S: Here is a picture of our beautiful German Shepherd, Mia.

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