3 New Tricks Your Dog is Never Too Old to Learn

There’s an old saying that says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. While often used figuratively, it may lead you to believe that it was born out of a literal fact. But, like a lot of other old sayings, this one is far from the truth.

Aged as he may be, you can still teach your old canine friend new tricks. In fact, doing so is a great way to spend some quality time together and can even help keep your furry pal mentally stimulated.

To help you out, this article contains information about the different conditions you must know about before training your senior pet and three easy tricks to teach him.

What to Consider Before Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

When planning to teach an old dog new moves, there’s one important thing you must remember: his capabilities. Like humans, dogs tend to experience limitations as they age. And while they may be perfectly able, it is best to consider the following factors before proceeding with his training:

Physical Limits

Older dogs tend to experience arthritis and joint pain, making it more difficult to perform certain movements. This can include jumping, lying down, or even sitting for extended periods.

When deciding on what trick to teach him, be sure to choose those that promote slower and less repetitive movements.

Dental Issues

Some dogs may also experience dental problems that can limit the tricks they can do with their mouths. If there is any injury during practice, these probiotics for dogs can be helpful.

Hearing and Vision Problems

With age, dogs may also have issues with their hearing or vision. This will change not just the moves you can teach them but also the manner at which you perform the training.

Mental Limitations

Sometimes, dogs also experience cognitive problems when they grow older. Some may forget behaviors they learned in the past; others may develop anxiety and changes in their sleeping patterns.

So, when training him to do something new, make sure you extend your patience and maintain compassion for your furry pal. Doing this can help ease the changes he’s experiencing. Even better, seek help from a vet to see what types of training can boost his mental health.

3 New Tricks to Teach a Senior Dog

While your dog may be past his years of jumping through hoops or leaping over walls, there are several moves he can learn, even in his senior years. Can’t believe it? 

Here are three new tricks you should try teaching him today:

1. Touch

Touch is a move that can be used as a foundation for other tricks like coming back to your side or flipping switches on and off. It is a trick recommended for senior dogs since it is simple and can be adjusted based on your dog’s capabilities.

To teach him “touch,” start by training him in hand targeting with the use of a clicker. Hold out your open hand towards your dog, with your palm facing him and fingers pointed down. This should be at his nose level, so he can easily lick or sniff your hand.

Once you do this, observe what he does. If he starts sniffing or licking your hand, click on the clicker and reward him with a treat using your other hand.

Remember to click only at the exact same moment his nose touches your skin. If you click too soon often, he might stop midway before he even touches you. If you click too late, it might teach him that moving his nose away is what it takes to earn a treat.

After clicking and rewarding your pet during his first attempt at “touch,” remove your target hand and repeat the process again. Repeat the “sniff, click, and treat” cycle several times.

Most dogs often do it the first time because of the novelty of the stimulus (as in your dog is curious about what you’re doing). This first sniff is crucial to the success of touch training.

After several attempts, he may stop sniffing your palm. When this happens, make your palm more appealing to him by moistening it or smearing it with dog food. Once he licks or sniffs, click again and give him a treat.

3. Shake Hands

Shaking hands is another easy trick even senior dogs can learn. After all, dogs naturally raise their paw as a way to ask for a treat.

To begin, tell your canine pal to sit. Once he does, put a treat in your hand, and slowly move it towards the ground, close to his paw. As he raises his paw to anticipate your movement, say “shake” before giving him the treat and showering him with praise. This will make him remember the verbal cue.

As with other tricks, practice is key to mastering this move. Over time, you can hold your hand gradually higher so your furry pal would need to raise his paw higher to earn his reward. The goal is to have him raise his paw to the level of his chest.

Also, remember to always use the same paw during training. Once he masters one paw with the command, switch to the other one and use another verbal cue, like “other,” to let him know when to use his other paw. After he masters tricks with both paws, you can remove the treat out of the cycle and offer enthusiastic praises instead.

3. Speak

Barking on command, more popularly known as “speak,” is another easy trick to teach your old dog. However, it may take longer for dogs who are not naturally vocal.

To begin, get your dog excited (e.g., toss a ball or talk to him excitedly). Next, command him to sit and wave a treat by his nose. Keep waving the treat without letting him see it until he begins to whine.

Once he makes a sound, offer him the treat as a reward. Repeat this a second time and use the verbal cue “speak” as he starts making noise. After that, say “hush” or “enough” to stop him from making any sound before walking away.

Here’s a useful tip: If he tends to bark too much, you can use the trick only when he’s in a sitting position. Never encourage barking at anything that moves in your window, so you should not reward him for it.

Go Ahead, Teach Your Old Pal New Tricks

Don’t believe every old saying you hear, especially about your pets. Teach your old furry pal new tricks; it’s a great way for you to become closer and have plenty more fun times together.

Just ensure that your treat supplies are topped up, so you’ll have enough to reward every milestone. If you find this difficult, call on a reliable pet delivery service for help.

AUTHOR BIO

Farah Al-Khojai is the Managing Partner of Pet’s Delight. A passionate entrepreneur, Farah holds a Bsc in Government from the London School of Economics. She is always on the lookout for new opportunities to develop and grow the pet and equestrian retail and wholesale market in the UAE and beyond, and is proud to be at the helm of the first and the largest pet care provider in the market representing world-class brands including Orijen, Applaws, Hunter, Savic, Flamingo, Ruffwear and Rogz.