Training Older dogs - Page 1

Lets start a discussion about training older dogs in the sport of Sch.  There are lots of videos etc for puppy imprinting but would love to hear from the people who start training at 14 months and over :)  Why do you start as an older dog?  pros and cons? 

Pros: older, more mature, hopefully you can see most of what you have, hopefully you can do more. This is all a questionmark. Who owned the dog before you? What type of training has it had? If you owned it from a pup, I'm sure you have already done "something" with it. I mean, who let's a dog sit in a kennel until it is 14 months? "Something" has already been done with this dog. If someone else had it, was the work already done, good or bad? Do I have to spend the next year undoing what has already been done? If I owned it as a pup, forsure there is going to be some work done with it. I like tracking at an early age. I like to build drive. I like the fact that it is easier to bond with a pup than a older dog. The earlier you start, the more it becomes second nature. I mean, even going out and playing with the pup, you don't just let him dictate the rules, do you? For instance, if you take a ball out, do you just let him run off with it? Probably not. Even if you don't want to "start" training until 14 months, this is the start. Other than that, the dog has sat in a kennel without any interaction.

I know several people who raised a puppy , put a lot of time and efford in ,only to find out at 12  months that the dog has bad hips , they try to get a good dog , old enough to be xrayed , not to loose another year possibly

chances however to get a 14 month old very good and healthy dog , without paying extra  are very slim

Training a puppy is a hell of a lot easier, you get to shape their development more, you have a hand in what they are fed or exposed to.

Given that I acquired an adult male in 2009 that didn't seem to know his own name and barely knew sit, I can tell you that it can be occasionally frustrating and physically exhausting, especially if you are not particularly strong (like me) but own a very exuberant adult. For example, if you're clumsy or unprepared while shaping a fast recall in an adult dog, you get the $h!t knocked out of your knees or maybe you end up on the ground. Also, just in my experience, it's a lot harder to put some "finesse" on commands because he just wants to power through them. A puppy is easier to control. On the other hand, you know what you've got in an adult.

A few years ago a friend gave us her 40 lb shih tzu/yorkie. I have never met such a hard headed dog.... I swear he is lacking in the brain department! He came to us knowing one trick - "sit like a gentleman" (he sits with his front paws in the air, cute, but I mean come on....) We've had him maybe 3 years, he is 11 now, and I've just now got him to the point where he'll sit and stay until I give him the OK to move.... Plus he won't take your hand off when you give him a treat now. But he is so attatched to Daddy, all the training goes down the tube when he is home. Frustrating, but hey, not my dog, its his.

Honestly my cat is better trained then the dog. I'll take them on walks outside together and the cat will be at my heels, while he is everywhere.

Anyway, my point being - "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" - it's not impossible, but its not always easy either. :\

started dogs with "stamped" hips and elbows are available. some are almost ready for titles, some just have basic obedience, some have been left in a kennel and are quite wild, some have been beaten and abused.

do your homework before getting one.

I like working with older dogs. For one hips and elbows can be done and the basic temperment is set. You know exactly what your dealing with good and bad. Some traits however, if they fall in the bad catagory, can be hard to redirect ie aggression. Alot of dogs I work with just never had someone take the time to bring out their best traits and the dog was abused may be ruined for life.

 

Dawulf: 'her 40 lb. shih tzu/yorkie'  Um, I bet that's a typo!  Seriously, if that dog DOES weigh 40 lbs, it needs to GO ON A DIET!!  

But who expects lap dogs to have brains? That's what working breeds are for!

I acquired my male GSD at the age of 3. He'd never been walked on a leash before. By the time I was ready to take him home, he was doing it like he'd been doing it all his life!

He is now my hearing ear service dog, and fully trained for public access. He learns faster than any other dog I've ever had. It takes one or two repetitions of a command and he's got it cold! And despite having been on a chain for most of the first 3 years of his life, he is rock solid in traffic and crowds, and is very good with meeting strangers.

As he had been an outdoor dog, he had no idea what a doorbell or knock on the door meant. Although I'd been able to do his other alert training myself, for this I had to hire a professional. It took her only about 15 minutes to teach him to respond reliably to her knocking. Then, since I'd paid her for a full hour of training, she decided to teach him to alert to the kitchen timer. After one or two repetitions at the most, I said, "Look, I use that timer once in a blue moon. Let's make sure he's reliable on the REALLY important stuff, like the alarm clock and the smoke alarm!"

Six months later, I was timing something that was cooking in the oven. I had the timer beside me on my desk, so I'd be sure to hear it. The moment it dinged, Ranger was there at my elbow, nudging me!

So, NEVER let it be said you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

The hardest thing to teach him was the 'down' command. The trainer I asked about that said it was because he was a guy, and didn't like to put himself in a submissive position! 

My two previous GSDs were females, and I never had any trouble teaching them the command, so I guess the trainer was right!  

Sunsilver - he was 40lbs when we got him and has been on a diet. He is 31 when we took him to the vet a few days ago. HOnestly, I didn't believe them when they told us thats what he was... had to have him DNA tested just out of curiosity, and sure enough. Mutant Shorkie is what I call him. He's 11 years old, hates walking (I say my cat goes on a carry after a certain amount of time... he goes on a drag).

It's honestly not that he's fat even... he could lose a few pounds, but he is tall and long for his breeds. He has the build and size of a bulldog, and until we got him tested, I would tell people he's a bullshit. But he is not my dog, he's my dads. He gets a cup of food a day, and I try to tell him he doesn't need that much, but what can you do.

Dawulf, WOW! Yeah, I would have been tempted to do DNA too! Most of the shih tzu mixes we get in the kennel here for boarding or grooming  are really tiny, weighing 4 to 10 lbs. average. And with yorkies, the smaller the dog, the more money the breeder can charge for it!