Adopt a Calm and Relaxed Approach When Training Your Aging Dog
By: Kelly Marshall
Submitted: 2008-12-30 14:45:21 | Word Count: 547
If you have a pet dog at home, then you would be aware that dogs often communicate that they are in pain. However, you would also be aware that dogs to not always communicate their pain. This leaves room for a bit of sleuthing on your part. If you discover that your dog feels pain while lying down, then you should consider the idea of dispensing with the ‘Down’ command in your obedience lessons. There is no hard and fast rule in this regard. You will have rely on your own evaluation of the condition of the dog and follow your instincts.
The obedience training of an aged dog should not cause physical and mental discomfort to the dog. Training the dog to obey the ‘down and stay’ command ensures that your dog does not disturb you when you want to spend a few moments in private with your spouse. The ‘down and stay’ command is effective for a longer period as compared to the ‘sit and stay’ command. If you train your dog to obey this command, you need not lock it in the basement or the bathroom.
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It is imperative that you remain cool and calm during obedience training. Becoming emotional will only drain your energy and your dog will take advantage of that to disobey your orders. Dogs are very quick to spot any weakness in their masters and this is true even for an aged dog. If you let your dog take control, then you will have difficult and resentful training period where you have to continuously assert your authority. Avoid such problems by speaking and acting in calm, slow, deliberate and rational manner. Be consistent in your actions to maximize your training benefits. You can get your older dog well trained a lot faster if you adopt a cool and calm approach.
Older dogs often lose weight and lose some of their fatty components of his weight in the process. This results in a scenario where the aged dog loses his ability to regulate his body temperature as he is not as well insulated as before. Hence, when you are conducting obedience training of your aged dog, do not make him work in extremes heat and cold. Older dogs are more susceptible to problems due to heat variations.
Aged dogs suffer from constipation and incontinence as well. Just allow the dog to relive itself before and after an obedience training session. If the dog relieves itself during the session, simply ignore it and proceed with the training. Avoid feeding your dog just before or after the obedience training session. This can upset the digestion of the dog. Further, the dog may consider the feeding as a bribe and may insist on being fed every time before and after the training. Avoid such a scenario as you would lose control over the training process. When you are training aged dogs, always opt for many short sessions as opposed to a single long training session.
Dogs do not become ordinarily become senile. It is only when they are affected by conditions like brain tumor that a dog becomes senile.
Dogs have a huge capacity for learning. They can learn new things even at an old age. This potential is seldom tapped by dog owners.
