Can you Train Older Dogs?

dog, animal, domestic animal

When clients think of dog training, they often think of puppy training. But I train dogs of any age, from newly-adopted puppies to a senior dog.

Sometimes older dogs develop bad habits, or environmental changes may result in behavioral changes. Occasionally, a client may accept the challenge of adopting an senior dog that already has some behavioral problems, which I really admire.

Training Senior Dogs

dog, mix, yorkshire terrier

My latest client to choose this route adopted a six year old, older dog named Patches, who suffered from separation anxiety, excessive barking, and lacked proper house training. However, he had a very sweet disposition that made him irresistible to his new owner.

I met with the owner the day he brought Patches home from the shelter for an in-home consultation, and I was able to tell that the excessive barking was related to Patches’ anxiety, and some of the housebreaking troubles were, too.

You can teach an old dog new tricks with Heart of Texas Dog Training! We train puppies, senior dogs, and we offer training sessions for training adult dogs.

Training older dogs can be done right when you work with us! Our Fort Worth Dog Trainer is a professional when it comes to dogs of all ages – older dogs and younger dogs!

Why Train a Senior Dog?

labrador, nature, dog

To help ease Patches’ anxiety, we performed basic obedience training, which helped in several ways: by improving communication between owner and dog, improving the dog’s focus, and of course teaching a few commands the dog could reliably respond to. We implemented a structured schedule, which helped Patches feel comfortable and confident with what to expect from his new owner.

If your dog is having issues make sure to know that training older dogs can be done, it doesn’t matter what the behavior issue. Training adult dogs is something we offer as well.

Training for Adult Dogs, Too!

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The structured schedule also helped with house training. Patches learned exactly when he would be allowed outside, and with some practice, he learned to only eliminate outdoors. Crate training offered him a safe, secure space, and it also helped with house training, as dogs don’t like to eliminate in what is essentially their den.

As Patches’ anxiety decreased and his ability to respond to commands increased, his excessive barking also abated. We love helping dog owners with training an older dog.

We Help Dog Owners with our Training Program

Heart of Texas Dog Training offers training sessions for many behavior issues – basic commands, potty training, leash training and we can teach dog new tricks, even senior dogs.

If you’ve noticed some behavioral issues in your senior dog, no matter their age or how long they’ve been in your life, give me a call today. I can help your older dog.

Need Help with Your Older Dog? Call us!

Whether you have an adult or senior dog – we can help! Heart of Texas Dog Training offers training sessions for dogs of all ages. When training an older dog, we always make sure to rule out any health issues before starting the training process.

Our professional trainer will help you get your senior dog trained, training an older dog is what we do!

Note: Before calling a trainer, make sure you call the vet! Sometimes behavioral problems in senior dogs can be the result of an ailment, such as arthritis or a urinary tract infection.