Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
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We adopted Anja, our eldest dog, at 5 years of age, from Oregon Humane Society. She was the longest resident at the shelter (at that particular time). Anja was labeled as having a high prey drive as well as many mysterious medical issues.The shelter enrolled Anja in the training program and labeled her as “dense” and “stubborn”. She would do a sit, 60% of the time, and 40%, would be her giving you a blank stare as if she had never heard the word before.
Right after adopting her, we taught her how to walk well on the leash. The Veterinarian labeled her as obese and in much need of exercise, so, having good leash manners, was of utmost importance. She caught on quick and learned not to pull, in a few weeks. We never chose to focus on trick training, because she didn’t seem interested
.
Until now…
After she hit 9 years old, treats, and how she was going to get them, became one of her main daily focuses. She has learned to play dead, “leave-it” (we can put a treat on her paw and she leaves it), come when called, sit and stay, lie down, and spin around in a circle. All pretty good for a dog who had no interest before. Her favorite, high-value treats, are Stewarts Freeze Dried Liver Treats. There are a few other tricks we are working on, but I will save those for when she has perfected them.
To get accepted into the Good Dog Foundation’s therapy program she needed to learn the following: leave it, sit, lie down, puppy push-ups, and stay. The daily practice paid off because she is now a certified therapy dog!
Anja, loves her daily training time, as soon as she sees me getting the clicker out, her ears go up, and she runs into position. I love using the clicker and read this book, The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller, before embarking on a training routine. Pat Miller, does an exceptional job, at describing the techniques you will need, to get started with the clicker.
Performing daily training exercises with your dog, no matter how old they are, will strengthen your relationship and provide mental stimulation for your furry friend. Send us an email, if you want more details on The Good Dog Foundation and how to turn your dog into a certified therapy dog.
I am so happy to hear that Anja has been “saved” by you. She sounds like a really sweet girl.
Thanks, and I am so glad that you also gave Peggy a new lease on life!
That is fantastic that your Anja found her forever home with you. Positive reinforcement coupled with plenty of TLC are key and it sounds like you covered all bases. Happy life together!
Thank you for the kind comments!
I’m glad you were able to train her so well. She sounds like a wonderful, smart dog. I always loved training my dogs and I think all dogs are trainable to a certain level. Thank you for sharing Anja with us!
I love stories like that. Happy endings…
I am struggling to train my 2 year old English Bulldog, you give me hope – I need to carry on – I would love her to become a therapy dog – I may look into it x Thank you – great post
Hi Emily,
Feel free to email me with any training questions. Training can happen in short bursts throughout the day. In the beginning it is best to start with a VERY HIGH VALUE treat, meaning one that your dog would go crazy over. Keep carrying on!
You really can teach old dogs new tricks! What a sweet, smart pup. It’s so fun to see them get excited for training. Such a great bonding experience.
I am so happy you rescued her, I rescued Layla when she was 5 also, and training her was not fun but all good today. There is nothing like a rescued dog as I often say they deserve good homes and chances in life