As your dog ages, their lifestyle will likely change. They may have limited movement, some health problems, or loss of hearing or eyesight. These changes will affect the routine you’ve had throughout their earlier years. Training or reinforcing known behaviors helps keep a senior dog mentally stimulated and enriched. It’s helpful for their well-being to still feel useful and needed, in the same way that volunteering gives retirees a way to stay active with a continued sense of purpose. Additionally, you may find that teaching your old dog new tricks helps both of you adapt to the lifestyle of an aging dog.
Training Them to Use Puppy Pads
It is not uncommon for aging dogs to become incontinent (aka unable to control their bladder) to some degree as they age. If you notice your dog having more accidents in the house, don’t immediately assume that this is in defiance or on purpose. Visit your vet, and if they confirm that your dog has difficulty controlling when they go, it may be time to train them to use a puppy pad. Place the pad next to the door or in places where your dog spends a lot of time (such as their bed) for your dog to use if they aren’t let out in time. The scent of the pads alone should tempt your dog to relieve themselves there, but you can also bring your dog to the pad if you notice them about to have an accident and don’t have time to get them outside. You can also increase the number of times you let them out each day as well (though if you let them relieve themselves too frequently, this could backfire–they’ll lose the muscle control even more quickly if they aren’t expected to hold it for long).
Training to Respond Solely to Hand Motions or Verbal Cues
Good behavior is still important even when your pup isn’t as sprightly as they once were. However, if your dog is losing one of their senses, you may need to alter how you give commands to make life easier for both you and Fido. Aging dogs with sight impairment will need their verbal cues reinforced for basic commands–if you’ve used hand signals in the past, begin removing them every once in a while when giving a command, working your way up to the point where you don’t need to use them at all. On the other hand, dogs with hearing loss would benefit from incorporating hand signals into your everyday commands until they can respond to the signal alone, without a verbal cue.
Train Them to Use a Ramp
Arthritis can make it extremely difficult for senior dogs to navigate stairs. To make life easier for them, move their bed and food bowls to the main level of your home. Install ramps where you can so that they can take inclines at their own pace. While it may not be possible to do this to a big flight of stairs, ramps on your front porch steps or up to your bed from the floor can significantly help your dog in their day-to-day life.
Overall, keep training sessions short and fun. Cherish the time you spend with your aging pup, and celebrate every small bit of progress they make.
Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training is proud to offer Sarasota and Bradenton area dog owners a professional training solution on the Southern Gulf Coast. From puppy to mature, we have plans for all ages.
