Can You Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

Dog Training for Shelter Dogs

Purebred puppies are wonderful companions, especially when purchased from a reputable breeder and not a pet store. But these days, with so many dogs living without a home, you may instead want to consider shelter dogs. Many dogs are found or given up for adoption, hoping to find a great home.

One of the reasons that people are scared away from these amazing pets is because many times these shelter dogs have behavioral issues. Though there are many people that give dogs up for adoption as a result of hardship or financial challenges, others do so because they simply were not ready to care for a dog, or they didn't treat the dog well. But the good news is that shelter dogs are easily trained - often as easily and sometimes even more so, than puppies from breeders.

You Can Teach Old Dogs New Tricks

Dogs are pack animals that were bred to please humans. Shelter dogs are no different. In fact, shelter dogs that have experienced a bit of training before may even be starting from a better place than non-shelter dogs. With only a few exceptions, shelter dogs respond very well to dog training, which can help you make sure that your pet fits perfectly in your home.

The only issues that could stand in the way of your shelter dog responding to treatment as fast as other dogs may be:

Older Dogs - You can teach dogs of all ages new tricks. But some older dogs do sometimes require a bit of extra help. Older dogs are a lot like older people. They've lived a long life, they've seen the world, they may have a bit less desire to please people, and so they can take a little bit of extra time to train. But they can still train, and that extra time is not much longer than younger dogs. It's just a bit of extra effort.
Unbonded Dogs - If you just recently picked up your dog, or your dog is afraid of people, there may be a bit of extra time needed since the best way to train a dog is through its dog/human bond. But the good news is that training itself creates a bond, and as the bond is created the training will be much easier.

All dogs can be trained, and shelter dogs often respond very well to training, sometimes even better than new puppies. So if you get a shelter dog and want to make sure that it is ready to be a part of your family, give our team at Chicago Dog Trainer a call today.

Calvin and Colleen Sheehan (Assoc. Producer - The Oprha Winfrey Show)

Marc Goldberg with Cesar Millan, "The Dog Whisperer"

Our Philosophy & Goals

Our philosophy is simple. Improve the life of both dog and family. All too often, unruly dogs do not fully enjoy life because their families constantly become upset and frustrated with them. This is difficult for both family and dog.

Our mission is simple. Make both dog and family happy.

What does is take to make your dog happy? He will thrive when you give him leadership and attention.

Making the family happy is a bit more complex.

Families typically want their dog to:

Come when called, every time, on or off leash
Walk nicely on a loose leash without pulling
Sit until released
Down until released

Families also want their dogs:

Not to jump on people
Not to charge through doors
Not to dig in the garden
Not to bark and chew inappropriately
Not to climb on furniture you prefer they avoid
Not to sniff and eat off the table and counters.
Not to be wild and uncontrollable
Not to ignore you when you want their attention