Are you considering adopting an older or rescued dog? Older dogs are great family members and need homes. Depending on the breed, senior dogs are often are more subdued than a puppy and therefore easier on your home. But what about behaviors learned or tolerated by a previous owner? Senior dogs can be still be trained using a few tried and true ideas! Just as with puppies it will take time and patience but the outcome is worth it. A trained dog will be a happier dog because he will know what is expected of him.

5 TIPS for Teaching NEW Tricks to Older Dogs

1. Use the proper tone when communicating with your dog:
High/Enthusiastic—Use for Praising (i.e. “Good Dog!”)
Demanding/Authoritative—Use for Commands (i.e. “Sit!”)
Growly/Low—Use for reprimanding (i.e. “Bad Dog!”)

2. Give a command only once. This teaches your dog to listen the first time.

3. Hands Off when giving a command. Touching or petting distracts from training.

4. Recall (or “Come”) is the most pleasant of all commands for your dog. Never reprimand a dog that finally comes to you…even if you had to chase him through the neighborhood before he obeyed. He needs to know that you will lavish praise and pet him when he comes to you!

5. Training not to jump up on people and furniture is best done with a metal can or box with 10 pennies, stones or marbles taped inside. For convenience, it is a good idea to have several cans located in various areas throughout your home. Shake the can up and down once or twice whenever your dog jumps up. Remember to reprimand with the low tone at the same time. The noise will startle the dog and eventually the behavior will stop.

Copyright 2006 Dave Eckholm/www.olddogpaws.com

Dave Eckholm is the owner and creator of http://www.olddogpaws.com, a site dedicated to the care and comfort of our old friends. As our dog Tikki began to lose his eyesight and became grey around his muzzle, we were concerned for his quality of life. As a senior dog, he started to have special needs. We searched for new ideas, resources and products to enhance his life. Old Dog Paws shares this information with all dog lovers so your friend can enjoy wonderful senior years too!

A happy dog is one with at least basic obedience skills. If your dog is doing what you want her to do then you are pleased and that means your dog is pleased. Teaching your dog basic obedience skills is rewarding but it can also be frustrating. Here are some basic training techniques to get you started.

Once you have her attention, the lessons can begin

If your dog is to learn anything the first thing you have to do is to get her to pay attention to you. Start by calling her name and then using a command word like “watch”. Use the same word consistently. This way, she will associate the word to a command.

Next you need to keep her attention for a short period. Try some attention exercises. Hold a toy or dog treat near your mouth and then say the attention command word. Each time she takes the time to watch, praise her. The more you practice this exercise, the more time she will pay attention to you. Try getting her to watch for a minute or more. Let her know that she is doing a good job by rewarding her with a treat or exuberant praise.

Basic training for you

When training your dog you need to keep a few simple rules in mind:

- Do not hurt your dog, ever. This will cause her to become shy or aggressive. It will also mean that you are a bad person that does not deserve to have a loyal and trustworthy friend, canine or human.

- If the training doesn’t go as quickly as you would like and you start to get frustrated don’t let this negative emotion show. Dogs are very good at reading your body language. If you are upset your dog will be as well. It’s better to postpone training then to train when you are feeling upset or frustrated.

- Dogs get distracted pretty easily. If possible choose a training area that is free of distractions like other pets, children or loud noises. If your dog becomes distracted during training sessions try changing the tone of your voice. Don’t raise your voice, change the tone as in higher or lower pitch.

- Keep training sessions short, around 20 minutes or so, less for a very young dog. It’s better to have several sessions each day then to have one or two over-long sessions. If you go too long your dog will be thinking about some other fun thing she really should be doing instead.

- Use hand signals along with command words. You’ll find they come in very handy later and it’s easy for your dog to learn command words and hand signals at the same time. There are no standard hand signals so use signals that are large and easy for your dog to see, that you are comfortable with and will remember.

- Be consistent. Being consistent is a key factor in all training. Use the same command words and hand signals every time. Make sure everyone who might give your dog commands, husband, kids, use the same command words and signals.

First, it’s best to sit

The first and easiest command to start with is the command to sit. Start by gently pushing her backside down while gently pulling up on her collar and saying the word “sit.” You’ll be surprised at how fast she learns this. Once she sits with the command word, and you have a free hand, start using the hand signal as well.

The usual hand signal for “sit” is to point at the ground with your fingers extended downward. Every time you say the command word “sit”, point at the ground simultaneously. Your dog will learn the voice command and the hand signal command at the same time.

If your dog is very young try the treat approach to the sit command. Hold a treat in your hand and then slowly move the treat over your puppy’s head. The intention is to get the puppy to smell the treat and follow it with her nose. She has two options. She can either walk backwards or sit down. It’s easier to sit down. When she sits say the command word, give her the hand signal, praise her to the moon and stars and give her the treat.

Jumping up and lying down

The “down.” command is very important for your dog to learn. Dogs become excited sometimes and jumping up on you and other people is often the result.

When your dog jumps up tell her “down”. Don’t pet her or act glad to see her she while she is on you. Continue to tell her “down” until she does so. You may have to physically place her on the floor while repeating the word “down”.

You can take this command a step further by gently pushing your dog onto her belly on the ground while repeating the command word. With repetition she will eventually learn to lie down on command.

The usual hand signal for this command is to hold your hand out flat and then repeatedly move it downward a few inches like you would if you were trying to shove one more thing into an over-full suitcase.

Teaching the “stay” command

Teaching your dog to stay on command can be a tough one and you will have to be very patient. It’s an important command though and could save your dog’s life if you encounter a dangerous situation. It’s best if your dog is already good with the sit command before you start teaching this one.

Have your dog sit or lie down. Say the word “stay” and hold your hand palm out right in front of your dog’s nose. Praise her lavishly. Do this many times.

Now, give your dog the stay command and move backward away from her a short distance, three or four feet. When she starts to get up, and she will, hold your hand out at arms length, palm out and say, “stay”, emphatically. Have her sit again and repeat the whole process. Eventually she’ll get the idea. She won’t stay for long though so when she looks like she is about to stand up give her permission to do so by saying a release command. I use the word “okay” and a thumb up gesture for a hand signal.

Once she stays sitting when you are a few feet away you can start reinforcing the command with treats or toys. Put a treat in your pocket and have your dog sit and stay. Take the treat out of your pocket and put it on the ground in front of you. She will immediately start to get up. Hold out your hand, tell her to “stay”, put the treat back in your pocket.

Keep doing this with patience and good humor until she stays even though the treat is on the ground in front of you. Then pick up the treat and carry it to your dog, don’t let her come to the treat. Let her have her treat and praise her with lavish enthusiasm. Give her the release command and then go have some fun with her. Do this many times.

If you are patient and consistent with this one you’ll be able to train your dog to stay put for a long time even though you are nowhere to be seen.

The “come” command

If everyone would teach their dogs to come on command it would save a lot of shouting, frustration and neighborly angst. The pity is that it’s quite an enjoyable command to teach your dog because you get to move around a lot.

Start off simply. While attached to a leash about six feet in length have your dog sit and stay. Walk away the length of the leash being sure not to tug on your dog at all. Turn to face her, say “come”, gesture with the come hand signal and gently reel her in with the leash until she is right in front of you. Slather on the praise. The usual “come” hand signal is to stretch your arm out straight in front of you and then move it back to your chest by bending your elbow.

She may be a little confused at first because she thinks she is supposed to stay but be enthusiastic and she’ll get the idea that this is a new command. Once she comes to you have her sit and stay again, move away from her and do all again. Every time you have her in front of you lay on the praise.

You will have to repeat this procedure many times. Once you think she has the idea give her the come command and signal but don’t pull on the leash. If she comes to you make sure she knows that she is the smartest and best looking dog in the world.

Once she will consistently come to you without any tugging on the leash take the leash off and practice some more, practice a lot more.

The real challenge with this command is to have your dog come to you even when she is a long way off and there are other things she would rather be doing. The solution is a very long leash.

Buy a hundred foot spool of thin lightweight nylon cord and practice the procedure in an open field. Start from about ten feet away and slowly increase the distance. Once she comes to you consistently from a distance you can set up distractions. Have a couple friends a toss a ball back and forth near your dog and then start the whole procedure again.

When you are confident that your dog understands the come command it’s time to test her training off leash. There is a good chance she’ll ignore your command. Put the leash back on, practice from a short distance, take the leash off and again practice from a short distance. Gradually increase the distance. Be patient and kind.

Never, ever reprimand your dog after she has come to you!

Your dog will associate a reprimand with the last thing you told her to do, not something she did before that. Say you see your dog ripping up your neighbor’s flowerbed. You command her to come. She does so and then when she gets there you speak harshly to her for ripping up the flowerbed. She will not understand that you are upset because she was damaging your neighbor’s flowers, she’ll think your upset because she came to you as commanded and will be very confused. Reprimanding your dog after she has obeyed a command is a great way to make your dog neurotic and to destroy all the training she’s had.

Giving your dog basic obedience training is just about the best thing you can do for her and for yourself. Your dog wants to please you. If she is well trained and knows the rules she will be able to please you all the time and that will make her very happy. Training your dog is fun and easy if you remember to liberally apply the three key training components, be kind, be patient, be consistent.

Best Wishes,

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Nutritional needs change as a dog ages. Many breeds of dogs enter their senior years at 5-7. Like humans, as dogs’ age, their metabolism slows down. Obesity is one of the most common afflictions facing senior dogs. Stiff joints and muscles leave them wanting to run around less. As an owner of a senior dog, it is important to keep your dog exercising and it becomes more important than ever for your dog to get proper nutrition.

Quality dog foods will breakdown the specific ingredients. Read the label to make certain your dog is getting the best food for his needs.

In 100 grams of food there should be:

1.2 Grams of Fiber
0.55 Grams of Calcium
14 or Less Grams of Protein
9 or Less Grams of Fat
Less than 0.28 Grams of Sodium
Less than 0.33 Grams of Phosphorous

Vitamins also are important to the mature dog.

Vitamin B……………aids metabolism and appetite
Vitamin A……………aids muscles and eyes
Vitamin E…………….aids muscles and eyes

Shopping Tips for Dog Food from the Animal Protection Institute

Meat should be the first ingredient.
The label should have the AAFCO Guarantee.
Avoid if corn is listed two or more times in the top 5 ingredients.
Check expiration date.
Avoid foods with chemical preservatives like ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA.
Look for foods with natural preservatives such as tocopherols, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.
Avoid bone meal, meat meal and other by-product ingredients.
Rice is the most digestible of all grains. If grain is in the formula, rice is a good choice.

As always, check with your veterinarian before changing diet and supplements. Your vet can often recommend a prescription dog food that will be just right for your pet’s changing needs. Keep your dog moving and eating right so you both can enjoy his senior years!

Dave Eckholm is the owner and creator of http://www.olddogpaws.com, a site dedicated to the care and comfort of our old friends. As our dog Tikki began to lose his eyesight and became grey around his muzzle, we were concerned for his quality of life. As a senior dog, he started to have special needs. We searched for new ideas, resources and products to enhance his life. Old Dog Paws shares this information with all dog lovers so your friend can enjoy wonderful senior years too!

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

There are many different styles of dog training, and finding the one that works best for you is important for creating a dog that is a talented, loyal and faithful member of the family. All successful methods of dog training work to reinforce the relationship between dog and handler, and the foundation of any successful training program is getting the respect of the dog. Fortunately, dogs are wired by nature to seek out leaders, and to follow the direction of those leaders.

This article focuses on one of the most popular methods of dog training - the so called leash/collar style of training. Other articles will focus on the other popular style of training dogs, often called reward training or positive reinforcement.

Both leash/collar training and reward training have been around for a very long time, and they have proven their effectiveness over time. The type of training that works best will vary from dog to dog, and from breed to breed. It is important to remember that each breed of dog has its own unique qualities, reinforced by hundreds of years of selective breeding.

Of course personalities of individual dogs vary quite a bit, even within established breeds. You, as the owner of the dog, know better than anyone which style of dog training will work best, so it is important to work with the trainer you choose to achieve your goal of a willing, obedient and friendly dog.

Leash and collar training is the best way to accomplish many types of dog training, particularly in situations where the dog must have a high level of reliability. For instance, dogs that have an important job to do, such as rescue dogs, police dogs and guard dogs, generally benefit from leash and collar training.

If your dog training tip facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important dog training tip information slip by you.

In leash and collar training, varying degrees of force can be used, ranging from slight prompts with the lead to very harsh corrections. The amount of correction used should be appropriate to the situation, since using too much correction, or too little, will be ineffective.

In a collar and leash based dog training program, first the dog is taught a particular behavior, generally with the leash. After the dog has demonstrated that it understands the command, the leash is then used to correct the dog if it disobeys, or when it makes a mistake. The leash is the main form of controlling and communicating with the dog in leash and collar training.

When using leash and collar training, the dog must be trained to trust the handler and accept his or her directions without question. In order for the dog to be fully trained, the handler must demonstrate the ability to place the dog into a posture or position he or she does not want to take. This does not mean using force, but it does generally require some level of physical manipulation. This manipulation is most easily and safely done using the main tool of leash and collar training - the leash.

It is important for every would be dog trainer to understand that the leash is simply a tool. While the leash is an important tool in this form of training, it is important for the dog trainer to be able to eventually achieve the same results using whatever tools are at hand.

Even when the only tools at hand are the owner’s body and skill, the dog should be willing to obey. Creating a leader/follower relationship between handler and dog is still very important, and it is important to use the leash as a tool and not a crutch. A properly trained dog should be willing to obey whether the leash is present or not.

There’s no doubt that the topic of dog training tip can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about dog training tip, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

Fritz Blanc is a part time internet marketer who has created many web sites about various subjects. You can visit one of his web sites about dog training tips at:
http://dogtrainingtip.blogspot.com
Other websites by the same author:
http://golfingtechniques.blogspot.com
http://homeschool-diploma.blogspot.com

Festivals bring in a lot of joy and celebration. In the midst of all these promp and show, we sometimes forget about the safety of our canine friends, which becomes all the more important during this time. As you are aware, dogs hear so well. They can differentitate between the noises of engines of two cars of same make and prick their ears when their master’s car arrives - a feat impossible for most of us. They can hear about 40 times better than us.

So now we know, our canine friends can hear the noises or sounds beyond our capacity and have a very wide spectrum of hearing. They can be greatly startled by the noise of crackers burnt long distance away. We all should behave responsibly and avoid the noisy crackers completely.

Festival fears

What disturbs our pets mostly is the loud music. As common sense prevails what troubles humans is hell for pets. There are loudspeakers everywhere during festive season, which contribute to the heavy sound pollution. These are the circumstances that need to be controlled.

I have seen cases of dogs hiding as noise levels become higher and that is very traumatic for them. Dogs tend to stray away from their homes when frightened, hence, it becomes important to ensure they are safe and secure.

Some dogs can get very nervous and try to chew on things or bite people or even their owners on the slightest provocation during such times. I have also encountered cases of dogs attacking live crackers trying to take them in their mouth, biting the crackers and getting burnt in the process. Always remember that crackers can cause fear, aggressing or mental depression in dogs, so keep your pet monitored at all times.

I even came across a case where a puppy chewed on the ornaments kept in front of deity during worship and ‘ate’ them. The guardians of the dogs could not understand where the ornaments disappeared until I suggested having the puppy X-rayed. So be careful on this issue as well.

Feeding during festivals

Other important precautions during festive season would be regarding feeding of dogs.

• Do not give sweets or fried, spicy foodstuff to dogs as it can upset their stomach.

• Do not shift from normal feeding practices.

• Do not keep sweets in the box open as your lil’ one can eat the whole lot and get sick.

Various treatments advised :

Homoeopathic:

• Phosphorus: Use when the dog is easily startled by noise and leaps suddenly when you drop something.

• Borax: Use when the dog startles greatly even if the noise is a long distance away.

• Aconite: Main fear remedy. Use when response are rapid and violent. Use doses in low potency - 3x, 6x, 3c, or 6c.

• Ayurvedic: Mental syrup (Himalaya drugs) or Anxocare syrup (veterinary formulation) I tspfull three times a day or a tab each of medicines mentioned above is recommended a s a behaviour modifier, anxiolytic and mood elevator.

• Allopathic: These are very potent and should be used under a veterinarian’s guidance only.

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