Can my adult dog be trained?
Most of the articles, blogs, and videos about training dogs are actually about training puppies; which makes us think that canine training is only for puppies and adult dogs cannot be trained. This is indeed not true.
Yes, it is comparatively easier to train a puppy because you can teach them everything from scratch, while for an adult dog there will have to be a lot of un-learning too. On the other hand, adult dogs are not easily distracted which helps in grabbing their attention quickly.
So if you have gotten an adult dog or you could not train your dog when he was a puppy- it’s not too late. Here is how you can get started.
1. The first key is always patience
Before you begin, just know these things: (a) your dog has a lot to learn, (b) it will not happen overnight, and (c) you will have to be consistent.
2. Begin with socialization
Remember not to push him too fast. Choose a suitable pace at which your dog feels comfortable in meeting with new people, animals, and the environment.
3. Crate training can help a lot of times
If you don’t want to leave your dog unsupervised, or if you want him not to jump on the guests, and be potty trained too- assigning him his own place i.e. a crate can be of huge help.
You can simply give him a command like ‘place’ for him to enter the crate.
4. Focus on the basic commands, one at a time
Begin with one command at a time, and make sure your dog gets to practice it for at least 10 to 15 minutes every day. You can start with commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘come’.
Set up reminders for the training time on the Sploot app right away, because consistency will help you a big time!
5. Make it a positive experience
Your dog should associate training with a positive experience. Reward him with treats for good behavior. And when you think that he is tired and is no longer interested, instead of forcing things, simply just snuggle and cuddle, and have a good time with him.
6. Enroll in an obedience class
A class like this is a great place to start. It will not only help your dog to socialize with others, but a canine trainer can give you and your dog a push in the right direction.
You can find one such class on Sploot as well. Search Dog obedience 101 right now and get started with training your grown-up muchkin.