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Housebreaking an older dog…does age really matter?
I’m sure everyone has heard the saying that old dogs cannot learn new tricks, however as we know this is used in reference to human habits does it in fact have its roots in canine history?
Will housebreaking an older dog prove to be more difficult than puppies? Fortunately for us and our pets it is not. Experts agree that this saying when placed in the canine context is really a fallacy.
The success or lack of it when training dogs of any age depends more on technique rather than how many birthdays they have had. In fact dog expert Sue Sternberg, a contributing writer for Petfinder (a Discovery company) explained that housebreaking an older dog is advantageous because they have better bladder and bowel control. Older dogs can "hold it" longer than puppies. This would mean that when training more mature dogs there should in theory be less accidents to worry about as unlike puppies they don’t move their bowels every couple of minutes for number one and every hour or so for number two.
With that concern set aside let us discuss techniques that can help in housebreaking an older dog or a younger one. Bodily functions more or less can be influenced by schedules. If you consistently feed your dog at a certain time he will eliminate at a certain interval as well. Make sure this is the time when you are available to walk him so he can see to his needs. What is fed to our pet will also influence his bowel movements so a simple and constant diet of dry kibble will make for less and regular purging. At the predetermined range of time when our pet usually does his business, bring him to the area and pace back and forth with him. Experts are in consensus that pacing brings about or expedites bowel movement. Chanting the keyword or words that we want our pet to associate with this bodily function should also be done. This is so our pet can associate the word with the function and communication is facilitated. In housebreaking an older dog or a young one: praise through treats or play performs an important role. So if he moves his bowels in the appointed area at the appointed time play with him or give him a treat afterwards. If he does not answer the call of nature yet go back inside and try again later. Remember to keep a close watch on him so that when he tries to do his business inside the house you can quickly bring him to the proper spot. Note that in any behavior modification for your pet the key is constancy and eventually he will eliminate appropriately.