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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/EnthusiasticUse for Praising (i.e. “Good Dog!”)
Demanding/AuthoritativeUse for Commands (i.e. “Sit!”)
Growly/LowUse 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 youeven 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!

Tags: adopting older dog, aging dog, dog health, dog training, old dog, older dog, senior dogadopting older dog, aging dog, dog health, dog training, old dog, older dog, senior dog

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Are you thinking of buying a dog or puppy? Before going to a dog breeder or pet shop, consider adopting a rescue dog from a pet charity or animal shelter. There are thousands of abandoned dogs and puppies waiting for a loving home and sadly many are put to sleep because they cannot find a new owner.

By adopting a dog or puppy you could save a life, and bring valuable income to the animal shelter, which they use to help feed and care for other dogs. The average cost of adopting a dog or puppy is around $150, much less than you will pay for a pedigree puppy. Animal shelters are mainly funded by charitable donations from the public. Adopting a dog not only saves the life of your new dog, but also allows the shelter to accept another dog, potentially saving another dog’s life in the future.

When you adopt a dog or puppy from a shelter it should have had the necessary injections, and be checked for diseases, parasites and minor ailments. Any urgent medical treatment will have been carried out including neutering if necessary. Its temperament and behaviour should have been assessed while it is at the shelter. New owners should be informed of the dog’s temperament and behavior with children, whether it is a noisy dog, and also whether or not the dog needs training.

The best animal shelters will give you a detailed training session when you arrive to take your dog or puppy home, when you will learn the best way to settle your dog or puppy in the first few days with his new family. Be patient, even if you think you know all about dogs. There is always something new to learn …. you may even get a goodie bag at the end of the session.

The dogs at an animal shelter are not always strays or abandoned dogs: many are handed in by the dog’s owners, for many reasons. This is beneficial for the dog’s new owner as they have more information about its history, whereas stray dogs have no history.

When you begin Dog Training, the objective is teach your dog that your are his new leader and he is a member of your ‘pack’. This is best for your dog’s wellbeing and helps him lead a healthy and happy life following you. This is particularly important for an older dog if it has learned bad habits. On a happier note, an older dog whose owner could no longer care for him is likely to be fully house trained and can settle with a new family very quickly. One word of warning before you go to the animal shelter: be clear in your mind about how many dogs you want! It is all too easy to see a pair of dogs, or even three, from the same home and be tempted to take them all. If you have children, set out the ground rules with them before you visit the animal shelter. Enjoy your adopted dog and look forward to many happy years with your new best friend.

Adrienne Davis, Internet Marketer and eBook Publisher, runs Dogs Training and Care by Kevin the Collie, offering advice on Obedience Training, Dog Breeds and Characteristics. Where to find a dog and how to care for him.

Tags: adopt a dog, animal shelter, breeder, buy a puppy, dog, dog health, dog training, dogs, puppiesadopt a dog, animal shelter, breeder, buy a puppy, dog, dog health, dog training, dogs, puppies

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Some people may think that it an anomaly that we often hear stories of dogs attacking children and yet, parents still choose to bring dogs into their families with little thought of the possible adverse consequences.

The vast majority of families with a dog will thankfully never have to deal with any of the terrible situations we hear about on the news. Dogs love people. Most dogs love children. Children generally love dogs as much as their parents do, and it is very doubtful that after thousands of years the connection between canine and humankind will be broken.

So the question is how to make the best possible environment for your children and your dog so that you won’t need to worry unduly about unexpected tragedy.

Experts generally agree upon at least three key areas which must be borne in mind when bringing a dog into a household with children.

First, be sure that very young children, as well as older children who may display immature, or impulsive, behaviors, are NEVER left unattended with a dog. Your dog is unlikely to suddenly choose to attack, but a dog - like a small child itself - will not always choose the best response when it is unintentionally teased, harmed or threatened in play. You wouldn’t leave small children unattended in play for more than a few seconds or minutes (depending upon their age). So if your child and your dog are together, you should be even more vigilant, as the potential for accidents is at least doubled.

Secondly, you should discourage roughhousing with the dog. Larger dogs can generally handle more play, without becoming agitated. But this is not a universal comment. Some large breeds may become agitated, or excited, in play and accidently harm your child. Large breeds may easily knock over small children unintentionally. Obviously smaller breeds could feel endangered with rough play and feel compelled to protect themselves from harm. Toughhousing is therefore to be discouraged with all breeds.

Thirdly, ensure that your family dog is moderately well trained. While some trainers may feel that the owner is adequately qualified to take on this task, you may wish to consider having your dog professionally trained if possible.

Aggression can happen with even the most loving owners when incorrect training, or improper handling of the dog is not addressed early on. Choosing a fully-trained dog may give you greater peace of mind you are looking for when selecting a pet for your children. Or if you train the dog yourself, you need to ensure that the dog understands that YOU are the top dog, AND that the dog is NOT above your children in the pecking order.

There are many other issues that are important to consider when buying a dog for your family. But taking the time to understand and learn about dogs before bringing one home, is definitely more conducive to you finding the life-long friend your children deserve!

(c) 2005 - Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural dog health and training for dogs. http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com - FREE Report!

Dog training information: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/BrainWork

Dog aggression information: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/Dog-Bite-Prevention

Tags: dog aggression, dog health report, dog training, dogs and childrendog aggression, dog health report, dog training, dogs and children

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