by Mary Green
CPDT-KA: Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed, CDBC: Certified Dog Behavior Counselor
CNWI: Certified Nose Work Instructor K9 Manners & More, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
I have always said that there is never a day that I declare my dogs to be completely
trained. I am leery of advertisements for a fully trained dog in two weeks or something similar. What does fully trained actually mean? Can my dog perform high-level competition obedience skills? Has she learned to pick up items that I have dropped? Can she sniff out target odors and alert me to their location? Or can she have a smokin’ run on an agility course or catch a disc?
I suspect that “fully trained” refers only to the basics. Even with a solid foundation of the basics, I believe we should train throughout the life of the dog.
Practice Fundamentals of Dog Behavior
The basic skills for negotiating everyday life in our community are definitely fundamentals of good dog behavior. Those skills should be practiced all the time. Training starts with puppies or starts the very day you bring home your new best friend. I often refer to this as a daily dose of obedience.
I barely remember some of the French language that I learned in high school. I imagine if I had practiced speaking French every day, I would have retained fluency. It’s the same for our dogs. If we don’t provide opportunities for them to practice their skills and reinforce them, they fade away like high-school French. Teach these skills and practice frequently:
• Sit, down, stay.
• Place (or go to your mat).
• Come when called.
• Walk politely on a leash.
Socialization is the most crucial factor in your dog’s ability to function in our world without fear, anxiety, or stress. Socialization is much more than having a
good relationship with other dogs or even with people. It involves introducing dogs to all the experiences they will encounter throughout life. Having positive experiences in those areas can create a bombproof dog.
These experiences are appropriate for puppies as well as older dogs:
• meeting people of all types
• meeting other animals
• learning to walk on different surfaces
• riding in the car, elevator, boat, or golf cart
• walking up and down stairs, hiking, and walking politely on a leash in urban areas
The superfun stuff can happen along with the foundations of obedience skills and socialization. If you wish to do dog sports with your pup, you will need to talk with your veterinarian about age-appropriate jumping, swimming, running, etc. My favorite training sessions are when my dogs have no idea if we are doing the “formal” stuff or the “fun” stuff because play is incorporated into training.
Puppies can enjoy these activities:
• chasing “rollers” instead of airborne discs
• learning to swim while wearing a life jacket
• doing age-appropriate agility training
• playing sniffing games
• having some nose fun — “sniffari,” sniff garden, seeking treats hidden in boxes
Adolescent and adult dogs can take the fun stuff up a notch. If you have built a solid foundation, go for it!
• Play Frisbee® games.
• Go swimming and try dock diving.
• Take an agility or nose-work class.
• Begin more formal training for competitions such as obedience and rally.
Keep dogs active during their adulthood. Don’t put off training sessions or playtime with them. If you bring home another pet, be sure to continue all the things you have been doing with the established dog. The life span of dogs varies greatly depending on the breed and size of the dog. Small guys such as terriers generally live longer
than their giant counterparts. During these years, as you continue to do all the things, your dog might need additional support from your veterinarian or specialist.
Routine vet visits should be at least twice a year, along with annual dental exams. Of course, your veterinarian is the best person to determine what your dog’s needs are. Many sport dogs have regular chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, or hydrotherapy treatments. This is also the age to consider products for joint health and other supportive therapies.
Keep Canine Veterans Active
As your dog ages, training might include lower jumps and shorter training sessions, walks, and hikes. In many dog sports, dogs can compete as “veterans” once they have reached a certain age. It is not uncommon to see dogs more than 10 years old competing at high levels, which is fantastic!
Senior dogs need more time to sleep and rest — but don’t let them become couch potatoes. Turn walks into sniffari walks as you did when they were puppies. Their
sense of smell is still keen throughout their lives. In scent work or nose games, dogs learn to find target odors hidden in different areas or containers. Although it is not a physical workout, a sniffing opportunity is just as tiring and satisfying. The hides, or plants, might be easier for them to access than when they were younger dogs, but the game is still strong.
Senior dogs can still enjoy chasing rollers rather than catching airborne discs. Swimming feels good on their bodies, and a life jacket can assist. Agility at low jump heights is just as rewarding for your senior dog as it was in his prime. I have seen older dogs run an obstacle course with no jump bars and still show the joy they did as youngsters.
It can be challenging to get senior or elderly dogs to eat enough. If you return to rewarding the basics of good-manners training, they tap into those early memories of reinforcement training.
Their time on earth is short enough. Make the most of it.
