“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is a long-running cliche. But is it true? Not really. Here’s what to consider, some tips for how to teach an old dog new tricks, and some tricks you can teach a senior dog:

Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Senior dogs may have routines in place and established behaviors that might be more difficult to change, but they are more than capable of learning new things. Senior dogs are sometimes even better at staying engaged and focused during training sessions than puppies.

Why You Should Keep Teaching Your Dog New Things

Training doesn’t stop once your puppy grows into an adult dog. It’s important to keep training and socializing your dog. Here are several benefits and reasons why you should keep teaching your dog new things:

1. Training and socialization should be consistent and ongoing.
2. Learning new things provides mental stimulation.
3. It keeps a dog’s mind engaged and sharp as they age.
4. Teaching them new things strengthens your bond with your dog.

4 Tips For Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

There may be some considerations or modifications you have to keep in mind for senior dogs, depending on the dog and the activities you want to do. However, older dogs often thrive when learning new things.

Because they are more mature and have more control over themselves, you may even find them easier to train now than when they were puppies! Here are some tips for teaching an old dog new tricks:

1. Visit the vet before doing something new.
2. Keep your dog’s limitations in mind.
3. Be gentle with older dogs.
4. Work in shorter sessions.

1. Visit the Vet Before Doing Something New

No matter your dog’s age, it’s a good idea to visit the vet for a check-up and have your dog cleared before jumping into new physical activities. Every dog is different, and it’s important to make sure that your dog can handle what you want to try and that you won’t injure your dog by doing something they shouldn’t be doing or jumping into something too fast for them.

Plus, if your senior dog does have anything going on that you need to be aware of, your vet will be a good resource for figuring out how best to approach new activities to keep them safe. You may want to take your dog for a check-up and ask your vet for advice on how to best keep him safe if you are trying new activities with him. They’ll also be able to offer advice on any modifications that might make things better for your dog.

2. Keep Your Dog’s Limitations in Mind

Even if your senior dog is healthy overall, they could have a little bit of arthritis or some other problem common to older pooches. Stiff joints can often be a sign of arthritis in dogs. Does your dog have any hearing issues? Visual impairment? Joint pain?

Limitations won’t prevent you from being able to teach your dog new tricks or behaviors, but they may require that you find alternate ways to teach them. This could just mean making some modifications to some activities. If you’re not sure how to adapt to your dog’s abilities, you may want to consult a professional trainer for ideas.

3. Be Gentle With Older Dogs

A good general rule with older dogs is that you should just be gentle with them! For example, if your dog has dental issues and a sensitive mouth, avoid putting them in a situation where they may aggravate the problem, such as having them catch or carry a hard, heavy toy.

Some older dogs may still act like puppies, but you still want to take a gentle approach when introducing them to new activities. Start slow and ease into it. This will give both of you time to see if the activity is a good fit and that your dog is handling it well before really diving in. If your vet has cleared them for it, this is a good approach to take when training your dog in a new dog sport, like agility, dock diving, or something else.

4. Work in Shorter Sessions

Older dogs may sometimes be able to focus better than puppies, but you probably still want to work in shorter, focused training sessions to prevent fatigue. Working in short bursts is a way to safely exercise brachycephalic dogs, and it’s something you can apply to training dogs, too. Often, short, frequent sessions allow dogs to learn new things quickly without getting bored or fatigued better than longer, more sporadic sessions.

3 Tricks You Can Teach a Senior Dog

Think you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Wrong! There are tons of tricks that are great to teach older dogs. The ones that make the most sense will depend on your dog, what they can do, and what they like. Here are some tricks you can teach a senior dog to inspire you:

1. Practice standard commands.
2. Teach them to yawn on command.
3. Train your senior dog to ring a bell to go outside.

1. Practice Standard Commands

Regular basic commands like sit, down, and come are easy to teach older dogs. A technique that usually works is to get the dog to perform the trick using a small treat. If your dog doesn’t really care about treats, gently put them in the proper position and then praise them highly. Repeat this until it sticks. A few “lessons” per day for a couple of weeks should do it. Training is essentially helping a dog form a habit, and it takes about that long for a habit to form.

2. Teach Them to Yawn on Command

Teaching your dog to yawn on command is pretty simple and makes for an adorable parlor trick. When your dog yawns naturally, give them a small treat or praise them. Clicker training can also be helpful in this effort.

You can also use words to reinforce the behavior, in combination with the reward. You can really apply this treatment to any desired behavior: just meet the behavior with a cue and a reward; eventually, your dog will learn to repeat it.

3. Train Your Senior Dog to Ring a Bell to Go Outside

This one sounds rather sophisticated, but it’s totally doable! “Jingle bells” on a strip of leather would work well for this behavior. Start by rewarding your dog for ringing the bell. Then, position the bell by the door so that your pup learns to associate it with going outside.

Incorporate the bell whenever your doggie has to go out and continue this for weeks. Soon, your pup will be able to let you know exactly when they need to go out! If you teach your dog this trick, just make sure not to get a bell that’s too loud and obnoxious. Also, make sure your dog is good at picking up on nuance; otherwise, they may ring the bell all the time just to go outside, whether they need to go to the bathroom or not!

Senior Dogs Can Learn New Tricks, Within Reason

One of the common dog myths is that old dogs can’t learn new tricks. They can! You may need to keep some things in mind for specific dogs, and some dogs may need modifications, but there are still useful things to teach a senior dog.

Plus, there are plenty of other tricks to teach your dog that you can try with your senior pup. Keeping them active, physically and mentally, can help your senior pup age well and may even give them the energy to act like a puppy again every now and then.