When you hear of someone of getting a new dog you probably think of a puppy. But with the growing trend towards adopting dogs from shelters, it’s just as likely these days that the new dog will be an adolescent, or even an adult dog.

As a dog lover, I applaud this trend and hope that it continues to gain momentum, but it does create some new problems. The main one is the behavior and temperament of the adopted dog. With a puppy you know what you’re getting, with an older dog behaviors are already ingrained and may include serious problems, like aggression.

Often this will result in the dog being taken back to the shelter, which is a pity because most dogs, regardless of age or temperament, are trainable if you employ a good method and put in the hours required.

But before you get down to training there are two ideas you need to get out of your head. Firstly, get rid of the notion that you should pity the dog.

Many of these dogs have unfortunate, heart-breaking and even tragic backgrounds. Some have been abused and neglected. They deserve your love, patience and affection. But they don’t need, nor want, your pity.

Dogs are quite willing to forgive and forget, so focus your energy instead on creating a stable environment, and providing consistent leadership and positive training.

The other mistaken belief is that the way to train a “difficult” dog is to make him comply by using force. This is a lie, plain and simple.

Outdated methods like choke chains and shock collars do not work. The are barbaric and no reputable trainer uses them. If someone even suggests them to you, just walk away.

No only that, but they can be dangerous. You may be dealing with a dog that was previously abused by these methods, and if so, they dog may well attack you. This treatment of a previously abused dog may also cause other behavioral problems, so there really is no dividend in negative training methods. Just don’t do it.

What approach should you take? Start with the basics, crate training, potty training if required and then some obedience work. Keep it positive and reward based with lots of praise and treats, and remember that dogs can learn at any age.

Be patient and diligent and remember that training an older dog, with established behavioral patterns, is different to training a pliable puppy.

Also bear in mind that not all dogs are as easy to train as others. Many factors come into play, such as breed, age and state of health. With an adopted dog there is also the issue of an unknown past life which may have left the dog traumatized and fearful.

But it can be done, and in fact there are a number of well-known Hollywood canine stars, including Higgins (the lovable pooch who played Benji on TV), who were former shelter dogs.

Learn more about dog training, dog care, dog anatomy and other interesting dog information at dogsanddogtraining.com

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