Well my dog is almost 3 and I was wondering if I can still put him in an obedience class. He knows the basic stuff-sit, lay down, shake, shake with the other hand, roll over, stay, fetch, come. He just needs to be more obedient doing them. I understand he's part Jack Russell and being obedient isn't their thing but there has to be a way to show him I'm the boss. Would going to an obedience class help? Would he be considered to old since he's not a puppy anymore? Would I be to far ahead of the class? He is really smart and knows what I mean but if he decides he has something else to do he's going to do it instead of come, sit, lay down, rollover, etc.
Obedience class, to old?
- Thread starter jacensolo
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nope, absolutely not too old! i think obedience class would be a great choice for you and russell. he'll start to learn to pay attention to what you're asking him to do with other interesting stuff going on. i've taken my dogs to classes even though they've known all the commands and it's been very helpful.
My first training experience was with a dog who was 12 years old. He learned all kinds of stuff. So, no, your dog is not too old. It's fun. Be sure and find a reputable trainer who uses gentle methods. You might even watch a class first and make sure the trainer isn't using harsh methods. That takes the fun out of it and really ruins things. Get referrences. Let us know how things go.
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Absolutely never to old....
Just find out what's covered in various classes offered in your area and pick the one that fits you best. See if you can view a class or two and be sure to let the instructor know what level your dog is at too.
I have one class that's gotten pretty popular. I call it Still "Ruff" Around the Edges & Canine Einstein and I cover all basic behaviors with duration, distraction, and distance as well as trick training. It's a pretty advanced class but it's tons of fun and the trick training really builds a language between dog and owner and increases reliability on all behaviors.
Trainers are getting more and more creative to meet the ever growing needs of our doggie lovin world. Some offer many levels of obedience and others have unique new class structures.
Just find out what's covered in various classes offered in your area and pick the one that fits you best. See if you can view a class or two and be sure to let the instructor know what level your dog is at too.
I have one class that's gotten pretty popular. I call it Still "Ruff" Around the Edges & Canine Einstein and I cover all basic behaviors with duration, distraction, and distance as well as trick training. It's a pretty advanced class but it's tons of fun and the trick training really builds a language between dog and owner and increases reliability on all behaviors.
Trainers are getting more and more creative to meet the ever growing needs of our doggie lovin world. Some offer many levels of obedience and others have unique new class structures.
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I didn't adopt my Greyhound until he was 4.5 and we successfully went through basic obedience (though it did take two tries for him to ACTUALLY do it, but I attribute that to his stubborness and not his age).
My mutt, Mike, is around 3 years old (maybe even older) and I am teaching him formal obedience (competition), agility (competition), and personal protection (competition and practical).
You can ALWAYS teach an old dog new tricks
Oh and someone said to find a trainer who uses only gentle methods . . . I think that's the wrong way to go. Find a trainer who does not use "cookie cutter" methods. For some dogs positive training is all you need. For others they need a mix of positive, negative, etc. So you need to find a trainer that does not train all dogs the same way and actually tailors the training to the dog. They're more expensive but well worth the final outcome.
My mutt, Mike, is around 3 years old (maybe even older) and I am teaching him formal obedience (competition), agility (competition), and personal protection (competition and practical).
You can ALWAYS teach an old dog new tricks
Oh and someone said to find a trainer who uses only gentle methods . . . I think that's the wrong way to go. Find a trainer who does not use "cookie cutter" methods. For some dogs positive training is all you need. For others they need a mix of positive, negative, etc. So you need to find a trainer that does not train all dogs the same way and actually tailors the training to the dog. They're more expensive but well worth the final outcome.