As in, is a dog ever too old to learn basic obedience and tricks? I am adopting a GSD soon who is 4 years old and am wanting to introduce a few tricks via clicker training. Would this be possible?
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by Jojo, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
Yes, of course its possible.
Dogs can learn new things up to any age.
4 is not old for a german shepherd and you should be able to teach it anything you put your mind to.
My old gsd fellow is over 10 and he can still be taught new exercises.
Good luck and thank you for adopting a German shepherd. They are great dogs.
by Lorraine, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
Absolutely.
Well done for taking on a 4 yr old… and I think they are lovely at that age as they are more settled.
Best of luck.
by Rayven ~ SCAdian girl, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
Can’t say if clicker will be effective, but no the dog is not too old. No dog is really. Its a matter of the owner being able to figure out what works best for that dog as far as training and being consistent with it.
by vdr92, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
Definitely. A dog is never too old to train, and four years is a good age for a dog. Just be patient and consistent, don’t forget to reward good behavior! And bless you for adopting instead of buying from a breeder or puppy mill! You could have saved that dogs life!
by crazylady 123, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
No but they are hard to train at old ages higher than 7 because there hips or joints are old and tired. A 4 year odl dog is very easy to train for sure traina 4 year old dog. You will most likely be sucssesful.
by Ashley, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
He can learn just as well as younger dogs with the right methods….go to your local petsmart to talk with a trainer thats what i did and their help was invaluable….good luck and thanks for adopting
by Mike, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
4 is cetainly not too old
by Labman, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
At the worst, a little slower. Look for the Karen Pryor book, Don’t Shoot the Dog.
by tarielle_au, on February 11 2012 @ 7:03 pm
I believe you can teach a dog new things at any age, providing they can still see and hear you.
I have an 12 year old and she went through an intensive training program at age 11 and did very well.
We always had door issues (as in, when the front door is open my little rascal always thought it was an open invitation to make a run for it) and that problem has now been fixed. Some other issues were also addressed.
Go for it and good luck.