Is it too late to train 8yr old dog

[sheffchick77 10]

we got our shihtzu dog in october from a private seller he is 8 yr old we was told he is great with other dogs but it turns out he isnt an going for walks is starting to be a nightmare is it too late to train him to get along with other dogs

[H_Hounds 10]

I, personally, don't think you will ever get him to 'like' seeing other dogs on walks, though others may disagree with me. Of course, I haven't even met your dog or observed his behaviour but it's a common problem.

 

However, you CAN work towards managing the behaviour so walks are no longer stressful. Positive reinforcement is definitely the way forward as any harsh methods will only reinforce the behaviour and may even create new problems.

 

Find a good positive dog trainer and have realistic expectations. Don't try to encourage your dog to mix with others at this stage. Good luck. Remember, he's just been taken from his home and placed with strangers in his eyes. He will need time to settle.

 

While you are working on training, avoid walking in popular dog walking areas to avoid confrontation or go when it's likely to be quiet like late evening.

[synthpulse 10]

No, it is not too late to train him! you would use something called counter conditioning, when you train him that other dogs are a good thing. You need to work out what is causing the issue - is it fear or frustration or excitement etc.

Hard work but you CAN fix it

You can look at the 'reactive dogs (uk)' page on facebook for some really good positive advice. Agree that a trainer/behaviourist will help if you aren't confident, but you do only want a positive trainer. No shock collars / negative old fashioned training...it just doesn't work and stresses your dog out even more.

Good luck!

[andusbeckus 10]

It's never too late but it may take a lot of time and hard work.

 

Best Behaviour K9 are really good and work with a lot of very difficult dogs. Neil has years of experience working with police dogs and he doesn't believe in any "harsh" methods either. Give him a call I'm sure he would be happy to chat before you make any decisions.

 

http://www.bestbehaviourk9.co.uk/

[Chez2 10]

I, personally, don't think you will ever get him to 'like' seeing other dogs on walks, though others may disagree with me. Of course, I haven't even met your dog or observed his behaviour but it's a common problem.

 

However, you CAN work towards managing the behaviour so walks are no longer stressful. Positive reinforcement is definitely the way forward as any harsh methods will only reinforce the behaviour and may even create new problems.

 

Find a good positive dog trainer and have realistic expectations. Don't try to encourage your dog to mix with others at this stage. Good luck. Remember, he's just been taken from his home and placed with strangers in his eyes. He will need time to settle.

 

While you are working on training, avoid walking in popular dog walking areas to avoid confrontation or go when it's likely to be quiet like late evening.

 

I agree with Terri (HardwickHounds). We had a dog aggressive pup from about three months old until he passed away as an adult. We had two other dogs at the same time who were not dog aggressive.

 

He wasn't good when out in public, very dog aggressive but he would have fought very aggressively not just barked with any dog entering our garden. He was fine with people he knew, just dog aggressive. It took us quite a few months to dare let him off the lead when we introduced him to a new pup. He realised it was a pup so not much of a threat but he did have his moments with it. He would lie up against the pups cage when the pup was asleep but we would never leave them together unsupervised. He died of old age when the pup was ten months old.

 

Hopefully this explains my answer, its based on fact and experience not just my opinion.