Myth Busters - True or False
![]() 1. False. Old dogs not only learn new tricks but they thrive when trained. My late Pomeranian,Mr. Teddy, who was adopted at an estimated 10 to 13 years of age, was a training superstar inVetstreet videos, which were filmed two weeks before he passed away. By the same token, older dogs without housetraining experience as puppies can successfully be housetrained. As long as a dog is mentally and physically capable of learning to perform a behavior and is properly motivated, it’s entirely possible to train her. While intense agility training for Teddy was not realistic, teaching basic commands was.
![]() 2. False. Just like humans, dogs simply want a comfortable place to lie down. If comfort can be combined with being next to their beloved human, whether it’s right next to you on the couch, or even on top of your lap, then they’re all for it. In rare cases, dogs will guard their sleeping and resting areas, and will show aggression when humans approach these sacred areas. This type of behavior will require remedial training. But for the average Rover, sleeping in bed or resting on the couch has no adverse behavioral effects.
![]() 3. False. Many shelter dogs are well-behaved pooches who, for an endless list of possible reasons, could not be kept by their original owners. Older shelter dogs make ideal candidates for people wanting to skip the puppy stages of chewing, potty training and mouthing. The interview process at most shelters also pairs canine candidates with the family setting that will best suit the dog's temperament, which can create cohesion from the beginning.
![]() 4. False. When you rub a dog's nose in his own mess, he often sees no association between that and him having had a potty accident. Nor does rubbing his nose in his accident teach him not to potty on the floor again - and it's unsanitary. Instead, rubbing his nose in his accident teaches him that humans are dangerous and unpredictable, and he will likely begin to hide in safety by sneaking into another room to go to the bathroom; making housebreaking even more difficult.
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