Fear induced aggression or pain induced aggression is a condition that every older dog is prone to attract. This is simply because many dog owners do not realize that the aging dog is very sensitive to the feelings of pain, surprises, and aggressiveness – even from innocent play.
Pay attention to changes in your pet's demeanor or personality as things become difficult for him. If you do, you won't be surprised by a full-blown fear of, for example, jumping up into the car to go for a ride. If your dog can't see where he's jumping, or if it hurts him to jump, it can lead to fear-induced aggression. He may strike out against you, seemingly for holding the car door open.
Aging dogs get into biting for similar reasons if they're experiencing discomfort. Pain-induced biting can be a result of forcing them to do things that they're no longer able to do. And this in turn can lead to fear-induced biting if, in their eyes, you're about to force them to do the painful activity. If it's jumping into the car, they become afraid of your reaching for the car door handle and nip the hand you're using to hold them because of the coming pain. Creaky old hips aren't meant to propel a slightly overweight frame onto the seat of an SUV, even with the help of a push from the rear.
Sometimes children or grandchildren forget that the dog is not as young as she used to be. The smaller the children, the more reminding they will need - for their own safety as well as for the comfort of the dog. Many dogs are likely to become aggressive if they are hurt while being picked up the wrong way by an unsuspecting child. Sometimes it's necessary to set new rules in the household for the kids who come over to visit: "Sparky is not feeling well today. Please let him be by himself in the corner," or “Sparky is old, and he's feeling a little grumpy today. Maybe tomorrow he'll feel a little bit better, but let's leave him by himself today."
Similarly, if one of your younger puppies or dogs starts to get into too intense play for your older dog, redirect his activity and play toward you or toward self-play. It's up to you to intervene on behalf of your geriatric pet. If it doesn't look like she can take it any longer, she'll thank you for sure, and your relationship will grow because of it.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Housebreaking an Older Dog--Old Dogs Love New Tricks
The procedure for housebreaking an older dog is similar to housebreaking a puppy. However, if you are trying to housebreak an adult dog whose history you may be unfamiliar with, I suggest having it thoroughly check out by a vet to be sure there are no medical problems interfering with normal elimination and behavior.
I give this caution, too, for resccue dogs and dogs that may have otherwise suffered severe trauma. However, having said that, the fundamentals of training that apply to housebreaking your older, adult dog, remain the same as for puppies.
When dealing with an older dog that may have well established "non-habits," it is doubly, triply, important to apply the following behaviors to your dog:
I give this caution, too, for resccue dogs and dogs that may have otherwise suffered severe trauma. However, having said that, the fundamentals of training that apply to housebreaking your older, adult dog, remain the same as for puppies.
When dealing with an older dog that may have well established "non-habits," it is doubly, triply, important to apply the following behaviors to your dog:
- persistence
- consistency of training
- very firm but gentle handling
- good control
Part of the challange in housebreaking a healthy, adult dog is that the dog has never had rules of behavior consistently applied to it. That is what I mean by "good control." You must show the dog the correct behavior and reinforce it firmly and gently at every opportunity. There must never be any exceptions to the desired behavior. And, of course, you must praise lavishly the correct behavior occasionally rewarding with a treat.
I cannot emphasize the importance of control. And by "control," I mean good control by always demonstrating and reinforcing the correct behavior and never letting the dog slide by with anything but the correct behavior. Depending on your pet, you should expect to spend 3 to 6 weeks to begin to see consistent change.
More Helpful Links
Housebreaking Puppies in the Winter
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