Any dog – old or young, can learn something new. The secret to teaching them is to break it down into small pieces and build on each success. Your dog won’t understand what it means to go across the room and lie on it’s bed all at once, but your dog can be rewarded for taking one step toward the bed. By breaking down behaviors into small pieces, you build in success and confidence for you and your dog.
Always keep your sessions short and positive – ideally 2-3 times a day for 5 minutes. It’s always better to start and end them on a positive note. If your dog is getting frustrated or not understanding, either back up to an earlier successful point and end on that, or have them end with a behavior that they know really well – like ‘sit”. It’s also suggested that you have a transitional activity that signals that training is done but is still fun for the dog – like having a game of tug or fetch. Don’t just end abruptly – reward your dog with praise and a favorite game so they know training is finished but make it positive and fun for them.