Many people retire to Orlando and surrounding areas in Florida with their senior dogs in tow. The city is known not only for its popular theme parks but also for its affinity towards pets. It offers many accommodations to cater to their comfort and entertainment needs. 

While a senior dog might be less interested in going out on the town, the city has plenty of opportunities to explore. If your elder pup needs a refresher on his training, it’s essential to understand that a program would need to be modified somewhat to ensure it’s safe for potential health or mobility challenges.

Misperceptions may have you believe otherwise, but a dog enjoys and is willing to learn at every stage of his life; that desire doesn’t go away as he ages. This eagerness to learn will be evident when engaged and challenged in a quality program.

Please see website for details on programs designed especially for your senior dog. While this pup may need more time to comprehend what you need from him because his habits are more ingrained, spending more time with him and focusing extra attention will seal his cooperation.

Preparing For an Orlando Retirement with Your Senior Dog

As a dog ages, a gradual physical and cognitive changes begin, but this decline can be staved off when mentally and physically challenged with an engaging training program. A quality and tailored plan will encourage the elder pup to reason solutions and keep his body active each day.

Dogs will readily become inactive as they age, particularly if they have no excuse to move. 

When you know you’ll be relocating and changing the canine’s environment and routine, it’s essential to prepare him for these changes. A qualified professional trainer is beneficial in helping modify old habits and reintroduce skills such as socializing to make the transition easier.

A dog is incredibly intelligent and capable of remarkable things when challenged. It’s important to understand, however, that each pup has unique instincts and learns in his own way. 

You want to find a trainer that tailors programs for each dog’s needs. Instruction should incorporate the following for optimal success.

Untraining old habits

An elder dog will have distinct habits that have become ingrained in them. These are developed over their lifetime, with some that may be less than favorable, particularly in a new setting. Before teaching them new skills or commands, it’s important to guide them on stopping the inappropriate behaviors.

A senior pup may be used to barking incessantly at anything, whether sounds, to tell you what he needs, or when guests visit. Given positive reinforcement, the canine can abandon these habits in favor of a more appropriate response. 

When the pup learns to follow your direction, remaining silent on command in situations where he would normally react, it’s essential to praise and reward the positive response. Given their experience and cleverness, an elder pup will catch on rather quickly, exhibiting favorable behavior until it becomes a habit.

Patience and positivity

A dog of any age wants to please their pet parents and strives to earn approval and love in any way possible. When involved in a training program, the pup will have greater success when appropriate behavior elicits positive feedback, exuberant praises and affection.

If you’re consistently reacting to old habits with negative comments such as “no” or “stop,” it confuses the dog as to what you actually want him to do.

An even temperament and patience are vital when a pup doesn’t accomplish the task at first or takes a few steps backward instead of moving forward. Achieving what you’re asking could take multiple tries and an incredible effort. 

Still, the dog will be encouraged to keep trying and ultimately figure it out because he sees that his efforts please you. Visit How to Teach an Old Dog New Tricks · Kinship – for tips on teaching your elder dog new habits.

Slow but consistent

A pup can learn one task at a time initially, such as basic commands like “sit,” “stay,” or “come.” As the canine masters a task, positive reinforcement will make the process easier as you progress to more advanced skills and activities. 

It’s important to make the process manageable initially, especially if there’s a history of little or no training. The puppy’s routine is being changed to include training sessions, a new concept for him. Plus, he needs to adapt to different environments and strangers in order to participate in the program.

Keeping it simple and progressing gradually but consistently is essential. When the canine passes the basic obedience program, the commands can become more advanced, encouraging the dog to reason through complex problems and devise a solution.  

For example, you may request that the dog “come” and “sit” as a single activity. Once the entire command has been fulfilled, you can offer praises, cuddles, and treats.

The schedule

Dogs like a routine in which they know when to expect an activity and which task to anticipate. Meals, playtime, walks, and potty breaks should be scheduled at the same time every day and follow a similar pattern. When adding training into each day, these sessions should also be timed the same daily.

Often, dogs have a few sessions in a single day of approximately 15 minutes. These can be readily added and adapted to because the repetitive schedule lets the pup know precisely what comes next. This allows him to be mentally and physically prepared for the program.

Despite the routine that he’s become accustomed to being modified, as long as the training blends naturally with his other activities, he’ll adapt relatively quickly.

Final Thought

Retiring to Orlando will be wonderful and exciting for your senior dog and you, but he needs to be convinced that the change is a good idea. 

The best way to do that is to share mutual trust and respect, be clear with your intentions, communicate on a level he has grown to understand, and make sure he has a good time. Click for guidance on keeping your senior dog active.

Senior dogs can learn and want to please you; it’s a matter of taking it slow and offering only praise and positivity as he successfully achieves each goal.