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Erin’s Feel Good Blog: Can you teach an old dog new tricks?!

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? ABSOLUTELY!

I adopted my dog when he was 2 1/2 or 3 years old. He was past the years of a puppy, and I was a little apprehensive that he wouldn’t be trainable. I was so wrong! As with many dogs, they need time to feel comfortable and get to know you before they trust you. Stiles, my dog, was very apprehensive about going up and down stairs with me. I had to talk him into trusting me. this dog pretended that he didn’t know how to go up and down stairs. Then one day, when he saw me leaving- he ran down the stairs to follow me! We all cracked up laughing! They are so smart! TRUST is a big thing with them!

Another great thing that has helped me out is treats. This isn’t rocket science! haha. Dogs like treats! My dog is very treat motivated to do things when I ask him to. He can sit, go down, and go up. He also knows what “come here” means. Some of the things we still have trouble with are stopping barking when I tell him too, as well as staying. Still trying to figure out the best way to teach him these. I would LOVE to be able to form an even closer bond with him and see all he is capable of! I asked Karen from the Kokomo Humane Society her opinion on this matter!

Check out what she had to say!

Note from the Director

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but I have found that in the case of actual dogs this is not the case. Dogs love structure and learning and performing tasks or tricks is a great way to stimulate your young or old dog both mentally and physically. Dogs love to please the people they love. Training your dog on a regular basis not only gets you a happy motivated dog but also a well behaved one that is more enjoyable to interact with.

One of the businesses we partner with is Sit Means Sit. They have a great team that will work with you in a number of ways to train your dog. If you have seen Chris at the Jack Rabbits games working with his dog it is apparent how excited he is to be doing his job.


Our adoptable pet today is Budgie a nine month old Beagle. This poor guy has had three homes so far in his short little life all due to his owner’s issues. Several of those issues had to do with a lack of time to spend with the puppy or unrealistic expectations of what it means to own a pet. I am fairly certain that he has not received the attention or training yet  that he will need to be an easy family member, but it is never too late! Come meet this adorable guy and see if you could be the lucky fourth that gives Budgie his forever home.

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