teaching an old dog new tricks...

[Oenopod]

Can it be done?
We adopted an 8 year old West Highland terrier. No medical problems and very fit and healthy. We've had him for about 3 months now and he has bonded very well with DH and me.

But he barks at the slightest noise/movement. I take him to work with me and although I work by myself in a rural location so he doesn't disturb anyone else, it is very disruptive to my working day. Birds outside, gunshots, cars, tractors, even me banging the chair against the desk by accident - all set him off.

If I get to him immediately I can calm him down but if I'm on the phone or not right by him he winds himself up into a frenzy of barking.

He gets two good walks a day (morning and evening) plus we walk home for lunch, so I don't think it's that he's got pent up energy.

Anyone had any luck re-training an old dog? Any tips?

I attended puppy class with my 7 month old dog so it might not be the same, but the trainer said we should ignore any barking. By calming the dog down ourself, we are reinforcing the fact that they should be scared and bark.

What would your dog do if you ignored the barking? How long would he bark for?
We were told to give the dog a treat or pet them if they are laying peacefully. If they respond to a noise, ignore it, as soon as they settle, then fuss them.

That all worked well for a puppy, not sure about an older dog though. I do know someone else will be able to offer more advice though.

I tried ignoring the barking and he does calm down. So I can see that that would work, but then the postman comes, or a client arrives - I have to respond to the noise (can't leave client on the doorstep while I ignore dog and them!) and try to calm the dog so the visitor doesn't think they are about to be savaged.

He doesn't savage visitors - he is just saying hello, but VERY noisily. He is not aggressive at all.

I guess I just have to keep plugging away at the ignoring then rewarding quiet behaviour.

Also, any tips on stopping a dog running away?
He is very clingy (as Westies often are) and follows me round, always at my feet. But if I leave a door open and turn my back even for 30 seconds, he's gone.

I don't know if he'd make his own way back - I'm too worried about cars to try it. He's usually found in the neighbours garden (once in their kitchen ). Just being nosy.

I watched a puppy training programme before about a dog that jumped up at visitors. They had to practise getting people to ring the doorbell. When the owner went to open the door, if the dog barked, they had to sit back down until the dog settled. Then, they would go and open the door again. If the dog barked, sit back down again.

It took about 2 days for the dogs to not even respond to the doorbell. It was amazing but looked really hard work!

I am pretty scared at letting dogs off lead, I never trusted them but you do need to let them show you they do listen. Could you get a training line (10 metre long lead) and lots of delicious treats. If you felt the dog was getting too far away, you could step on the training lead to stop it going any further. Plus you could keep tempting him back with the treats.

I wish I was a dog expert, I love dogs and would love to be able to teach them all sorts and own loads of dogs too!

Yes yes yes yes you can teach on old dog new tricks.

Several choices open to you.

teach him a speak command ie make him bark.
Then teach a quiet command to make him quiet - this can also be done by raising you hand - so if you are on the phone raise your hand and he will be quiet

Or if you know what sets him off barking give him another job to do instead of barking. eg doorbell rings he must run to his bed and go down and then you give him a treat.

Post man comes he has to get a ball and take it to his bed.

it does take a little time but he will pick it up really quickly if you are consistent for a few days.

Obviously all of the above takes time and will need to be broken down into stages but very very doable.
I would train him with a clicker surprise surprise!

Re recall I think there is a thread lurking around somewhere.

This all sounds good - I'll rope in family to do the doorbell thing. What's a "clicker surprise surprise"?

He is currently barking like crazy because someone had the audacity to walk past the office! I'm ignoring.... and it worked, eventually - he's back in his bed and got a tummy tickle as reward.

The other issue is not a recall thing - when we are walking I can let him off a lead and he is impeccably behaved - sticks close by, comes when called, stops and waits when requested.

It is more opportunistic escapism. E.g. I shut the front door, went to the kitchen, 15 seconds later came back and I'd obviously not completely shut the door, and he'd pushed it open and done a runner.

Or I let him out the car, turn my back to get my bag out of the car and he's legged it out of sight!

Clicker is a training device that give a click sound when the dog does the correct behaviour. I am an absolute fan of them and am always telling people to use them! clicker training

To stop the running off through doors and back of the car teach a wait command.

Start it when the dog is feed. Put the food down say wait and hold the dog from getting the food have a release command ok or yes. say ok and let the dog have the food.

When the wait is solid you should be able to say it anyway and the dog will stop. Use it every time the dog gets out of the car and then the dog will always pause before getting out and should not get out unless you give the release command.

My dogs will stay in the car for ever and never go through a door before me unless they have been told ok.

thanks minimu1. I will investigate those clicker things. Good tip with the food. He does just dive in at the moment.

He is a lovely dog and has obviously been trained well to a certain point but his terrier instincts still kick in. I've never had a puppy - always old rescue dogs (I can't bear the thought of them being put down just for being a bit old!) so I've always just tolerated foibles in the past - this one is a bit younger at 8 than the others have been so I'm hoping to mold him to fit my life a bit better...

My DH is a big softy and isn't very clear in his commands and then gives in too easily. I will have to re-train both of them!

They are both quite intelligent so I should get there in the end!