Can you teach an older dog to get along with other dogs?

Start training your dog the Watch Me exercise in a quiet place indoors where it’s just the two of you. Once you can do this at home, you can progress to the garden where there are more distractions from sights, sounds, and smells. Once you’ve mastered that, you can start going out and about – but stick to quiet places where you can avoid other dogs until you and your dog are experts at this. Distract them when meeting other dogs Once you know how to get your dog to start responding to their name by giving you their attention, you can start using this technique in the presence of other dogs. Start off a long distance from them – beyond the point where your dog would usually react. Always use high value treats to reward them for paying attention to you and not the other dog. Practice can take some time and results can vary depending on your dog’s personality and breed so be prepared to allocate sufficient time and effort for training sessions. It is also about avoiding situations where you know your dog will be reactive – and that might be avoiding other dogs by turning round and going in the opposite direction rather than having an encounter that will sabotage all your good training. Whether triggered by fear, anxiety, or excitement, a dog that always barks or lunges at other dogs can make your daily walks together considerably less enjoyable. Learning how to train your dog to ignore other dogs can teach your dog a better way to behave around other dogs and help you strengthen your bond with your furry best friend.

The same can be said when it comes to training your dog to get along with other dogs. Even as an only dog in a household, Fido will often have to interact with other dogs when they visit the vet, go for walks, or if they want to enjoy dog parks or other social and fun pet-centric events. Learning good doggy social skills, therefore, is a critical part of your dog’s core training. The extent to which your dog will need to be trained to get along with other dogs will depend on their individual personality and the level of interaction you foresee. For the best results, you should begin training your dog to get along with other dogs as early as possible. Starting your dog off young builds positive experiences that your pup can refer back to time and again as they encounter dogs in the future. Each of these skills will involve gradually introducing your dog to other canines and building positive associations with the experience of being around each other.