Whoever first stated that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” obviously did not know how to begin such a project.

First, the distinction needs to be made that there are many definitions to the word “training” in that it could pertain to behavior, obedience, or activity training.  Although there is definitely overlap among the three, it is important to know which is being referred to, depending on what type of behavior the owner wants to teach the dog.

The very first things that must be determined before training an older dog is to know what type of temperament the dog (and the owner!) has and which type of method will work most effectively.  For example, if the dog has an alpha personality, the type of training must specifically deal with this trait, whereas a very sensitive dog requires methods that use a gentler, more careful approach. Above all, one must observe the dog closely while training to determine where his strengths and weaknesses come into play.

One effective way in training an older dog, is to use Pavlovian conditioning, or stimulant-response methods.  First, state the word that will be the command for the learned action and then reward the dog with a treat. Once the dog associates the treat and the word together, ease up on the number of times he receives the reward but continue verbal praise. Of course, the association of the word and the treat needs to be repeated occasionally to refresh his memory for this to continue to be effective. However, use of this method should be combined with other methods as well.

Another such method is called “operative conditioning.” This is when the dog exhibits a behavior and is immediately given a reward, such as food. In other words, if he gets something he likes in response to something he has done and is scolded for something he has done differently, he is more likely to repeat that for which he has been rewarded. With the combination of stimulant-response methods and operative conditioning methods, an older dog definitely can be trained to do what the owner desires.

More information on training an older dog can be found here