New Year's resolutions - you can teach old dogs new tricks!

Happy New Year!  I hope you’ve all had a wonderful break over Christmas.
 
Every January, most of us make New Year’s resolutions.  Apparently January is “national dog training month” and I thought I would explode the myth that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.  Actually, an older dog has a much longer attention span than a young pup and, with treats, cuddles or a favourite toy as a reward, will indeed learn new tricks and new behaviours.  Don’t let your dog’s age prevent you from making that New Year’s resolution to start building positive habits with your furry family.
 
Not only does training encourage good behaviour, it can strengthen the bond between you and your dog.  It is an excellent way to communicate and good manners will certainly help your beloved pet happily be welcomed into public areas such as the park and dog-friendly pubs, as well as others’ homes. 
 
Most of us welcome a new dog into the family for similar reasons – love and companionship.  I’m sure that all of us who have dogs will say that they enrich our lives in more ways than we had ever thought possible.  Never lose sight of that.  Remember it when your dog won’t come when he’s called or has just chewed up your favourite slippers.  Training and learning new behaviour can take time to develop so don’t put too much pressure on either of you and remember to have fun too!