Dog Training Tip of the Day-Can Old Dogs Learn New Tricks?
Nikko is a 10 year old American Pit Bull Terrier. Our challenge was teach Nikko the speak cue. Nikko didn’t know what the word meant in the beginning. After all, dogs do not speak English. This is not a dog training tutorial. I created this video for a friend and to illustrate that any healthy, normal older dog this is physically able, CAN learn new tricks with the use of positive reinforcement and clicker training. ***Note: I used lots of high-pitched praise because this is one of Neko’s motivators, along with cheese. However, in a normal clicker training session, it is best to avoid making too much “white noise.” Also, when teaching a dog to speak on cue, it is VERY important to capture the behavior when there is no underlying emotion present. In other words, DO NOT praise a dog or puppy for barking at other people, dogs, or animals.*** Special thanks to Josh Woodward for his song, “Omaha.”