Socializing an Older Dog

Is your Dog Too Aggressive?

Do you have an older dog that aggressively barks at other dogs and people?  Does your older dog try to attack other dogs?  Do you wish that you could take your older dog to a dog park or doggy day care to play with other dogs?   If the answer is yes to any of those questions, Smith Farms can help! 

Can Older Dogs be Trained?  

Have you heard the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?”  Well, at Smith Farms, we know that’s not true!  Our expert dog trainers can teach your older dog lots of new tricks and proper socialization is one of them. 

Socializing a Pup

It is best to socialize puppies early in life by exposing them to as many experiences as possible…before they are twelve to sixteen weeks old, but after their vaccines.  Allow your puppy to be around people and other animals during walks in the park or your neighborhood.  Allow your puppy to experience as many different situations as possible and reward your pup for proper behavior with a small training treat.  If you do not have the time or knowledge to properly socialize your puppy, Smith Farms will be happy to help socialize your pup.  

Socializing an Older Dog

Life can be very busy.  Perhaps your job or lifestyle did not permit early socialization of your dog, or maybe you adopted a dog who is not socialized. If this is the case, you may be faced with the task of socializing an older dog.  So, what should you do?

It can be difficult to train an older dog, but it is not impossible.  The training methods required to socialize an older dog is very different from those used to socialize a puppy.  A professional with patience and experience is your best choice for proper training.  

At Smith Farms, we work with all breeds and all temperaments.  We love dogs and it shows in everything we do.  It is an honor to teach dogs proper manners and socialization.  Before we begin, we will evaluate your dog and decide on an approach that we believe will be best for your dog.  We will gradually expose and acclimate your dog to various situations.  We are patient and work with your dog at a pace that reduces your dog’s stress.  We never use aggression or punishment to train your dog; rather, we use treats, toys, slip collars, prong collars, e-collars, and other trained dogs. Remember, different dogs with different personalities require different training and some dogs are faster learners than others. 

Once we determine that your dog is no longer showing aggression toward other dogs or people, we will teach your dog how to play well with other dogs.  Once your dog passes all of our temperament tests for non-aggression, your dog will be free to play with other dogs in our doggy play yard!  Our supervised play yard is a large fenced area where the dog-friendly dogs in our care are free to run around and play with each other and our staff.  Can you imagine how much fun your dog will have?  

Your Dog Deserves to Enjoy Life

Give your dog the most enjoyable life you know your dog has always wanted.   No more aggression.  No more fear or stress.  It will change your and your dog’s lives for the better!  Give Smith Farms a call or complete our form.  No dog is too old to learn new tricks!