Old Dog, New Tricks : Understanding and Retraining Older and Rescued Dogs

It's never too late to train an older dog to respond promptly and correctly to commands.

Every year thousands of families adopt adult dogs, whether from friends, relatives or the pound or rescue society. These new owners need to understand and deal with the specific problems an older dog may have, especially if its history is unknown.

Old Dog, New Tricks provides expert insights into basic adult dog behaviors. It explains how to communicate effectively with an older dog and create a great partnership. Many issues are peculiar to older dogs and, in particular, rescued ones. David Taylor addresses them all, including socialization and previous training (or the lack of either), genetic factors and adaptation to a new environment.

The book contains practical solutions to ensure good dog behavior:

• Step-by-step obedience drills
• Welcoming the new arrival
• How to assess a dog's problems
• How a dog "thinks"
• How to be a good owner/master
• Communicating with a dog
• What to look for in a rescued dog
• Tackling problem behaviors
• Understanding the effect of a dog's prior history
• Mental and physical changes in older dogs

Old Dog, New Tricks has everything needed for human-canine harmony in any household generous enough to give an old dog a new home.

David Taylor is an eminent veterinary surgeon and the author of 36 books, including the best-selling The Ultimate Cat.