If you’ve always believed in that old adage, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’, recent scientific research might just prove you wrong! New studies conducted on the cognitive and reasoning abilities of senior dogs have led scientists to believe that age-old adages aren’t always right.

Take for instance the study conducted by Messerli Research Institute in Vienna, where 95 border collies of various ages were divided into groups. The dogs were then made to perform some simple experiments designed to test their association and reasoning skills. In the first test, they were given a row of images on a touch screen to pick out with their noses. Some images had positive associations (the machine dispensed a treat when it was selected), while others had ‘negative’ ones (a timeout and no treat). In the second test, designed to gauge the dogs’ reasoning skills, they were shown a visual that was entirely new and another which had a ‘negative’ association from the previous test.

In both cases, the results were promising: senior dogs were not only up to the challenge but were actually better at the second test while younger dogs or puppies performed better at the first test. Sure, the older dogs needed more trial runs to figure out the tests, but once they did, they showed the same aptitude as younger dogs.

The popular Discovery TV show Mythbusters also conducted a similar experiment, where they took two senior Alaskan malamutes, dogs well-known for their stubbornness, and trained them in sitting, standing still, lying down and shaking hands. After four days of training, the older dogs could perform the tasks as well as any young pup!

Here’s what professional dog trainer and behaviourist Aaron DeSilva had to say about training senior dogs. “I believe trust is key while training older dogs. You have to remember that many of them come from shelter homes, some have faced trauma in their past. So it’s important to gain their trust before beginning to train them.”

He also firmly believes that older dogs are actually easier to train than pups.  “Pups tend to get bored very easily with repetitive action. Older dogs are better at repetition and practice. They are calm and patient, and observe and adapt better.”

Aaron’s tips on training your senior dog:

• Be patient: Some older dogs might need a little longer to train.

• Be consistent and proactive in your training: Don’t train them once a week, do it every day. A reward-based training programme works best.

• Put their health first: Mobility might be reduced in some elderly dogs, so don’t expect tricks like rolling over, or standing on hind legs from them. Put your dog’s health above everything else. It’s best you do a thorough medical check-up of your dog before you start training.

With a little bit of love and patience, your older dog can and will learn new tricks. Don’t give up on her just yet!