This book is one of the publications I picked up for my son who adopted a young dog from a rescue shelter a few days ago. I found the book interesting enough to read before shipping it to my son, in case I may someday stay at home and get a dog for myself.

The contents of the book are:

Yes, You can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!
Choosing the Right Trainer
Teaching Proper House Manners
The Basic Commands
Game Time!

Dogs, very much like people, get set in their ways as they grow older, but that doesn't mean that they cannot adapt to a new owner or a new home. Training an older dog is different than training a puppy, and an older dog may come to a new owner with his own set of psychological baggage from his earlier life.

One has to remember that all animals are not the same; older dogs may not learn with the same ease as the puppies, and they may not want to obey every command. Making the animal want to learn is an owner's major accomplishment. That is why the author Miriam Fields-Babineau touches the possibility of choosing the right trainer as a possibility inside the pages of the book.

Knowing the personality of the dog is important. A timid dog needs reassurance and patience, whereas a young dog with aggressive tendencies needs to learn slowing down and paying attention to the owner's commands.

Should you take on to yourself training your new older dog, the author continues with the basics such as proper house manners, a good schedule and a healthy diet for feeding, giving commands and making sure the dog understands them, the use of the crate, behavior modification, teaching the dog to stay alone and well-behaved in the house when the owner is away, eliminating problems such as jumping up, chewing, digging, mouthing, pushiness, begging, and excessive barking.

All dogs need obedience training. Obedience training is important because the owner, too, learns to communicate with the dog during the training sessions. Communication with a pet happens not only with words, but also with the tone of voice, touch, and body language.

No matter how old the dog is, he likes to occupy his time and feel that his owner is pleased with him.

"Training Older Dogs" teaches the owner how to teach the dog to heel, to sit, to stay, and to come when called. At the end of the book, further teaching of games like rolling over and doing little tricks are mentioned.

The book, "Training Older Dogs" is in hardcover with 64 well-written and easy-to-understand pages filled with splendid dog photos and with ISBN: 0793830389 and ISBN-13: 9780793830381.

The author, Miriam Fields-Babineau, after graduating from the University of Maryland with degrees in Zoology and Psychology, interned at the Boston Zoo and the National Zoo. Later she went into the field of training all species of animals, working with all kinds of animals for the entertainment and educational media. She has 19 books about dogs and dog training, such as: Raising Your Dog the Natural Way, Dog Training with a Head Halter, and Multiple Dog Household.

This book serves as a primer in older dog training. Without making the task complicated, it gives the basics. It is probably the first book to read even before you bring your older dog home.