Is there a "cut off" point?

Is there an age when it is not possible/more difficult to train a dog?
Is clicker training still possible with an older dog?
Can separation anxiety be alleviated?
Can recall be taught when the dog is older?

Thoughts going round my head. What are your thoughts?

1 provided the dog is healthy both physically and mentally and the trainer is competent, then there is no cut off age for training or learning.
Many older dogs have been completely RETRAINED using clicker training.
Separation Anxiety can be prevented and alleviated with the right approach. However if the dog is old and has suffered with SA for years, it may never be cured. However SA is IME vastly over and wrongly diagnosed.
Yes you can teach a dog to recall at any age.

I agree with SB, with an older dog they might take slighly longer to get the idea of training but will still learn.

Adam

Sadie and I started our training together when she was a year old - she is 9 now. But when last year I taught her to beg and "On your head" where she puts her paw over her ear..so I would say there is no cut off point - although it is tougher to get them to understand in my experience with Sadie.

I think any dog can learn if the owner and the dog is willing to teach them - just have to find a way to do it.

Clicker training - works! Sadie has never had a clicker before but since working with Louie with one - I tried her with the clicker and she clicked on quicker than Louie

SA - not an easy one in an older dog

Recall - dont know never had a problem with this - When I first walked Sadie I just let ehr off and she came back - no training there LOL and she was a year old too

An essential element of Clicker training, much like any other training, is marking a desirable behaviour, a fundamental principle in all training, so success depends on several variables such as the trainer's understanding and ability, competing distractions and the dog's temperament and prior learning experiences.

Aside from individual considerations at different developmental stages different potential difficulties can apply e.g. uneducated, naive puppy, pushy, independent teen, mature adult accustomed to certain rules of interactions, elderly dog with impaired physical or cognitive function.

It is easier to teach from a "clean sheet", rather than have negative transfer with aiming to rectify an already learnt, established response in a situation e.g it is easier to not have the dog learn a persistent self-rewarding recall failure than to try to rectify that, doing so then depends on several variables, including the dog's motivation for not coming when called.

Most, but not all, SA cases can be resolved, or at least improved, but not all separation problems are anxiety related e.g boredom, opportunity, frustration, excess pent-up energy etc can also be all, or some part, of the problem.

As ever the answers are," it depends"

Well Kip was 8 or 9 years when we took him on and he learned a lot of things.

I must admit, it did take longer (and he never ever liked clicker training, but we did fine without it), but that was because he seemed to have never been allowed to 'think' so I had to really encourage him to try (rather than just standing looking at me in the hope he would get a treat anyway)

Hoki was a bit younger (6 years old) and had very bad manners, but she learned very quickly what was expected of her and was happy to oblige (most of the time). She continues to learn at 10 years old...e.g. she didn't take up agility until she was 8 years old and learned really quickly.

I think one of the key things (as it probably is with all dogs) is finding what method suites the individual dog. I genuinely believe that one method doesn't fit all.

Recall is (imo) a lot about how much the dog wants to be with you. If he/she has no interest in you and would rather be off somewhere else, then recall training is likely to be particulalry difficult with an older dog - they've kind of got used to doing their own thing and being independent. Doesn't mean its impossible, but you have to find something that the dog really loves, whether that be a special food or a very special toy.

No advice about clicker training......but in the words of great wisedom

You can teach an old dog new tricks.........although they maybe slower.....but remember ..... many a good tune played on an old fiddle

One of my whippets was 8 when I got her . I housetrained her as she had lived in a kennel before . I also taught her to sit etc . it does take slightly longer to train at that age but the advantage is they are well past the crazy puppy stage !
I think separation anxiety can be resolved too in any dog .

Thanks everyone.

Lol, as with everything

Lol love it!

I don`t use a clicker, but never had a problem training an old dog. Dogs are very adaptable.
The only thing I`d say is - check the hearing (of the dog that is). And combine hand signals with commands. Then if hearing and sight get worse with age, you can still communicate.
I took on a Foster aged 10 or 11 and she settled fine. And Laddie was 5 when he came and he`d never done any training at all and became a smashing dog. He had SA but was OK if left with another dog, so was never left entirely alone.
So - when do we get to meet this hypothetical oldie?