Is it hard to train a older dog ?

It may be harder but not impossible. Training a dog takes patience because they learn through repetition. Because he still has accidents sometimes in the house right after you've taken him out makes me wonder if you've been able to completely eliminate all traces of urine or feces from previous "accidents." Have you ever watched a dog's behavior when they go to the bathroom? They sniff the ground and it's not because they enjoy the smell of the grass. They are searching for bathroom spots that they've used before. They do this by sniffing for an odor that is left behind from previous pee or poop breaks. This odor will remain for some time even after the waste is gone. This may be the reason why he still has accidents in the house even after he goes out. He may still be smelling those odors in the house that are telling him, "this is a bathroom spot." This can certainly be a hindrance to properly potty training your dog. The only way to completely get rid of those odors is to use an enzymatic cleaner that you should be able to find at any good full line petstore. One example of such a cleaner is NATURE'S MIRACLE. But there are other brands as well. These cleaners work by using real bacteria to eat away any unseen residue that is creating the odor. All the scrubbing in the world with Lysol or other such household cleaners won't do the trick. Once you've eliminated that problem it should become somewhat easier to potty train your dog. I can't say for certain but I would almost be willing to bet that that is where your problem is. Even after you've gotten your dog potty trained it wouldn't be a bad idea to stock up on some training pads. Even dogs that are fully housebroken can still have occasional accidents. And if you can train them to use the pad when they need to go in the house it can make cleanup and life with your dog a lot easier. I lay them out everytime I go to work. I normally don't have to worry about my dogs "going" in the house but on a few occasions the pads have done their job. Training a dog to do anything can be aggravating but just stick with it and you'll get it worked out.

The good news is, he's not too old to learn! But Chihuahuas are the most difficult dog to potty train. Are you crate training? Crate training definitely helps with potty training! Another tip for potty training dogs is to always take them out at the exact same times every day. Dogs like routine and schedule, so doing this will help him learn to go when you take him outside. Also, positive reinforcement really helps! If your dog is food motivated and likes treat, always keep treats in your pocket when you take him outside. When he goes outside, give him a treat immediately right there outside in the spot where he peed. Don't wait until you've gone back inside to reward him... he won't associate that with what he did outside and it won't help him learn to always go outside. If he does go inside, don't yell at him. This could only make things worse and cause him to go inside more frequently. Just pick him up and immediately take him outside. This will help him associate that outside is where he goes to the bathroom.

What uncorrectedvision says is correct, just because a dog isn't a puppy doesn't mean it is impossible. That saying "you can't train an old dog new tricks" is a myth. Yes it may take a little longer, but with time and patience you can train your dog..Besides 3 isn't really that old, and I'd train him the same way I'd train a puppy and he'll get it..:)

Hello Icollier, It will be harder to housebreak an older dog but is not impossible. You should start from scratch, like he was never housebroken. Train him as you were training a puppy. You may consider crate training, for the time you can't suervise him. Use a fixed program for going out, so that he will get used to the program and wait for the time when you go out to pee. Here's an detailed article about how to housebreak an older dog: http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/hseold.html Good luck and don't forget to tell us about your success!

You have an adult dog but not an old dog. He will remain capable of learning for as long as his brain is healthy. It isn't the learning of new habits but the unlearning of old ones that present a problem. Make sure that there is no physiological cause for the unwanted behavior and then start right away rewarding and praising the desired behavior. It will take consistency and patience but even the most stubborn dog will respond to his owners desires eventually if he understands them. That is where consistency and patience come in. He is not learning a new behavior he is learning anew way to please you.

A dog is trained when is small then its needed to be trained not so farr 3 years.Now at 3 years it very hard to train or imposible.From what I saw in dog training masters should be very "raw" with the dog for this one to understand what its good and what not good for his own good.