Looking for Advice
Hi everyone! I'm brand new to this group, but not new to pitties. I've got an elderly PitBull and I am having a bit of a dilemma in trying to figure out what to do for him.
TLDR: Should I even bother trying to train my elderly dog out of his bad habits or not?
For context, we rescued Jake a few years ago now. He was found abandoned in the woods by a friend of my father's and we took him after no one claimed him. I have no idea how old he is exactly (we're guessing anywhere between 8-10 years old), but he's definitely been through some serious trauma (again, not sure what exactly as he was abandoned in the woods and we have no history on him).
For starters, once he starts barking, he doesn't stop. He'll go on for like 10 mins barking once he starts, and half the time he's barking at nothing. He also barks when cars pull in to out driveway, or when bicyclists/pedestrians are walking on the sidewalk.
He's also an extremely food-motivated dog, to the point where he whines at empty plates. He's more than well-fed, but my running theory is that his previous owners most likely neglected to feed him. The biggest issue with it though is that if there's food out, all of his basic instincts go out the window. I am convinced if there were a plate of food out and the house was on fire, his motivation for food wouldn't allow him to flee the house.
Other than that, he's a great boy! He's so cuddly and affectionate and just an absolute sweetie! He's very friendly, but just so excitable that it makes him seem a little intimidating and off-putting to strangers.
All this to say, I'm trying to figure out if it's even worthwhile to try to train him out of those habits or not. I mean, he's an elderly dog and I am pretty sure his sight and hearing are going, and my vet-tech student sister has a feeling his mind might be going too (she thinks it might be dementia or something) so I'm just not sure if it's worth trying to train him out of these habits at this point, or if it would just be a waste of time and resources?
I would appreciate any and all advice that you guys can provide me. Thanks! :)