Teaching an old dog new tricks?

Hi once again! Since we got Simon eight months ago (he is 7-years-old) I have been trying to teach him simple tricks such as giving me his paw, or to "shake hands," with no success. (I heard from a friend that a dog has to perform three "tricks" before graduating from obedience class and thought I would try to give Simon a head start.) Given his past (abuse from another owner) will this mean he can't be trained at all, such as "stay," "no bark," etc.? We love him as he is, but just wondered if we should give it up. Thanks once again, your site has been invaluable.

• Re: Teaching an old dog new tricks? Apr 29 (0)