New Tricks

My question is, can you teach old dogs new tricks? Our Shih Tzu is ten, and sometimes she just stares at us when we say "go outside" even though she knows what it means. We have to sometimes pick her up to get her to go.

 

I believe it is possible. Dogs have the ability to wipe the slate clean and start fresh all the time. It sounds like she has taught you a trick. It's called "get my owner to pick me up and take me outside." LOL

My Lab wasn't much for tricks, but my Jack Russell seems to enjoy them. I try periodically to throw in a new one just so she has a challenge.

She doesn't really like to be picked up, but she likes being on your lap. I've noticed lately that when I go to pick her up, she jumps up to me, so it's more like she's doing the work. Now I'm wondering if I can teach her to jump up from a distance into my arms. She can jump up and down a good 4 feet in the air. Maybe that's the next thing I'll try to teach her.

 

Homer is not a puppy anymore and he doesn't want to learn new tricks but I'm not sure if it has anything to do with his age because when he was younger, he didn't want to learn either. He is just lazy and very lordly . He does some tricks, but only when he see that I have an extra delicious treat in my hand .

 

Well they can develop bad habits, I don't see why they can't learn new tricks. Two of our dogs started learning in their later years to sing (howl) along with us when we were goofing around with them. We got our terrier to start high fiving people too when she was a little older.