When I get my household properly set up, Kachina is supposed to be able to open and shut doors, pick things up for me, turn the lights on and off, help get the mail, go shopping with me, help make purchases, and generally make life more enjoyable. At the time I met her at CCI headquarters, she knew 45 commands. I am teaching her new ones. I learned a wealth of things I did not know about dogs before. Three are worth passing on in this brief report.
Dogs are theoretically never too old to learn.
Dogs live in the here and now. Whatever correction you're going to give them must be immediate. Five minutes after the fact, the event you're dealing with will be ancient history to the dog. Owners have to work with this in mind. Third, dogs love pleasant things.