You can't teach an old dog new tricks. For the longest time I didn't believe this, until I tried over and over again to get my 14 year old collie to do that spinning plate routine. He couldn't even get one plate going on a spindle! And he refuses to try on the jacket with the colorful handkerchiefs I bought him for a parlour type "nothing's-up-my-sleeve" trick either. Its like he's gotten really set in his ways now I guess...