CAN you teach an old dog new tricks?

Dog owner Lynn Stacey is hoping so, as she wants her pet Bella to learn a new trick every day for a year to raise money for an animal charity.

Bella has already mastered 130 new skills, including playing basketball, rolling out a carpet and kung fu moves.

Each trick is recorded and the video put online at bella-blot.weebly.com/365-daily-tricks

The effort is in support of Dog AID, which trains dogs to help disabled people.

Ms Stacey, a wheelchair user and associate trick dog instructor from Durham, said: “Bella is at her best when she’s learning, so adding tricks to her existing knowledge base made perfect sense.

“It has brought us closer together as a working partnership and many of the tricks have a purpose in our everyday life as well.

“I wanted to do something totally different to raise funds for the wonderful charity that is Dog AID, which is where Bella’s 365 Trick Challenge came from.

“I’m excited by the task ahead and hope to raise £1,000.”

To sponsor Bella, visit everyclick.com/bellas-365-trick-challenge or email: bella-blot-trick-dog@hotmail.com