Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

 

By Mark A. Cadiz

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For Port Perry resident Melissa Norwick, becoming the owner of a 6-year-old border collie cross named Logan was one of her proudest moments.

 

Norwick had searched for months to find her first dog and when she found Logan’s profile onPetfinder.com, she said it was love at first sight.“

 

He was found in the middle of the forest, in the middle of winter time, and he had no collar, no tags and no identification. They tried to put him on the radio and … no one came to claim him,” she said. “He had severe bite wounds all over his body and face so I don’t know how long he had been a stray.”

 

She decided on Logan because at the age of 23, she wasn’t prepared to put the time and energy into caring for a puppy.

 

“As an older dog, they’ve already got basic obedience at the very least, and they’re a little more calmed down,” Norwick said. “They’re just ready to be loved and that’s all … at that point in my life, he was the perfect age, he was everything that I wanted.”

 

Even though Logan already knew basic commands and a few tricks, she still took him to training classes and practiced new tricks with him everyday.“

 

It strengthens the bond, because rescue dogs, they’ve been re-homed who knows how many times. They don’t know if their former owner’s coming back; they don’t know if you’re staying; they don’t know if you’re keeping them,” Norwick said. “I think it’s just something to emphasize the fact that … you’re a family.”

 

In 2010, Norwick and 12-year-old Logan were asked to appear on CP24 to promote Woofstock after she had posted a video of his “Say your prayers” trick on their Facebook page. She could finally show off the work that they had done together.“

 

It was just amazing, you know? I felt like the kind of dog he was, what he overcame … that he deserved recognition,” she said. “I was a proud mama.”

 

In February of 2013, Logan passed away at the age of 14. Even though he was an adult when he was adopted, he was still able to spend nine years of his life in his forever home.

 

Norwick says adoption was the best decision she had ever made.

 

“I would never hesitate to do it again, I’ll always adopt.”