It' isnt so much a matter of _can_ you teach an old dog new tricks, it's simply getting the idea across and hoping the dog isnt in a contrary mood.
We had a stray show up and adopt us where i work at, vet estimates her age at 5 years, beautiful little red heeler.
She's really smart ( and spoiled now) but she learns things like lightning.
Here's a simple test for your dog, is it breathing? ok, it can be trained, only question is _if_ the dog wants to learn, some can be as obstinate as some people you know