Your senior pet may be smarter than you think

The saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks might have been disproven once and for all. A recent survey by OnePoll found that 71% of pet owners believe their cat or dog has become more intelligent with each passing year. Those who responded overwhelmingly agreed that their pets were better able to earn tricks and interact with others with age. In fact, 87% of respondents said that it is actually easier to teach an old dog new tricks (talk about ironic).

The study was commissioned by Stella & Chewy’s; following the survey, the company’s founder said via statement, “We believe that all pets deserve love, no matter the age. My dogs Stella and Chewy, who inspired me to start the company, showed me how much I can learn from senior pets. As my dogs aged, they became even smarter companions, giving me a fresh perspective that I carry with me every day.”

Survey questions, methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.