Can You Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?
Posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
The phrase “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” has become popular usage in everyday situations, usually used to refer to people or animals that are set in their ways. It is, however, a phrase that is often wondered by many people with older dogs –it is easy to take the saying quite literally, with many people genuinely wondering if it is possible to teach an older canine new tricks. So – is it?
The simple answer is that the phrase is incorrect; it is absolutely possible to teach an older dog new tricks. Just like human beings, a dog’s capacity for learning is not finite. Can you imagine how difficult life would be for humans if, upon reaching the age of 50, we could suddenly learn nothing more? With technology constantly changing and rules and beurocracy requiring constant mental updating as to how they work, it is simply essential for any mammal to be able to continue to learn and develop throughout their lives. In the wild, where the ancestors of the dog belong, a failure to learn and adapt would result in potentially fatal situations if presented with the threat of a new predator.
However, some credence should be given to the saying. Again, using the human comparison, while it is possible for the older generation of a species to learn new things, it may take a little longer. While a teenager is able to understand the latest computer applications seemingly at a moment’s notice, an older person will need a little longer to comprehend the same application.
It is therefore imperative that, should you decide to train your older dog, to be patient. This is especially important if, in the dog’s youth, you trained them yourselves and found they picked things up easily. You must make allowance for age and slightly reduced understanding capabilities, but this does not mean the job itself is impossible.
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