What does ‘you can't teach an old dog new tricks’ mean?
To “you can't teach an old dog new tricks” means to habits set in old age are hard to change. Brewer's records this as an English proverb, in print by the 16th century.
Origin
- Brewer's records this as an English proverb, in print by the 16th century.
How to use it
- Often used with resignation, sometimes affectionately.
- Example: He won't switch software — you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.