You cant teach an old dog new tricks

You can't teach an old dog new tricks

Meaning

Once animals (and people) are set in their ways they struggle to assimilate new ideas.

Examples

I tried to learn Mandarin after I retired but I got nowhere with it. I guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Where did it originate?

Britain, 16th century proverb. One of the oldest proverbs in English.

Where is it used?

Worldwide, but like many proverbs, now mostly used by the older generation.

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About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

You cant teach an old dog new tricks