you can't teach an old dog new tricks
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
It is impossible to change people's habits, traits, or mindset.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I'm living proof.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “you can't teach an old dog new tricks” mean?
It is impossible to change people's habits, traits, or mindset.
Is “you can't teach an old dog new tricks” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.