What’s that they say about old pooches, how you can’t teach them new tricks? An increasing amount of people has claimed that the saying is false, with examples of their own that contradict the popular opinion. They have old dogs, who are less flaky, steadier, who can’t jump as high as they could when they were younger, and who are constantly grumpy when things don’t go their way. But they’re still able to learn, despite what everybody thinks.

Recent research has shown that dogs are, in fact, able to learn new tricks even though they might be in their golden years, as long as these tricks correspond with the basic canine instincts. The best example of this would be something we’re all aware dogs can do – fetch. You can teach a dog of any age to play fetch simply because it’s natural for them to bring you things if you ask them nicely and if they feel that there’s a reward involved.

Just remember – patience is key. Take nice and steady steps and you can be sure that if you have a good relationship with your dog, they will listen to you and try their best to obey your every command.