It has been said many times that it is impossible to teach old dogs new tricks. The research I have done, which I will be discussing in this paper, has shown that that is not true, although there is little "hard" scientific evidence. Most of the disproving evidence comes from trainers experienced with training dogs. I will be forming an experiment to test how true the statement is for my science project.
According to Brewer (1898), the phrase "Old dogs will not learn new tricks" originated from a Latin phrase meaning "An old parrot does not mind the stick." Brewer interpreted the phrase to mean that "When persons are old they do not readily fall into new ways." In other words, older people (or animals) don't change or learn as quickly as younger people.
Back to the topThe proof that this statement is untrue can usually only be determined, with dogs at least, by actually working with them. Few scientific studies have been conducted with dogs.
One study that did work with dogs was conducted by Dr. Bill Milgram, a neuroscientist at the University of Toronto. The study, conducted over the "past several years," studied "aging and canine cognition." The "research shows that some, but not all, old dogs suffer from 'cognitive dysfunction' ---which resembles a doggie form of Alzheimer's disease. This means that some, but not all, old dogs can learn new tricks." (Adams, 1999) Adams' article also described the results of Dr. Milgram's research. The dogs were classified into two main groups: "cognitively impaired and cognitively non-impaired. Compared to young dogs and old unimpaired dogs, old dogs that are 'cognitively impaired' are not able to learn new tasks easily and do not remember previously learned information very well. Apparently only 10% of old dogs in these studies can be classified as cognitively impaired." (1999) A more thorough report of Dr. Milgram's work was aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) on May 9, 2002. In the transcript of the report (Savory, 2002), Dr. Milgram was quoted saying that the brain functions the dogs lose are "processes that would include the ability of the animal to deduce a rule, the ability of the animal to remember information long enough to be able to use it... what you could call short-term memory, the ability of the animal to learn to correct a mistake." To test a dog's cognition, a test had to be designed because this was the first time it had been studied. Milgram and his colleagues "built a test box in which the dogs must first deduce the rules of the game and then solve the puzzle for a food reward." Some of the dogs never learned some of the tasks, even after months of training, which, Dr. Milgram says, "shows they're just responding to what they see, such as food, and not thinking about how to get it." The researchers looked at a magnetic resonance image of one such dog's brain and found it surprisingly similar to the brain of a person with Alzheimer's. Savaroy reports that, "The grey matter, the stuff [the dog] thinks with, has shrunk, leaving him with enlarged ventricles that look like dark cavities. And a slice of brain tissue from a severely impaired 12-year-old dog shows the same plaques and tangles as one of an 86-year-man with Alzheimer's." (2002) This dog, named Stubby, is a beagle, but his background is more important than his breed.
The other type of proof comes from professional dog trainers who have worked with older dogs. One trainer, Jim Dwyer of Florida, tells a story of a 68-year-old woman who owned a 6-year-old standard poodle. The woman was intimidated by the unruly dog, but after three months of training, the poodle obeyed the woman's commands and the woman was no longer afraid. This proves that the saying is wrong for both dogs and people. (Dwyer, et al., No date) Jan Rogers also tells a story of training an old dog. One of her dogs had previously barked at the door to be let inside. The dog attained an annoying habit of whining piteously instead, but Rogers was able to retrain the dog to bark. (2001)
Both of these types of evidence, the controlled scientific study and the stories of training experiences, help to reveal the untruth of not being able to teach old dogs new tricks.
Back to topAll dog training uses pretty much the same tactics to get the dog to do as the trainer wishes. To train any dog, you must know how to motivate that dog. The reward for performing the trick or behavior, says Dodman, must be "practically irresistible, not just kibble or a piece of dry dog biscuit." (2001)
To start the training, reward the dog when it performs in a natural environment. If you want the dog to be able to sit on command, reward it when it sits down. Next, add a word or hand signal, but only once. If the dog doesn't perform, simply don't reward it. (Dodman, 2001) To train a dog to "Heel," or walk at the left heel of the commanding person, Hodgson recommends using one command all the time, even with different people. To teach a dog to walk at your heels, Hodgson uses the "Let's Go!" command. To start, walk ahead of the dog and call its name. Reward the dog if it stays next to you when you turn in a different direction. This is best done on a leash in an undistracting area. Next, move on to using the command without further encouragement, simply walking away after giving the command. When the dog moves to your side, immediately reward it. As the dog becomes more responsive to the command, increase the level of distraction in the surrounding environment and continue to reward it. (Hodgson, 2001)
As supported by the above evidence, I do not believe the saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is true. The laboratory and field tests have, I believe, disproved this. However, as mentioned by Adams, about 10% of older dogs are "cognitively impaired (1999)." My project will be testing how much longer my older dog, who is 12 years old, will take to learn the "Heel" command than my younger dog, who is 2. Unfortunately, my older dog is no longer very active and sleeps quite a bit, so I think that may cause her to be what could be considered "cognitively impaired." I will be using Hodgson's method to train the dogs and this will enable me to see how quickly they learn.
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