The idea that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks has been around for a while.
According to Know Your Phrase, the idea first appeared in the 1534 Book of Husbandry, which states, “It is harde to make an olde dogge to stoupe.” The saying was then repeated by Nathan Bailey in the 1792 Divers Proverbs, which reads, “An old Dog will learn no Tricks“.
But, is this idea accurate?
Is it truly impossible for an old dog to learn new tricks?A 9-year-old pup named Buddy is saying, “No way!”
Buddy is a client at Lucky Puppy, a “100% cage-free doggy daycare”, according to their YouTube channel. They are equipped with a 3-acre playground and bone-shaped pool, making all of their clients “lucky puppies” in the most accurate sense of the term.
Buddy, who is 9-years-old, has been attending Lucky Puppy since he was just a wee pup. Although he has always enjoyed splashing along the side of the pool and collecting toys that have floated near the edge, he was always too scared to dive in and swim.
In a heartwarming video uploaded by Lucky Puppy on June 13th, 2017, we get to see the adorable Buddy conquering his fears and proving that old dogs can learn new tricks too!
The 44-second video opens with Buddy standing on the shallow edge of the pool while a Lucky Puppy employee named Christina tries to coax him out. Although he approaches the edge and sniffs the water curiously, the dog is ultimately reluctant to go any further.
Christina then tries a different approach. Sitting beside Buddy, she gives him an encouraging pat and tells him:
“We’ll go together!”
Buddy stands up with his tail wagging as the employee backs into the pool. He once again sniffs the edge hesitantly, but this time jumps into the water and begins swimming like a pro.
Buddy swims out to the middle of the pool, fetching an attractive yellow toy that he’s likely had his eye on.
The employee filming Buddy encourages him from the sidelines, yelling, “Way to go, Bud!” before addressing the audience and explaining:
“That is huge. You guys have no idea how huge this is.”
Buddy finally emerges from the water, an air of pride in his demeanor.
His trainers are beyond proud of his accomplishment, with Christina giving the deserving dog praise and loving pats on the back.
Since Buddy’s first foray into the bone-shaped pool, he has become as comfortable in the water as, well, a fish in water. You can see him in a video posted one month later which shows him playing in the pool with a group of his doggy friends:
Buddy’s heartwarming video has been making its rounds on the internet, ultimately reminding everyone who sees it that it’s never too late to learn something new!
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source: Lucky Puppy via Storyful
