There’s no shortage of opinions when it comes to training dogs. Some of it is genuinely useful. A lot of it is outdated, oversimplified, or just wrong – and it gets passed around so often that people stop questioning it.
Here are six of the most common dog training myths, and what the evidence actually says.
Myth 1: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
This one has been repeated so many times it feels like fact. It isn’t.
Older dogs can absolutely learn new behaviours. They may take a little more time and patience than a puppy – their habits are more ingrained and they may have less raw energy – but their capacity to learn doesn’t switch off at a certain age.
If anything, adult dogs often have better focus than puppies. They’re less easily distracted, more settled, and sometimes more motivated to engage with their owner. Age is rarely the limiting factor. Consistency and approach are.
Myth 2: Training makes dogs less playful
This comes from an outdated image of dog training – the dominance-based, correction-heavy methods that were common decades ago. That approach could absolutely suppress a dog’s spirit.
Modern training doesn’t work that way. Positive reinforcement-based training builds confidence, strengthens the dog-owner relationship, and gives dogs clearer communication about what’s expected of them. A dog that understands the rules isn’t a subdued dog – it’s a dog that can relax, play freely, and engage more fully because it isn’t anxious about getting things wrong.
Trained dogs typically get more freedom, not less, precisely because their owners can trust them.
Myth 3: One method works for all dogs
Dogs are individuals. What works brilliantly for one dog can fall completely flat with another – and that’s not a failure of the dog or the owner, it’s just reality.
Some dogs are highly food motivated. Others couldn’t care less about treats but light up for a game of tug. Some respond well to calm, quiet sessions. Others need more energy and engagement to stay focused. Breed, personality, history, and even the individual dog’s mood on a given day all play a role.
Effective training starts with paying attention to the specific dog in front of you, not applying a formula and hoping it sticks.
Myth 4: Training is just about stopping bad behaviour
If your only goal is to stop the things you don’t want, you’re missing half the picture.
Training is also about building the behaviours you do want – and reinforcing them consistently so they become the dog’s default. A dog that knows what to do in a given situation is far less likely to default to the behaviour you’re trying to eliminate.
Beyond that, training is one of the most effective ways to deepen your relationship with your dog. Regular sessions build trust, improve communication, and give your dog mental stimulation that many pets genuinely lack. The bond that comes out of good training is worth as much as any individual command.
Myth 5: Using treats is just bribery
Treats are a communication tool, not a shortcut.
When timed correctly – immediately after the desired behaviour – a treat tells your dog precisely what they did right. That clarity accelerates learning in a way that’s hard to replicate through other means. The dog isn’t working for the treat; they’re learning from it.
Done well, treat-based training doesn’t create a dog that only performs for food. It creates a dog that has genuinely learned the behaviour, with the treat fading into the background over time as the behaviour becomes habit.
The concern about bribery usually comes from misuse – holding a treat out before asking for the behaviour, rather than rewarding it after. That’s a technique problem, not a problem with treats themselves.
Myth 6: Training is a one-time thing
You don’t go to the gym for six weeks and expect the results to last forever. Training works the same way.
Commands and behaviours need to be practised across different environments and situations to really stick. A dog that sits perfectly in your kitchen may need work to sit reliably at the park – that’s not regression, it’s just how generalisation works in dogs.
More importantly, the value of training isn’t only in the end result. Regular training sessions maintain your dog’s mental engagement, keep communication sharp between you and your dog, and reinforce the relationship over the long term. It’s less a task to complete and more a habit to maintain.
The common thread through all of these myths is the same: they underestimate dogs. Dogs are capable, adaptable, and genuinely responsive to good communication at any age.
If your dog is staying with a Don’t Fret Pet minder, you can expect that same understanding to carry through. Our minders are experienced dog lovers who know how to read a dog’s individual needs – not apply a one-size-fits-all approach.