<p>Yes, similar to 江山易改，本性难移.
It refers to someone who cannot change their bad habits, like dog cannot change their behaviour to eat shit.</p>

<p>For example, you can say a thief commit a thievery again and again, then you can say: 這小偷老是偷東西，真是狗改不了吃屎。</p>

<p>It is used more often in a colloquial language, and less severe than 江山易改，本性难移. When someone uses 江山易改，本性难移 to another person, it is often with the emotion that they have been let down massively, and may even be angry/disappointed with the person. Whereas 狗改不了吃屎 often may just be complaining, but don't really care if they change or not.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-06T23:40:49.790Z
2014-06-06T23:46:43.940Z
2014-06-06T23:46:43.940Z
eddiecjc
<p>I'm Chinese. The differences between the two phrases are:
1. 江山易改，本性难移 is used more neutrally while 狗改不了吃屎 is definitely more negative for complaining.
2. 江山易改，本性难移 is often used in writting, whereas 狗改不了吃屎 is informal and often used in spoken lanaguage.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-07T06:59:40.527Z
2014-06-07T06:59:40.527Z
MOLLY
<p>It is similar to another English idiom &quot;You can't teach an old dog new tricks&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-24T01:43:54.960Z
2020-09-24T01:43:54.960Z
Stranger
<p>I disagree, 狗改不了吃屎 refers to " A person who cannot change his bad habbit" , note that the emphasis is on the person.</p>

<p>江山易改，本性难移 means it is easier to change the 江山/the country/the world than to change a single person character. The emphasis is completely different than the previous one.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-25T00:12:25.613Z
2019-07-25T00:12:25.613Z
maxvin tan
<p>What does 狗改不了吃屎 mean? I think it is a proverb. Something do to with god?</p>

<p>In my research, is it similar to 江山易改，本性难移?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-07T10:59:48.140Z
Time is a circle.
sfy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-06T06:53:11.267Z
Old habits die hard.
Li Wang
<meaning><idioms>
What does 狗改不了吃屎 mean?
# What does 狗改不了吃屎 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-06-06)

What does 狗改不了吃屎 mean? I think it is a proverb. Something do to with god?

In my research, is it similar to 江山易改，本性难移?

**Tags:** meaning, idioms

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Time is a circle.  
> **username_2**: Old habits die hard.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-06-06. Score: 11

Yes, similar to 江山易改，本性难移.
It refers to someone who cannot change their bad habits, like dog cannot change their behaviour to eat shit.

For example, you can say a thief commit a thievery again and again, then you can say: 這小偷老是偷東西，真是狗改不了吃屎。

It is used more often in a colloquial language, and less severe than 江山易改，本性难移. When someone uses 江山易改，本性难移 to another person, it is often with the emotion that they have been let down massively, and may even be angry/disappointed with the person. Whereas 狗改不了吃屎 often may just be complaining, but don't really care if they change or not.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-06-07. Score: 8

I'm Chinese. The differences between the two phrases are:
1. 江山易改，本性难移 is used more neutrally while 狗改不了吃屎 is definitely more negative for complaining.
2. 江山易改，本性难移 is often used in writting, whereas 狗改不了吃屎 is informal and often used in spoken lanaguage.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-09-24. Score: 2

It is similar to another English idiom "You can't teach an old dog new tricks".


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### Answer by username_6 on 2019-07-25. Score: 0

I disagree, 狗改不了吃屎 refers to " A person who cannot change his bad habbit" , note that the emphasis is on the person.

江山易改，本性难移 means it is easier to change the 江山/the country/the world than to change a single person character. The emphasis is completely different than the previous one.


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