Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-06
PET DOGS AND low TO TEACH THEM


l have often wondered, when seeing
what trouble and care ladies take over
their pet dogs, and the admiration they
always express for dog which is clever at
tricks, that they do not sometimes try TO
teach their favorites to acquire the accom-
plishments they admire and go beyond the
:. begging" and walking on the hind legs.
Men also frequently give large sums for
dogs which have been trained by profess
SIGNALS. but yet very few think of under
taking their education themselves. Surely
it must afford much more pleasure TO any
one to watch the intelligent actions of an
animal which have been called forth by the
owner than to purchase at high price
after its natural intelligence has been SO
cultivated.
One Of the chief reasons for this, have
no doubt. is that people are too indolent to
undertake what they suppose would be a
wearisome task but think there are also
many who have quite sufficient energy, but
who labor under the common mistake that
it is a very difficult thing to do, and that it
requires special master mind to teach
and train dogs This / hold to be an en-
tirely erroneous idea and am decidedly of
opinion that any one who goes the right
way to work and perseveres will succeed.
As to its being a wearisome task, | have
always found it the very opposite, and
highly interesting and amusing, as | am
sure it would be TO any lover and admirer
Of the canine race. In the belief, then,
that there are many who would like to
amuse themselves by training their own
dogs to perform, but who do not know ex-
actly how to set about it, shall now do
my best to instruct them by my own ex-
perlel ces.
There are, undoubtedly, some kinds OF
dogs which are more ready to learn and of
quicker intelligence than others, such as
seen performing dogs of almost every kind,
and it is possible to teach any dog of or
binary intelligence, if he be taken in time.
That is one of the great essentials in all
kinds of education, from the grounding OF
the young classical scholar or the initia-
ton of the juvenile sportsman, to the
puppy, that their instruction should be be.
gun at an early age; in the case of the
latter he should be taken in hand when
between six months and year old if pos
sible. There is still one great essential
which is of more Importance than all others,
and which relates to the teacher--it is
patience. Without patient, good temper.
comparatively nothing can be done with
o young dog, and always made it strict
rule, when l began, that if l lost my tenn
per over trying to teach any one trick, that
particular one was to be given up as
punishment for myself. The system which
must be pursued all through is kindness
tempered with severity, and the canine
law must be opposite to the human, not
whoever does wrong shall be punished.
but whoever does right must be re-
warded"
Hardly ever strike your dog during
his lessons, and especially, never with the
hand, which ought to be looked upon as
containing rewards, and not covered away
from when raised A cuff upon the head,
as l have seen given, quite drives all
ideas out of it, and stupefies the owner
for the rest OF the lesson. The dog should
be taken into a room with no other oc-
cupant but his master, as the presence OF
any one else always dissracss the animals