Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-08-09
TRAINING ANIMALS.
THE ART OF TEACHING DUMB
BRUTES FOR THE ARENA.
The Zebra Hardest to Train-Hogs
are Highly Intelligent
Animals Vary in Dispo-
Sition as Well as Men.

in the Brooklyn Citizen, he has done
nothing else but train animals for the
arena. His right shoulder is shrunk
on account Of an attempt by big African
lion to make an early breakfast off him.
He has theory that any animal can be
trained if more or less time is expended
in the work HSome animals are ruled
by fear and others by affection.
81 once trained laughing hyena, but
it was a dangerous undertaking. The
repertoire of these beasts is necessarily
limited and the result is not worth the
trouble it gives. But Of all contrary and
thick headed animals, the zebra takes
the provender.
'The mule is wise and docile COM
pared to the zebra. | can teach a mule
and obtain a perfect mastery over it, but
the zebra has an indomitable spirit that is
IN open revolt all the time 1t would re-
quire the assistance of strong derrick
to get one of these black striped quad
rupeds to do one half the tricks of
horse. Beside it is lazier than the mule,
and capricious as the wind. They are
not intelligent enough to be taught many
tricks, and their stubborn fits makes
them too uncertain for everyday per-
formances. A mule has a very good
memory, but zebra is incapable of re-
membering anything. The horse is the
most intelligent OF all animals of the
equine breed, yet it takes from six to
eight months to teach one thoroughly in
what we call the high school of Spanish
trotters. Some horses are naturally more
intelligent than others, and on that their
progress depends more or less. 1t is often
difficult to train horse to perform with
an animal of different species. A little
pony and baby elephant are often
taught to perform together, but no one
has ever seen grown horse and a large
elephant trained to do tricks together.
l have been training a horse and elephant
together for many months and intend to
bring them out next season. One of the
most difficult things for me to get the
the horse to do is to lie down and let the
elephant walk over him. The elephant
does not mind it, but the horse is
frightened and has no confidence in the
mastodon. It will take months of con-
slant practice to make the horse feel
secure whenever the elephant walks over
him
"Nearly every species of the animal
creation has been tried by experienced
trainers and educated as much as possible
in the art of doing tricks. In Germany
especially, there are men who devote their
lives to teaching and experimenting with
animals. The big gorilla monkey, sup
posed to be Darwin's missing link, al
though ferocious and uncertain in temper,
has been taught to perform. There are
some animals, and amphibians, that are
never taught, such as the giraffe, the hip
popotamus and others that are too un-
gainly and awkard in their movements.
The antelope and chamois have been cap
tured and put through curriculum of
study that would educate a dozen horses
or elephants without having any effect
upon them whatever. 1t is the absence
of intelligence and not stubbornness that
makes it almost impossible to train them.
There are few training schools for ami
mails in America, the very place where
they ought to be taught"
SIS there any secret in the art of train
ing animals?"
''None whatever. Every trainer has
his method and natural aptitude for
handling animals. Perseverance and pa
tience can accomplish uore in training
dumb creatures than anything else Hogs
are very intelligent compared to other
animals, but, dear me it requires patience
to train them. There are certain cues by
which they are taught These cues are
series of motions on the part of the trainer
which can be understood | remember
that when first saw hog pick out cards,
and work sums in arithmetic by selecting
the answer on a card, | was astonished.
Very soon | saw that the hog was guided
in everything it did by its masters move
ments. Now the hog has become an
acrobat, jumps hurdles, rides and tumbles
in the most approved style. The steer is
not so easy to teach. have two Devons
now that are highly educated, but it took
me months to do it. Their memories are
defective. Once taught fine steer to
go over a ladder one way and come
back another For two hours one
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