Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-06-04
Wednesday, June /. 1870
DOGS AND THEIR TRICKS.

Most ANY Dog Tan BE Taught some
Trick and Hell Never Forget It.
Professor Burton, who has a troupe
of clever dogs, is an old circus man.
He used 10 be tumbler in the ring.
There comes a day in the life of every
circus tumbler when he must quit the
business and go into something else.
Burton went TO training dogs. He has
hen with several companies. but is
now on his own hook. He had a val
liable troupe of dogs once in New
York, but somebody poisoned them.
The professors present family Of
dogs consists OF Italian greyhouuds.
German poodles, a Russian poodle, a
Russian spaniel, a liver-and-whits
spaniel, a spitG, a black dog hat does
the somerset act, and several others.
''There is no dog" said the profes
sor, which cant be taught a trick Of
some sort. OF course there are some
dogs that Learn quicker than others,
and more tri,ks. am always asked
how | teach ,pgs these tricks. Well,
there is no Tuck about it that | ever
knew. Ii taxes patience and iudg.
ment aud kl dmc>s. seldom use the
whip, audu ycrin giving instructions.
In vact. | lave 10 be very cautious.
The other day two of my family got
into a 50 lab5ic | separated them.
but with trouble. In doing 50 | had
to cut ore of them with the whip.
That fellow is heartbrUken. He has
had the sulks ever since. He won't
eat and he won't act. I've got to send
him away for few days.
"a dog should be nj least a year old
before training. | select different
breeds for different acts. Tie grey
hounds a natural leaper. The spaniel
is a trickstcr. The spitz is the clown.
The black dog-the black-and-tan one
is the acrobat.
''Under ordinary circumstances the
average dog will learn his trick in five
weeks. Then the test comes when he
goes on the stage the frs. TINA. Talk
about nespie having stage fright! I've
Known dogs when brought on the
stage for the first time make a break
and run away and tremble like a
frightened child. When they get used
to it, though, they like the stage, and
the more applause they get the better
they act. You may think that is
stretching it, but it is a fact that trick
dogs do better il they are applauded,
and this is especially true if the ap-
plause comes from children.
These trick dogs know their places
on the stage and take their cue from
my looks. They are as eager for the
show to begin as children are eager for
play. This, | think, is instinct, for
anybody could go on the stage with
them if he knew the words to speak
and the motions to make, and thedogs
would 60 through the same pro.
gramme they go through with me.
II keep them in cages after the
show. Every morning at $50 / take
them out for exercise. They are fed
twice a day-in the morning and after
the show at night. This troupe con.
sumes about fifteen loaves of bread and
a large size market basket of cooked
meat every day.
They eve forget a trick. l laid
off some mouths ago aud sent the dogs
TO the country. l had a vacation Of
several weeks-me and the dogs.
When | returned 10 the stage with
them they went through every part
without "a break. There is good feel.
ing between the members of the pres.
ent family. They are healthy and
full Of fun. There isn't a cynic in the
lot. "-Lhicago Tribune.