The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-05-17
DOGS AND THEIR TRICKS.
Most ANY Dog Con Be Taught Som.
Trick and He'll Never Forget IT.

Most ANY Dog Con Be Taught Soma
Trick and He'll Never Forget IT.
Professor Burton, who has a troupe
of clever dogs, is an old circus man.
He used to be tumbler in the ring.
There comes 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
been with several companies, but is
now on his own hook. He had val
uable troupe of dogs once in New
York, but somebody poisoned them.
The professors present family of
dogs consists of Italian greyhounds,
German poodles, a Russian poodle, a
Russian spaniel, a liver-and-white
spaniel, spitz, black dog that docs
the somerset act, and several others.
There is no dog, said the profess
sor, which can't be taught trick of
some sort. Of course there are some
dogs that learn quicker than others,
and more tricks am always asked
how l teach dogs these tricks. Well,
there is no trick about it that 1 ever
knew. 1t takes patience and judg
ment and kindness. 1 seldom use the
whip, andneveri in giving instructions.
In fact, l have to be very cautious.
The other day two of my family got
into Il squabble l separated them,
but with trouble. In doing SO 1 had
to cut one of them with the whip.
That fellow is heartbroken. He has
had the sullls ever since. He won't
eat and he wont act. I've got to send
him away for few days
"A dog should be at least year old
before training. l select different
breeds for different acts. The grey
hounds natural leaper The spaniel
is tmclster. 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 first time. Talk
about people having stage fright! I've
known dogs when brought on the
stage for the first time make O break
and run away and tremble like
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 if they are applauded,
and this is especially true if the APP
plause comes from children.
These trick dogs know their places
on the stage and take their cue from
my looks They arc as eager for the
show to begin us children are eager for
play. This, l 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 the dogs
would go through the same pro
gramme they go through with me-
L keep them in cages after the
show. Every morning at $3.50 I take
them out for exercise. They are fed
twice day-in the morning and after
the show at night. This troupe con-
sumes about fifteen loaveS Of bread and
a largo size market basket OF cooked
meat every day.
They never forget a trick. l lai.l
off some months ago and sent the dogs
to the country. l had a vacation OF
several weeks-mo and the dogs.
When 1 returned to the stage with
them they went through every part
without break. There is good feel
ing between the members of the pres
ent family. They are healthy and
full OF fun. There isn't cynic in the
lot. Chicago Tribune.