Mower County transcript., 1890-04-30
HOW DOGS ARE TRAINED.
| An Old Circus Man Tells How Canine
| - Acrobats and Clowns Are Made.

i : 4 Tx +
An Old Circus Man Tells How Canina
| - Acrobats and Clowns Are Made.
Prot. Burton, who has troupe OF
clever dogs at the Eden Musee, is an
old circus man. lie used to be tum-
bier IN the ring. There comes day
IN the life Of every circus tumbler when
ne must quit the business and 20 into
something else. Burton went to train
Ing dogs. He has been in various COM
panies, but Is now on his own hook.
he had valuable troupe OF dogs in
New York, but somebody poisoned them.
The professors present family Of dogs
consists OF Italian greyhounds, German
poodles, Russian poodle, Russian
spaniel, a liver-and-white spaniel, q
spitz, black dog.that does the somer-
sault act, and several others.
There is no dog" said the professor,
(which can't be taught q trick of some
Sort OF course there are some dogs
that learn quicker than others, and
moro tricks. Well, there is no trick
about it that ever knew. 1t takes pa
tience, and judgment and kindness.
seldom use the whip, and never in CIV
Ing instructions. In fact, have to be
very cautious. The other day two of
my family got into q squabble. l sep.
arated them, but with trouble. In do.
Ing so had to cut one of them with the
whip. That fellow is heart-broken. He
has had the sulks over since. He won't
eat and he won't act. I've got to send
him away for few days.
"A dog should be at least a year old
before training. select different
breeds for different acts. The grey.
hound is natural leaper. The spaniel
is trickster. The spitz is clown. The
black dog-the black and tan one-is
the acrobat
"Under ordinary circumstances the
average dog will learn his tricks in five
weeks. Then the test comes when he
goes on the stage the first time. Talk
about people having stagc-fright! I've
known dogs when brought on the stage
for the first time make break and run
away and tremble like frightened
child. When they got used to it, though,
they like the stage, and the more ap-
plause they get the better they act.
You may think that is stretching it, but
it is fact that trick-dogs do better if
they are applauded, and this is espe-
cially true if the applause comes from
children.
"Thesc t-iak-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 for play. This,
think, is instinct, for any body 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
programme they 60 through with me.
II keep them in cages after the show.
Every morning at $3.50 take them out
for exercise. They are fed twice day
in the morning and after the show at
night. This troupe consumes about
fifteen loaves of bread and large size
market basket of cooked meat every
day.
"They never forget trick. Ilaid off
some months aso and sent tho dogs to
the country. l had vacation of sew
eral weeks-me and the dogs. When I
returned to the stage with them they
went through every part without a
break. There is good feeling between
the members of the present family.
They are healthy and full of fun.
There isn't cyn;c in the lot-"-Chicago
Tribune.