San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-10
SETTING ON THE DOG.
The Different Expressions Men and Boys
Use in Commanding Animals

The Different Expressions Men and Boys
Use in Commanding Animals
When boy in New England has oc-
casion to "set" his dog upon any one or
anything, he exclaims, as rule, ''Stig i'm!
Stig imp The New York boy, or the boy
of the west, generally says, 'Sic 'imi Sic
limp To the western boy the command
'Stig limp sounds absurd; it provokes his
| laughter; but his own command is equally
amusing to the New England boy. This
| little difference illustrates the beginning
of local dialect. Probably neither boy
thinks of the exact meaning of what he
says. He is merely repeating words which
he has heard others use, and which he is
sure from their frequent repetition, that
the dog will understand.
The boy who says sic i'm" is repeating
a corruption, but one degree removed. of
the words Seek himl' which are a very
old command
"Stig i'm" is corruption one degree
further removed from its original than
''Sic i'm" 1t began with Take him."
which was varied by the use of "so' before
it-"So take himp' From tAis to So take
him" was an easy step, and the more
easily pronounced "Stig i'm" was the next
corruption.
The word 80" is often used as kind of
intensive expression in all sorts of com
mands to animals. Probably the apparent
ly 'unmeaning expression which is often
used in urging ON a dog in the eastern
part of the country, "Steboy!'' is no more
than a greatly compressed and corrupted
form of $50 take 'em, boy" although
Emerson seems to have looked upon it as
an abbreviation of "Histl boy!"
The farmer, by the way, is very fond of
calling his animals "boy" He says,
whoa, boyr' and go on boy" to his
horse, but it is worthy of notice that he
never calls his horse hoy" unless he feels
in good humor with it. The word is al
ways to be regarded as a compliment or
expression of affection.
Often the possessor of dog does not use
any set phrase in commanding his animal
to attack He may say, Catch him!" or
$50 for him" or "Seize himl' or anything
else which he chooses. 1t is well known
that the command to attack is the one
which dog most easily learns. Almost
anything will serve for the purpose, for
most dogs, as we are truly told, delight
to bark and bite" But they also delight
to obey, and no properly trained dog will
attack without command, except on his
masters premises at night.
By seeming perversion of terms the
command which most naturally signifies
to attack, "Charge!" has come to mean
just the opposite thing, namely, to lie
down.
Many owners of dogs, in order to render
the animals useful to themselves only,
train them toObey special commands, in
vented by the master A case is known in
which man taught his dog to obey in re-
verse order, as it were. When he said,
"Come here" the dog ran away; and "Get
outp' was his command to the dog to ap-
proach.
No dog can be regarded as of much use
unless he understands and obeys at least
seven commands, namely, Here, f" or "Come
here" with which every young dogs edu-
cation should begin, and which is the most
important command of all; "Sic 'em," or
Take 'em:" Charge" or Lie down."
Heel" or follow close behind; go home"
"Get OUT and Don't touch it. "-Youth's
Companion y.-... d.. i