The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-01
TRAINING ANIMALS.
Professor Gentry Talks interestingly
Upon the Subject.

Professor Gentry Talks interestingly
Upon the Subject.
Professor, Gentry, the owner of the
elaca ted dogs and ponies, which are
exhibiting on Fourth South between
State and Main streets this week, was
drawn into conversation yesterday
morning on the subject of animal
training His success in this particu-
lar line has not been achieved all of
d sudden, but, like most other sue
cesses really worth accomplishing, has
been the result OF long, patient and
painstaking efforts. Considerab bly, more
than q dozen years ago, and when ne
was little more than a mere boy, he
commenced training dogs. He trained
few and started giving exhibitions
in school houses and managed 10
make little money in this manner.
During the following winter he COM
menced looking around for some new
talent and succeeded in getting some
fine specimens of dogs. lie trained
these and was even more successful
than before. He then secured some
ponies and trained those also. After
( the ponies had been trained the COM
/ bination was big enough to stand on
] it's own merits and toured the country
/ in theatres for several years. But his
I COAloldll tuAlltloil " MS tNoe anu
ponies outgrew the limits of indoor
representations and it was converted
+ into q canvas show. 1t has taken the
/ labor of about fifteen years to collect
and train this company of dogs and
ponies.
Professor Gentrys peculiar system
of training his animals is somewhat
different from others. When a new dog
is taken into the organization he IS
given little or no tuition to begin
with; he is simply subject to what
Professor Gentry calls gang train
ing" He is given q place in gang
of dogs, or ponies as the case may be,
and quickly observes how his fellows
get along He sees them answer such
simple commands as come here" and
he soon drops into the same habit.
Thus he learns obedience to many
simple commands and obedience on
general principles from the examples of
his comrades. In this way, accord
ing to Mr.. Gentry's opinion, dog or
pony learns from his companions in
a few days what it would be the work
of weeks to impart to him were he
trained by himself. The next step
after this gang training is private
rehearsal with the professor.
AS each animal has some act of his
own, or as an understudy to some
distinguished member of his company,
these rehearsals are absolutely nee
essary In going out among the dogs
and ponies when they are not on ex-
hibition, there did not appear to be
one of them who had any fear of un-
kindly treatment; and as he passed
through the cars where they were
stabbed there was not a horse, dog or
monkey that did not seem to expect
some sort of a playful caress- The
ponies were disposed to reach out
cd n
dogs, without exception, jumped and
thrust their forepaws against him in
the most playful manner
1t was noticeable, however, that
not one of the animals had TO be told
a second time to stop these demon
STATIONS; for, in addition to kindness,
Mr.. Gentry regards firmness as abso
lutely indispensable in the training of
dogs and ponies. He never allows an
animal to suppose himself master of
the situation for even an instant; and
while he never resorts to anything
more severe than the sharp use OF
good whip. kindness and firmness are
equally important to either. If,
said he. 81 find dog or pony working
badly in the ring [ make little effort
TO correct the fault at the time. You
don't always feel as though you could
do the best of everything in your
line: and why shouldn't it be so with
a dog or horse? Most of them like to
work in the ring and seem to like the
parts they have to perform. Sometimes
an animal becomes careless and seems
to forget a part of his turn, but he
and I generally spend about two hours
in the tent after the audience has
been dismissed. I require him to go
through that part which he has for
gotten, probably fifty or sixty times
and the next night when he comes to
that part it brings back to his men,
DRY the knowledge of the private re-
hearsal the night before, and you can
bet he does it right.
s'In selecting dogs [ pay a good deal (
of attention to the breed. I not only |
want intelligent dogs, but they must |
be peaceably inclined. With nearly a |
hundred dogs all loose together I !
would have a nice time if they were !
inclined to fight.
Yes, it is pretty hard work, and. I +
think. about as fatiguing as anything |
a man can undertake"