Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-10-02
TRAINING ANIMALS
Good Common Sense and Patience
the Two Requisites.


Training dumb animals is an art
which requires skill and a great deal
of patience said Professor Weber
the ringmaster Of Gentry's dog and
pony show, which entertained the great
part of the juvenile and a large Dor
ton OF the adult population of Phoenix
Saturday and Sunday. ''In the first
place, long experience and careful OBJ
servation of the peculiar traits and
characteristics of different beasts tell
| the trainer almost invariably just
which animals are especially adapted
to perform certain feat. A certain
dog may be remarkably intelligent.
and quick to learn, but there are only
certain tricks which he can be made to
successfully accomplish.
The nature of dog in many re
spects is not essentially different
from that of a man. Some are Won
derfully adept at a particular line of
work, but would be totally unfit for
another. The trainer reads animal ma
ture the same as man reads human
nature. He wouldn't undertake the
to teach quick. nervous and high
spirited animal to perform a clown
trick, nor clumsy. lazy and INDECENT
animal to execute a feat which re-
CURED decision and nerve For in
stance take our two dogs, Bismarck
and Ellis. Their natures are entirely
different. The former is sort Of doil't
care kind CT a canine; all his move
ments are clown-like and it is easy
for him to act the part, while the other
is quick and nervous. It would be
impossible to teach him the hanging
act, for he would be all the time look
ing up and around to see what was
gclng on, while Bismarck is to shift
less to ever attempt to jump upon a
horses back and try to ride it.
"As regards instructing them, in the
first place, the trainer selects his an
NAL for a certain trick. then he begins
by very primitive means to accomplish
his end, and drills the animal SO long
each day He shows it step by step
the most practical method of doing
what he wishes to have dcne. Until
the dog knows its part it always wears
4 string about its neck so that it is
ever under the control Of the trainer.
For long time l had locked for
dog to- do the horseback act, but could
not find one upon which l would be
willing to waste the time necessary
for its instruction
LAS soon as I saw Ellis down in a
little town in North Carolina I be-
came convinced that he was the ca
nine l was after. First I placed him
upon a sort Of platform strapped to
the back of a pony, and a man led the
horse about the ring. and another held
the dog upon his back. In short
time he could ride alone. Then the
pla tform was taken off, and a CARPET |
placed upon the pony's back Then, |
in little while, he was able to ride |
bareback, and gradually the speed Of !
the horse was increased. Finally the |
log, after he had gotten his nerve and |
confidence in what he could do, be- |
came anxious and would himself leap
upon the back CT the horse; then it was /
easy to induce him to /
mount while the animal was going at |
full speed, and now he enjoys do
ng il.
Il saw what, our Understanding
and high diving dog was capable of !
when L noticed that he would always |
limb up the wire screen CT the cage /
md lean cut. If he would do that, 1 |
determined that he would climb
adder and jump off, and he readily
COX to the trick. In other words, ne
was especially adapted to it. In
eaching Bismarck t orun through the
leadless barrels, I first used barrels
With slit in them, and pulled the dog
through. After time I would re-
ease the string and call him Soon he
aW what was wanted of him, and now
soes through his part without ever a
freak
Strange a sit may seem, elephants
re the easiest of all dumb animals to
rain. They lock stupid, but they are,
N the contrary, exceedingly bright.
They have massive brains and very
etentive memories. Once on friendly
erms with their trainer, they will
mind as almost no other animal will
%. With them, too, discretion has to
e used in the matter of tricks For
Pinto could never be taught
. stand on a barrel and roll it. She
5 too timid. With Nero we first made
i'm stand on barrel. That was not
iff1cult. Then, with strong cord
ied to his tusks, ] stood in front of
i'm and pulled him forward so that
he barrel rolled one inch, while. as it
1oved, men before and behind blocked
t. He saw that it was necessary t.
hange his position as the barrel
1oved This was kept up and in
reased by degrees until he saw that in
rider to maintain his footing on the !
ariel, it was necessary to step back '
ard or forward. as the case might be, Y
lille his own natural instinct taught t
i'm what tC do to maintain his g
quilibrium. Then the blocks were 7
and as I stood before him t
rawing him onward he was forced to 9