The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-12
Edward c. Dickman, n Former Well
Known Acrobat, Trains Dogs
for Amusement.
HE USES THE FORCE SYSTEM
sUAsION AND THE WHIP ARE NOT
A PART OF 1T.
Obedience Necessary in a Hunting
Dog-An Entertaining Talk
Along This Line.

1t will not be many weeks until the pray
ing of the hound and the deep bark of the
settlers and pointers will be heard in the
fields and woods that surround this city.
All of the men who delight in the sport of
hunting are now getting their dogs in con-
dtion and forming plans for the various
expeditions they are going TO make this
fall. All the while the quail are buzzing
in and out of the various cornfields and sit
ting on the fences plaintively calling Bob
White" and the rabbit is hopping about
the brush heaps, both unconscious of the
many attacks being formed against them
The most essential thing in making hunt
ing a fascinating sport is to have we'll
trained dog. 1t is no small thing to break
a dog so that when he gets in the field he
will have all of the accomplishments that
are necessary to make him successful
hunter. There are few men who have the
peculiar ability for training dogs for the
field. The reason that ii is more difficult
to train dog to hunt than to do fancy
tricks is that in the one instance man has
to be able to control the animal at dis
lance of two or three hundred yards, while
in the other he has him right with him all
the time.
Probably one of the most successful train
ers Of hunting dogs In the city Is Edward
c. Dickman. a well-known acrobat and
theatrical man, who retired from the bust
ness few years ago and now puts In his
time hunting and training dogs for amuse-
ment Mr.. Dickman now owns three dogs
and is part owner of four others. He does
the entire training of his dogs and has
them so they will do almost everything ex-
cept talk. His dogs are all thoroughbreds,
and the pedigree of each one of the three
that he keeps with him can be traced back
forty-five years. Mr.. Dickman has devoted
much time to the study of the hunting dog,
and the methods he uses in training are
exceedingly simple. He believes better
suits can be obtained where the animal is
treated with kindness and that a whip is a
poor thing with which to train a dog. He
further thinks that a man to successfully
manage dogs should be lover of the ami
mails, and if he has no natural inclination
toward deg he should never touch one.
In speaking of his methods Of training he
said:
THE RIGHT AGE.
1.-THE first thing is to know at what age
to begin to work a dog. Many men labor
under the impression that a dog of three
or four months old should commence to
learn to hunt, and when the pup only runs
and plays they get discouraged and i'm
mediately think that their dog is. rattle
headed and will never make a hunter. The
proper age at which to commence training
cannot be precisely given. for the reason
that the animals health. development.
established courage and confidence must be
duly considered. AS a rule / never begin
to work with a dog under eight or ten
months old, and even from twelve to eigh-
teen months old is none too late, because
a dog does not mature at the age of one
year as is generally thought. The matur-
ity of a dog is never reached under two
years. The reason that dog is trained
better after he is full grown is that he can
be subjected to more force and will acquire
knowledge with greater precision than a
puppy under one year of age. In training
I have developed the best and most use
full dogs in the so-called old dogs in a
very short length of time, but man break
ing his first dog should never attempt this
feat; he will succeed far better with a
young dog for he himself will learn many
things as the lessons progress. Training
is an art that requires inclination, talent
and thorough study of the dogs nature.
and must be conducted in a systematic
manner If rewarded by success. Dogs of
all breeds differ considerably to individ-
ual intelligence, disposition. inclination and
pecularities: therefore judgment on the
part of the trainer is quite essential in ap-
plying and giving methods
xrvI,o l.
owned fine dogs that have ruined them
because of their lack of knowledge in
knowing how to manage them. The prin-
cipal thing that a person should do when
he gets a puppy is to begin to study it's
na ture, for in my experience with dogs
have found as many different dispositions
as people. According to the disposition Of
the dog the methods of training should be
formed. With the three dogs I have here
with me there had to be three different
methods of training resorted to because
they differ so much in disposition. Duke,
the youngest of them, was the most pc
culiar to handle because he is modest and
sensitive animal. In breaking him l used
neither collar, line nor whip, L accomplished
his whole training by talking to him and
showing him what L wanted him to do.
Ii L were to lay the weight of whip on
that dogs back il would break his heart
and would ruin one of the finest field dogs
that L ever owned. Even with all of his
auickness to learn it took great amount
of patience but / saw by his actions that
If l ever frightened him and he lost con-
fdence in me- l would never be able to do
anything with him. Take a dog of a hign
spirit, as one of the others that / own has
he can stand some punishment without
hurting him. In truth he has to be pun
ished to a certain extent TO get him under
control
THE FORCE SYSTEM
THE system that / use in training dogs
Is the force system. II Is where suasion
and the whip are left entirely out 1 apply
the force collar, which is collar with a
spike in IL, so that IL can be taken hold Of
This effects attention and obedience without
employing cruel means / also give my dogs
plenty of words of praise and caresses to
encourage and reward them after they
have done good work. The persuasive sys-
tenn finds no favor among practical train
ers. although dogs are perfected to high
degree in that way. but proficiency is ac-
complshed only by the greatest patience
innumerable vexations and loss of time;
and dog so taught may at times work IN