Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-30

ing dogs will then take the novice with
him and introduce him to the public.
for however we'll trained the dog may
be he would probably be an absolute
failure as a public performer If he
had no experience of facing the foot
lights" In a week however. good
dog, having nothing to do on the
stage except to sit still, will become
accustomed to the glare Of the lights
on the stage and the music and the
applause from the front of the house.
Meanwhile, in the daytime, he is re-
ceiving more lessons.
The dog IS taught to come when he
is called. The trainer puts piece o.
string on his collar. lets him run loose,
and calls him by name. If he does not
come the trainer pulls on the string
gently-so as not to frighten the dog
and so brings the dog to him. When
the dog comes he is coaxed and re-
warded; when he declines to come
after a few lessons-he is scolded. He
soon learns the lesson.
Nowadays there is a great craze for
"acting dogs''-dogs which come on
the stage and do things by themselves.
In every case the trainer begins by
leading the dog through the move
ments he has to make, and at each
lesson the trainer does exactly the
same thing in the same way and uses
the same words in giving q command.
A dog is taught to beg by being first
backed up into a corner, where he has
two walls to rest against. He Is taught
to walk on his hind legs by being led
about in this position while the train
er supports his front legs. Jumping
is a very easy trick to teach. The
trainer begins by holding a stick so
low down that the dog cannot walk
under 1t. and then coaxes the dog to
get over It, BY degrees the stick IS
raised until the dog is compelled to
lump in order to get over 1t, and di-
rectly he does so he is we'll rewarded.
Performing dogs receive most of their
food in the shape Of rewards for good
conduct.
Every now and again one hears OF
an outcry against the cruelty of teach
ing dogs to perform tricks. The out
cry may be justified in the case OF
dogs that are taught to jump over
very high obstacles, because that Is
about the only kind of trick which
can be taught with a whip. 1t Is pos
sible to whip a dog over a nigh
lump. The audience does not see the
whipper, because the dog starts his
run up" out Of sight at one side or
the stage. A whip is worse than use
less to the trainer who Is teaching
dog to do a trick in which the animal
appears to think.
4 dog is taught to apparently dis
tinguish between colors by learning
secret signal given to him by his
trainer when he gets to the desired
color. Sometimes the signal is the
swapping of the fingers, done very
softly, and in a way not noticed by
the audience. Sometimes the signal Is
even less noisy than that, and consists
In the clicking Of the nails Of the
thumb and first finger. Once train
dog to pick thing up when he hears
the signal to do so and you have
taught him variety of tricks-such
as adding up a sum, telling the time
by looking at watch and so on.
The professional trainer usually ac-
customs his dogs to work by word OF
command, but the amateur, possess
ing only one dog, will do well to teach
it by signs as we'll as by words. II
each command is accompanied by
different sign from the hand, the dog
soon gets to look for the sign, and the
word is then unnecessary. Poachers'
dogs are always taught in this way,
because, for obvious reasons, they
have to work in silence.-Tit-Bits