The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-12-09
noc LEARNS SIGN LANGUAGE


A dog can be taught to under
stand the sign language used by
the deaf and dumb. Not only to
understand his master, but also
other people who used this method
of communicating thoughts. This
fact was proved by dog belong
ing to Will o. Kimball, teacher
in Maine school for the deaf and
dumb.
The dog was a general pet OF
all the students in the school.
Whenever they wanted the dog
to do anything. they would talk
to it in the sign language they
were being taught at the school.
At the proper sign, the animal
would roll over, walk on its hind
legs, retrieve a ball, and do many
other tricks. How would they
make the dog come to them when
he was out of sight? That was
easy: all they would do would be
to clap their hands and the dog
WOulQ COlI1G Iu1ul1IlS.
BETTER A PAL THAN
&c. A CHAMPION
The winter dogshow season Is
now with US again. Perhaps your
next door neighbor has a dog OF
such physical perfection and
good breeding that he can be taken
to some of these shows and come
home with blue ribbons, cash, and
a cup or two. AL power to such a
dog, nam duyg c-eh yanrotatlrak
dog, and my hearty congratula-
lions to his owner! But - remem-
Der this:
I would rather have a pet than
a champion. 1t is only my own
preference, Of course, and it Is not
to be taken as official. Here is
my idea:
There are only a few shows In
the whole year that the average
owners winning dogs can
go to. For 1865 days in the year,
your dog can be your friend, your
protector, your playmate, your
pet. So, if I could have only one
kind of dog, I'd far rather have
a pal than champion.
Please understand, am not be-
lifting the show dog, nor the dog
show. Both are grand institu-
lions. But, to me, a dog should
be above all else a comrade -
not merely an exhibit Don't think
less of your canine pet If he can't
annex blue ribbons. He can prob
baby do things which are much
more worthwhile.
ODD FACTS ON DISTEMPER
There is belief among novice
dog owners that all puppies, sooner
or later, must 60 through an at
tack of distemper. This is not true,
The average puppy never gets dis
temper. Yet, it is the worst
scourge of dogdom.
Ask any breeder, and he will tell
you that most of his dogs have
gone from birth to death without
contracting it. The belief continues,
however, that almost all dogs
must have it sometime. From rec.
ords I have kept of my own dogs.
find that less than ten percent
have had that malady. Many
can say the same thing. If a dogs
health is rightly guarded and if he
is not allowed to be near anv in.
tected dog, he is unlikely to get
the disease.
On the other hand, I have known
kennels to be swept by distem-
per and seem hideous epidemics of
1t that have scourged whole neigh
borhoods.
MY observation - backed by re-
liable veterinarians of my &C.
qualntance-is that when a pure
bred dog falls i'll from distemper
ms chances for recovery are So
3o at most. In some virulent
epidemics the percentage of fatali-
ties is much higher. Cross-breed
oogs' or mongrels, get distemper.
100. Hardly ever does one of them
die of the disease. Why?-I have
never been able to understand.
I
$4,000 ON FOUR LEGS
Twenty thousand dollars is a
pretty big amount Of money at
which to evaluate four legs, with
the chance that sickness or a reck-