By Dan Beard
All dogs, whether intended for the field, for pets, or for companions, should
be taught to follow at their master's heels at the command of "heel,"
to run ahead at the command of "hi on," and to drop at the command of
"charge" or "down charge." When your dog learns to
obey these simple commands, it will be found an easy matter to extricate and
keep your canine friend out of scrapes.
Suppose you have a small but pugnacious dog and in your walk you meet a
large, ugly-tempered brute much too powerful for your own dog to master in the
fight that is certain to ensue unless by some command you can prevent it.
The strange dog will not obey you, but if give the order to "heel" to
your own dog he will follow with his nose at your heels, and the enemy will
seldom if ever attack a dog while so near his master.
Study the characteristics of your dog, and by taking advantage of its
peculiarities it may be taught many amusing tricks. I have a little dog
called Monad, and whether his master walks, drives, sails, or rows Monad always
accompanies him, even sitting in front of the sliding seat of a single shell
boat for hours at a time, perfectly happy and apparently conscious of the
attention he attracts from all people on the shore or in the passing boats; the
latter he generally salutes with a bark. Monad will, when requested to do
so, close a door, sneeze, bark, or sit upon his haunches and rub his nose,
besides numerous other amusing tricks.
One day Monad smelled of a lighted cigar; the smoke inhaled caused him to
sneeze; this gave me an idea; lighting a match I held it toward him, at the same
time repeating, "sneeze! sneeze, sir!" The smoke made him sneeze, and
after repeating the operation several times I held out an unlighted match and
commanded him to sneeze; the dog sneezed at once. It was then an easy
step to make him sneeze at the word without the match. Monad is now very
proud of this accomplishment, and when desirous of "showing off"
always commences by sneezing.
In much the same manner, I taught him to rub his nose by blowing in his face
and repeating the words, "rub your nose." The breath coming in
contact with that sensitive organ apparently tickled it and he would rub it with
his paws. After one or two trials he learned to rub his little black nose
in a very comical manner whenever commanded to do so.
By patting your leg with your hand and at the same time calling your dog, it
will learn to come to you and place his fore paws against your leg. If you
take advantage of this and pat the door the next time with your hand, the dog
will stand on its hind legs and rest its fore paws against the door.
Reward him with a bit of meat or a caress, and then opening the door a few
inches go through with the same performance, giving the command to close the
door. By degrees, as the dog learns, open the door wider, and without
moving from your chair or position in the room give the command, "close the
door, sir."
The dog will by this time understand your meaning, and resting his fore paws
against the panels, follow, the door until it closes with a bang. Perhaps
there is no simple trick that excite, more surprise than this. A friend
comes in and leaves the door open; you rise and greet your friend, ask him to be
seated; then, as if for the first time noticing the fact of the door being open,
speak to your dog; the latter closes the door and lies down against the fireside
in a most methodical manner.
The friend is thoroughly convinced that that
particular dog has more sense than any other canine in the world, and ever
after, when dogs are the topic of conversation, he will tell the story of the
dog that shut the door.
In the same manner innumerable odd, amusing, or useful tricks may be taught,
among the simplest of which are the ones which excite the most applause from
spectators. If your dog is fond of carrying a stick in is mouth, it will
be an easy matter to make him carry a basket. Take advantage of every
peculiarity of your pet's character, encouraging and developing the good points,
but keeping the bad traits subdued, and you will soon have an amusing and
reasoning canine companion.
Never throw a dog into the water; it frightens him and makes the poor animal
dread a bath. Let the dog wade at first; then by throwing sticks or other
objects a little further out each time, and commanding him to fetch, the dog
will not only learn to swim after the object, but also learn to thoroughly enjoy
the bath, and can even be taught to dive and jump off of high places.
There are dogs that will jump from an elevation twelve feet above the water.
Always be firm but kind. Teach your dog to have confidence in you, and you
may place implicit trust in your canine friend, and be sure whatever misfortune
befalls you, you will have a friend who, though he be a four-footed one, will
never forsake you, but live and die for the master it has learned to love and
trust.
Dogs
American
Boys Handy Book
