A certain famous man once made the remark, "The more I see of men the more I like dogs." It is to be feared that he took a rather one-sided view of things, but he was without doubt right as far as he went. Happy is the boy or girl who owns a dog; no matter if he is the most unnameable mongrel who ever wagged a tail. Your dog is your most faithful companion, always ready to share your pleasures and sorrows, to join you in a romp or a game, or to sit obediently by your side and look soulfully into your face while you think over some of the more serious things in life, pushing his moist noise into your hand occasionally to let you know that he, too, understands, and would help you if he could.
Yes, a dog is a friend, but perhaps you do not know that he can be a much more interesting companion if he is trained to obey simple commands and to do entertaining tricks, instead of being just left to run loose. Dogs are like human beings; many of them are born "performers," they learn easily and obviously enjoy being able to "show off." Read what a well-known American trainer of doggy film stars, Harry Lucenay, has to say about training dogs. He explains that the methods he has used in training movie dogs can be used successfully in the education of house pets.
The most important thing for the beginner to learn, says Mr. Lucenay, is that a dog, to be trained, must have love and confidence in his master. He must also be taught to respond immediately to commands. "The reason many dog owners fail at training," he explains, "is because they lack patience. They attempt to teach everything in a few weeks, when actually, months, and even longer, are required to do the job properly."
The early stages of training should be masked as play, says this expert. A hard rubber ball is the best thing to start off a young dog with. He will soon learn to run after it and catch it, and after a time, a newspaper rolled up and tied with string should be substituted. This in turn can be replaced by an old basket,or something else light and bulky. By degrees the weight can be increased.
Then, holding the puppy by the collar, the object should be thrown and the dog commanded to retrieve it. "If the pup brings the object back," says Mr. Lucenay, "he should be petted and praised. Walk several steps before removing the object from the dog's mouth. If he doesn't bring it back, roll it around in front of him until he picks it up. When he has mastered this stunt, he is ready to carry a parcel or bring in the paper in addition to retrieving."
To teach a pup to sit down, says Mr. Lucenay, place your left hand under his lower jaw and gently press his haunches downward, at the same time telling him to "Sit down." To teach him to lie down in an indicated spot and stay there, Mr. Lucenay gives these suggestions: - "Call the pup by name, point to the spot where you wish him to lie, and then in low, even voice tell him to 'Lie down.' Naturally, at first, he won't understand, so after telling him to sit down, pull his front paws slowly forward until he is on his stomach. Place his head on his paws and hold it there for a short time. Loosen your hold and, if he attempts to get up, place him in the original position with the order 'Stay there.' Repeat this several times daily for a week or so. At the outset, it's a good idea to stand over him for a short while to see that he obeys. Then start to walk away and if the dog gets up to follow, place him in the original position with the order, 'Stay there.'
"Get farther and farther away, walking around him in one direction and then in the other. Then go to another room where the pup can't see you, but you can watch him. If he starts to get up, command him to 'Lie down.' Never allow him to get up until you give him the command, 'Come on.' With a good foundation in these points, the dog can be taught many simple tricks."
It is quite easy to train a dog to jump through a hoop or over a stick, Mr. Lucenay says. He should be started with a piece of board held edgewise on the ground, because if he is used to a stick, he may try to crawl under it. By lifting one paw gently and then the other, a pup can be taught to shake hands. At the same time repeat "Right hand" and "Left hand," always taking the one demanded and refusing the other. Your hand should be extended to the side of the paw asked for, so that the other paw cannot reach it.
The average house dog can be taught to do many very mystifying "mind-reading" tricks. Most of them depend, actually, on the dog's keen sense of smell. Take the card trick, illustrated in the picture, for instance. Take half a dozen cards, and, while the dog is out of the room, ask someone to select one from the group for the dog to pick out upon his return.
The selected card is placed on the bottom of the pile, face downward, on a cloth placed there previously. All the cards are turned upward again, and the other person is given an opportunity of arranging the cards in any way he likes. He may even scatter them about the room. When the dog is brought into the room, he immediately picks out the chosen card.
A spot on the cloth is previously rubbed over with a tiny portion of strong smelling cheese or anchovy paste. By placing the selected card on the bottom of the pile, it comes in contact with the scent and is easily picked up by the dog because he has been trained to do this. The best method of teaching a dog to recognise this odor is to apply it to some object he has been taught to retrieve.
Many other mystifying tricks can be taught, using similar methods.
One thing we ought to stress about educating your dog, perhaps, is that it is "all done by kindness." After all, that is very important, isn't it?