100 THE ART OF TRAINING ANIMALS. 



he would have attained high rank ; but his master, who was an 

 Italian, preferred turaing his delicacy of hearing to profit, 

 rather than bringing him up by rule.' 



" '■ Ah ! Munito was no classic. But, pray tell me, did he 

 then belong to the romantic school V 



'" Not a bit more than he belonged to the cassical school. 

 All his talents lay in obeying his master's signals. Munito 

 walked gravely around the table, assuming the airs of a mem^ 

 ber of the French academy ; but incapable as he was of read- 

 ing or distinguishing colors, he never stopped to pick up the 

 bit of pasteboard except when his master gave him the signal. 

 Munito's master stood with his hand in his breeches pocket. 

 He would snap a finger nail or a tooth pick, and this click, 

 though so slight as to escape the attention of the spectators, 

 was caught by the dog's ear, and who instantly received the 

 reward of his criminal comedy. He was given a bonbon. Do 

 you know of what that so-called bonbon was made ? 'Twas 

 nothing but bread and meat hashed fine and rolled in the shape 

 of a ball;, but there was no more sugar in it than there is in a 

 black draught. Such cheating really deserves the brand of 

 histor}^ If you think I speak harshly of Munito, my excuse is, 

 he is dead. We owe nothmg but truth to dead dogs as well as 

 dead men.' " 



The reader will perceive that, for the best results, a sys- 

 tematic course of education is necessary rather than the teach- 

 ing of a mere trick, to be performed at a recognized signal from 

 the trainer. Presuming that the dog has been taught to fetch 

 and carry, as described in the preceding chapter, and may 

 thereby be considered to be well tip in the rudiments of canine 

 education, the following, which may be termed the ^^ classical " 

 course, would be the system of instruction — it is, indeed, the 

 same as was pursued with Braque and Philax : 



Having taught your dog the meaning of the words, "go 

 fetch it," " bring it," " drop it," " bring it back," you will next 

 teach him the names of difierent articles. Let us first take a 

 handkerchief, and placing it upon the ground, order him to 

 " bring the handkerchief," until the name is impressed on his 

 memory. Now we will add a glove, and direct the dog to 

 "bring the glove." Should he bring the handkerchief instead, 

 we scold him, but should he bring the glove, we reward him» 

 When he has thoroughly learned to distinguish these articles 

 by name, a key may be added, and the same method of teaching 

 continued. One by one other articles may be added, until the num- 

 ber is sufficiently large to make the trick entertaining. When 

 he has been exercised in picking out on command the desired ar- 



