64 



OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



method of Oberlander, ha\'e always received 

 their first lessons with this article. 



If persons play with an animal and neglect 

 to use, very precisely, the different commands 

 and gestures to which he is accustomed, he 

 will soon perceive that the thi 

 not serious, and thei 

 upon him will be U 

 children play wi 

 young dog that is be; 

 trained, and mak 

 him fetch things 

 without taking 

 them and without 

 praising him, that 

 d o g will neve r 

 answer readily to 

 a command. Sever- 

 ity, exactitude, and 

 patience are the con 

 ditions of success, 

 is not necessary to 

 a dog ; at most, 

 touch with a switc 

 given in case of ill 



gence. The dog understands per- cii.\K(iix<;, aftkk 

 fectlyastern reprimand or a shake i^c n- Hh.m 



given to the rope ; if he does not 

 understand, it is useless to go on training him 



never have the strength of a circus dog, who 

 can balance himself on a bottle or on a man's 

 head, make the "perilous leap," turn somer- 

 saults, dance, shoot, and ride a bicycle as if he 

 had never done anything else. All this seems 

 tremely difficult, as in fact it is ; 

 credit belongs to the 

 ;r only, to his patience 

 his judgment. It is 

 'ue that he chooses the 



most intelligent dogs, 

 oftenest poodles, but 

 the innumerable 

 lessons which in- 

 evitably precede 

 exhibition are 

 essential. The dog 

 may not possess in- 

 ellect, so called, but 

 he has a good memory 

 and a strong lo\'e for a 

 ame. The routine once 

 acquired, the exhibition, 

 which sh )uld always be done in 

 1 cc isel} the same order, lest the dog 

 be bewildered, is sure of success. 



A few years ago the Bertrand 

 brothers of Paris had a little dog 

 named Papillon, who could speak. In France 

 Pets and small fry of that kind are incajiable and in other countries journalists worthy of all 

 of being taught to fetch. They can mereh' do confidence related the fact, which they them- 

 the pretty thing, — give a paw, pretend death, selves had witnessed. The questions addressed 

 etc. Sjiorting dogs, on the 

 contrary, are useful ; they 

 will search for lost objects, no 

 matter how small the\' are, 

 and find them among bushes 

 or in sand. " Seek ! Lost ! " 

 is enough to start a well- 

 trained dog on a search at 

 once. Nevertheless, to reach 

 this result and to make the 

 animal cf)uch before the game 

 when the shot is fired requires 

 many months of training- 

 according to fixed rules. Pleasure dogs can be to the little animal were : "Who am I ? Do you 

 taught to limp, to fetch the newspaper, antl to love me ^ What did the people shout when the 

 perform other similar tricks ; but they will Russians came ? Which is the largest buildings 



Pl.-vyixc CiU'^ss 



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