CANINE PSYCHOLOGY 99 
You know, it’s funny that human beings seem to 
forget that they are animals, too. Intellectually, we 
have gone far beyond other animals. We have 
learned to control our primitive impulses—but they 
are there, just the same. 
A grown dog, like Strongheart, is very much like 
a child ten or twelve years old. He obeys some 
outside authority. He may do this through fear; 
or he may do it through respect, affection, and con¬ 
fidence. But the obedience that comes through fear 
is absolutely unreliable. A dog who is afraid of 
his master is like a child who is afraid of his parents; 
he obeys only so long as he is in danger of punish¬ 
ment. The first good chance he gets, he will follow 
his own impulses. 
Of course, there is individuality among animals, 
just as there is among human beings. Strongheart, 
for instance, has an innate dignity and depth of feel¬ 
ing that are as fine as anything I have encountered 
in a human being. All animals have a greater sense 
of personal dignity than we give them credit for. I 
have seen people treat animals in a way that made me 
cringe, because I knew that the animal felt humili¬ 
ated. 
Never ridicule an animal. Never laugh at his 
mistakes. Never play practical jokes on him. Never 
put him in a position where he feels foolish and 
embarrassed. Play with him—yes, but always make 
it a mutual affair. Let him see that it is just as 
