CHAPTER VII 
Training and Care 
HILE the word Training is usually accepted 
* * as the proper term, one is apt to infer there¬ 
from that the schooling of the Shepherd is carried 
out along the lines of the trick animal. In reality 
exactly the opposite is sought for. The Shepherd 
should at all times be a working dog and not a per¬ 
forming dog. It is true that some trainers work 
along the trick-dog lines and produce a dog with a 
few limited tricks that are quickly exhausted and the 
dog soon stands forth in his true light. It must 
always be kept in mind that this training is an edu¬ 
cation and that the dog must be induced to think 
and work on his own initiative. Much, if not all, 
depends upon the personality of the trainer and his 
real interest in the work and his confidence in the 
result that can be obtained is quickly reflected in 
his pupil. He must have, first of all, a sympathetic 
feeling for his subject, for the closer the bond be¬ 
tween the two the more eager are the efforts of both. 
Again, he must know how to differentiate between 
various individuals, for their temperament may call 
for a different treatment. 
It is obvious, of course, that the Shepherd, with 
his sensitive and highly organized nature, will not 
condone corporeal punishment or severe treatment of 
any kind and such force training would, of course, 
be productive of the opposite result, for a frightened 
or cringing dog could never master the intricacies 
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