This article was published in the August 1963 issue of Jack and Jill. The author is unknown.
It is © 1963 Jack and Jill, The Curtis Publishing Company.
Back to Magazines and TV Guides
Watching Lassie perform every week on his Sunday night CBS television show might make you think there never was a smarter dog. Perhaps there never was, but Mr. Rudd Weatherwax, Lassie's trainer and part-owner, will tell you that only patience and good training changed Lassie from the car-chasing, disobedient puppy he was at eight months to the well-behaved, excellent actor he is now.
To help you train your dog to behave as well as Lassie, Jon Provost, who plays Timmy, Lassie's television master, shows you how Lassie was taught to obey by Mr. Weatherwax. You will need a collar, a leash or a ten-foot piece of rope, and a pocketful of tasty dog-treats to use as rewards in order to follow Mr. Weatherwax's training lessons. Both Jon and Mr. Weatherwax are sure that if you practice often and are very, very patient, you will soon be as proud of your dog as they are of Lassie.
Before you begin, however, you must be sure your dog is healthy and happy. To guard his health, a puppy should be taken to a reliable veterinarian for shots to prevent distemper, rabies, and other diseases. After that, you can keep him healthy by regularly feeding him well-balanced meals and by bathing and brushing him often to keep him free of fleas, ticks, and lice. Clean drinking water always left in the same place for him, a clean bed away from drafts, and daily exercise will help your dog stay in good physical condition.
To keep your dog happy and healthy, you must not only take very good care of him; you must treat him kindly as well. You should never mistreat or slap him or allow anyone else to do so. To let him know when he has been a bad dog, say "No! No!" in a scolding voice, shut him up in a room or in his pen, or hit him lightly with a folded newspaper. If you play with him and pet him often, your dog will know that you are his friend; and since all dogs want to please friendly masters, your job of training him will then be easier.
The first lesson to teach an untrained dog or puppy is to come when he is called. Place the collar on your dog and attach the leash or rope to it. Allow him to wander around the yard or room; then suddenly call him by name, saying "Come!" At the same time, gently tug on the leash.
If your dog does not come right away, keep shortening the leash and saying "Come!" until he reaches your side. When he is finally at your side, pet him, praise him in a pleasant voice, and give him a treat from your pocket. Never scold him when he is slow in coming to you. Punishment will not make him want to come to you any faster the next time.
Practice this first lesson over and over again. When your dog is used to coming quickly at your command, take the leash off and call him to you again, saying "Come!" If he does not come right away, do not scold him. Instead, patiently put the leash back on your dog and begin again until he will come willingly without the leash.
The day after your dog has mastered one trick, you can start to teach him another. Before you begin a new lesson, however, you should always go back and review the ones he has already mastered to be sure he has not forgotten them.
To teach your dog to sit, hold the leash in one hand just a few inches above his collar. His head will be up and his front legs straight. With the other hand, push down gently on his hind-quarters and order "Sit!" Continue pressing down and repeating the command until your dog sits down. When you remove your hand, he will probably start to get up. Patiently push him back to his sitting position saying "Sit!" When he sits down again, reward him by petting him and giving him a dog-treat.
After practicing this many times and rewarding him faithfully, you will be able to make your dog sit without pushing him into position. If you are patient, he will sit when you tell him to without the leash.
While teaching your dog to sit, you must be careful not to use the command "Sit down!" If you do, your dog may be confused when you try to teach him the next trick which is to lie down. For this trick, place your dog in the sitting position by commanding him to sit. Put the leash on the collar under his neck. Pull gently down on the leash with one hand, and with the other, pull his front paws gently forward. At the same time, command "Lie down!"
Your dog will probably be frightened when you try to pull his legs forward, and you will have to be very firm, patient, and kind to make him understand he will not be hurt. Once he is lying down, hold him there by keeping the leash taut. Speak to him kindly, and with your free hand, pet him to make him feel safe. Reward him with a tidbit each time he lies down. You will surely have to practice this lesson very often before your dog drops as soon as you say "Lie down!" but do not be discouraged. Lassie had to practice for a long time, too.
When your dog has learned his other lessons thoroughly, you can try to teach him to carry. Start with a soft ball that can become your dog's toy. Play with him with the ball by waving it in front of his nose until he wants to grab it. Then let him hold onto it for a while. Later, put the ball In his mouth and command "Carry it!" Be sure not to excite him this time since you do not want him to play with it now.
If your dog will not take the ball, place it in his mouth, ordering "Carry it!" and make him hold it for a few moments. Have him follow you, still carrying it. At first, he will drop it, but patiently go back and put it in his mouth again. Teaching this trick will take lots of patience, but once your dog learns to carry, your biggest job will be done.
When he has learned to carry the ball perfectly, switch to a stick. Cover it with cloth so the hard surface will not frighten him. Follow the same routine with the stick and later remove the wrapping. Then you can try a folded newspaper, basket, or any other object.
The same day your dog has learned to carry an object, he will easily learn to drop it. When he has the object in his mouth, say "Drop it!" and take it from his mouth. After he has held the object for a few moments, he will welcome the chance to get rid of it. He will soon learn what "Drop it!" means if you are patient and reward him each time he drops the object on command.
After he has learned this lesson, you must not allow him to let go of an object he has been told to carry until you say "Drop it!" If he does drop the object before you tell him to, patiently return it to his mouth and make him hold it until you command him to drop it.
As a final lesson, you can teach your dog to shake hands. Place him in the sitting position by saying "Sit!" Give the command "Shake hands!" while holding out your hand to him and tapping him under the foreleg until he raises his paw. Take the paw and give him a dog-treat.
Repeat the steps until he holds out his paw as soon as you extend a hand. If he has been a good student and has learned his other lessons well, you will be proud to shake hands with such a smart dog. And if you have been patient and kind, he will be happy to shake hands with as good a trainer and master as you!
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY CBS-TV
