DOGS AND TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 28

DOGS AND TRAFFIC

TEACHING AN ANIMAL SENSE

An English writer • recommends the following as the best method of training a young dog. to avoid'motor traffic. A thin,'strong cord about' 10 yards in length is fastened to the dog's collar. You so hold the cord that if the dog feels disposed he can; stray, a iew yards from heel, but you; do not -give him any encouragement •to do so. You take no notice of the dog until a car draws near. Then, if the animalis in the road, you pull him up with'a sud;den jerk, ordering him back to heel. The jerk must be sudden enough to take the dog unawares, but must not be brutal. If he will not; return of his own free will, you compel him to do so by gradually drawing in the line. ' This should not be done either roughly or anxiously, and you should continue to walk as you bring the dog nearer and nearer to you. When the dog is back at heel, you give him his head and allow him to walk into the road again if he cares to do so, although, again, you pretend not to notice that he has disobeyed once more, and on the near approach of another car you check him with a firm pull and order him back to heel.

For how long a time the line has to be employed depends on the disposition of the dog. Some dogs become obedient after a few lessons, and when they happen to be a short distance from you and see a car approaching they scurry to heel at once. Others may be from a couple of weeks to a. couple of months before they learn what is required of them.

"" He says some owners try and train dogs by driving at them in their cars. This is absolutely wrong, because when a dig is anywhere near the front wheels it is not possible to see him, raising a distinct chance of running over him. Even if that does not happen, young dogs would take a lot of persuading that it was not some form of game that was being played.

"Autos" has been told that a dog can be taught to avoid cars if it can be so arranged that the animal, gets a good whiff suddenly from the exhaust. Whether there is anything in this or not he does not know, but possibly someone might like to try it out. There are old cars and lorries about that might serve well for the experiment.

Cars stopped at random in America revealed that 5 per cent, of them contained what might be a dangerous concentration of carbon monoxide gas, and 50 per cent, contained some trace of it. Accidents or temporary illness in which this gas might play a part could be materially reduced if all motor-vehicles were provided with an adequate ventilation system. '