Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1936)
V! Noted Movie Dog Trainer Tells How To Teach Fido Tricks German Expert's Large School Has Extensive Curriculum For Canines CARL SPITZ, an affable, bald German, is Prcsi dent and Professor-at-large of one of the most unusual schools in the world. His educational mart is an exclusive one and,, judging from outward appearances, expensive, also. It offers two courses, grammar and high school. The curriculum afforded, however, does not mitigate the fact that it is one of the noisiest schools in the country. All of his pupils are jdogs. , To this school daily rich women holding pam pered pets on their ample laps draw up in shiny black limousines. Movie stars in flashy roadsters appear, accompanied by pedigreed pups on leash. Serious-minded business men walk into the big Iron gate with barking canines by their side. All want Carl Spitz to teach their dog "some kind of trick." Consequently, Teacher Spitz' training school is an aristocratic, lively place. The buildings stretch over an area of 10 acres under the bright sun in San Fernando Valley, about three miles from Van Nuys, Calif. Like every well-regulated school, it has its dormitories, its modern sanitary kitchens, its chef to cook spe cial doggy foods and one of the most elaborate gyms in the country. The courses taught by Spitz are patterned after those now being offered by the German govern ment for the training of "war" dogs. In Germany, Spitz explained, the training of dogs for army service is considered as important as training avia tors to fly. A few years later he brought his knowl edge to California. Here his venture has proved to be a good one for Spitz and a boon to the movie industry, which now largely depends upon the German trainer for its trick dogs. His, grammar course forms the basis or the A B C's of all stunt training. If, a dog is smart enough to learn all there is to offer in this basic or ground course, it is an easy matter, the trainer says, to pass him into high school, the "mental state," where specific tricks are mastered. But to be thoroughly trained, Spitz insists all dogs should be given the grammar course. "After that," he said, "the dog is ready to serve as a 'blind' dog, a stage actor, a parlor entertainer or whatever you wish to make of him." The grammar course begins with what the - 1 mill i , ium " site. t . Many of those tricky, smart dogs you see In the movies are trained by Carl Spitz, who operates an elaborate ca nine college near Holfywood. Spitz Is shown, left, with the "silent" training whistle, a device pitched too high for the human ear to hear. Right, he demonstrates a difficult stunt, teaching Rags, a Cairn terrier, to Jump. trainer believes to be the most important thing in teaching dogs a training leash. "Never," he declared, "try to teach a dog any thing unless you have a leash on him." THIS leash is fastened' to the dog's collar and the other end of it is thrown over the body of the trainer. This permits the trainer to have both hands free. The first lesson is: "Sit quiet in one place." Next, he is taught to hold an object in his mouth. This is not so easy. With the thumb and two fingers of the trainer's left hand on the dog's nose, the ani mal's mouth is opened. Then with the right hand, the trainer inserts a light roll of paper or a light object into the dog's mouth. The command is: "Hold it. Hold it, nice." If the dog takes the object into his mouth without much objection he is petted and spoken to very kindly, because this is an indication the canine will learn very quickly, Spitz says. The next command is "Out." The dog must learn to release or drop the object ho has in his mouth. At this point the dog has learned to "Hold it nice," and "Out". NEXT, the trainer, with the leash still around his own body, walks with the dog. He walks a few feet, then orders the animal to "Sit". Then if the dog accepts again the object in his mouth while he is sitting "quiet in one place," and will also release the object when the command "Out" is given, he is, indeed, advancing rapidly and the trainer is heartened. The third lesson teaches the dog to go after the Patience And Kindness Jecessary To Overcome Jatwal Fear, He Advises object himself, instead of the trainer placing it in his mouth. ' "Pick it up. Hold it nice. Out," are the com mands. If the dog-pupil has thus far followed in structions he is taken off the leash. Then he ig taught how to retrieve the object, how to crouch, how to jump. "After that," explains Spitz, "he is just about ready for high school. And high school consists of teaching any specific trick that may be demanded of him.'.' "Personally," he went on, "1 would not attempt to teach a dog anything unless he had gone through the grammar course first. It's like placing the cart before the horse." SPITZ does, however, lay down certain admoni tions to amateur dog trainers. First, he says, know the disposition of your dog. Is he naturally kind? Is he patient? Is he nervous? Does he sleep at night? Does he like children? Does he like people ? "Pet your dog all the time," said Spitz. "Permit other people to pet him. And after he has 'shaken hands' or 'stood on his head' in the parlor give him something nice to eat. Dogs are like people, they like to be appreciated." In all the training routine, fear is the thing that must be combated, Spitz says. "We encounter fear so much when teaching an animal to jump. The secret," he added, "is never to let a dog fall when you are teaching him to jump in your arms. If you do, he will become so frightened it will take him a long time to get over his scare and it will slow up training." Spitz' star pupils are Buck,, a giant St. Ber nard, and Prince, a Great Dane. These two dogs can just about do anything re quired of them, their owner says. Like' human actors, both work on contract for the movies. Their salaries are said to be between $150 and $250 per week. Spitz declines to place a monetary value on either dog. He revealed, how ever, that Lloyd's of London had agreed to place a $50,000 insurance policy on Buck. "But," he concluded, "there isn't enough money in the world to buy them from me." ' " (Watch for further articles telling how Carl Spitz trains the movie dogs. He will give valuable hints to readers of this magazine In future issues explaining various tricks as used In films. Editor.) V . V- WHO CHANGES PLANES IN MID-AIR ..j.V J . JLw XMU i V VyrmOUTTHEUSEOFALADPER V -THE EXPLOITS OF THIS QUIET, UNASSUMING . K'''"rrjF jt ' Tm ' ylTT'' V KNIGHT OP THE AIR MAKE A MOPERN SAGA OF r -W-.iSX Jt j! .T-' fc j8'" 6 MARVELOUS COUBAQE AMD MARVELOUS PHYSICAL. . jr Cj i IT I CONDITION. NERVES ENERGV- DIGESTION- ALL ! ,'' lCfffT r- " H s' l ! MUST BE IN TOP FORM ALL THE TIME. BECAUSE ' ik ,Jfc: L Jr?V. Sr--- ftw-fwi IS DICKS JOB IS STUNTING PLANES FOR THE MOVIES. V At fsj trV7 1 it h JmWJ, H ' l BELOW HE GIVEi HIS OPINION ON SMOKING CAMELS... T ' Jf ,Jfi 4k I : : il ' - '- 1 x . MKmit v -Jrt '. 193;' R J- Kynold5 Tob-Ca AKE VOU CBAZX OICK ? ( IT CAN'T i f 1 I WE'RE WITH NO, I'M GOING TO HANG I I -MfrZH ' 1 I NV i TfBBam Ml rMMkl NOBODV HAS EVECl MAD6 j "T BE PONEV fit ' I 1 VOU ARE VOL)) I HEADFIRST FROM "THE f HERE Tkw J b "SS & 3 THEN IT HAPPENED! ROUGH AIR A PLANE CHANGE- IN 1 M I )M GOING TO UNDER-CARPIAGE AND. HE COMES - r . ! , 1 LAr-1 SWOT THE LOWER PLANE UP - MID-AIR WITHOUT WI C Hi' JUP? DROP OFF f CEE I HOPEAM A jft4 D,CK SWUNG UP OH TO THE A'?5?LA y3fflTrLa V Wiy VfcVT rl l air.-pocket M W. JM WING JUST AS othep. If THI$ SCCNE CALL5 dOOD, I'LL CO IT I I ( "T'Ts""' " M"""' "Sv. , I . prt'r,IVC 'co I . f T ( TER M fyPLAMES IN MIP- V LAPX5EB . fff , ,i J$ GOING TO L-B?Ti tkil THE GUM, JACK. wg? 1 ,7 THAT'S AVBRANP.' WHAT VOU SAY ABOUT CONDITION BRINGS J UP AN INTERESTING PONT. NO Tmm tk. ONE NEEDS TQlIELU ME THE 'Ts-'lk i'fk. VALUE OF TfHEALTHy yx sffis avj THSY TALLBP" THB SHIP IN -AND LAND6.D AFLV..... DICK FLUNG HIS RIGHT AR.M OUT DBSPBPATELY CAUGHT ATRUSS By TWO PINGSP.S, AND WAS SAPft Y A SPLIT SECOND.1 I X Ajr I II I I THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE DICK. IT SHOWS VOU KEEP IN COMDITION HAVEr A I CAMEL ! GOOD DIGESTION ... I WATCH MY DIGESTION LIKE A HAWK. I FIND THAT CAMELS SMOKED DURING AMD AFTER A MEAL. ARE A PEF1MITE AID TO DIGESTION I ENJOY THEIR, GOOD TASTE TOO.... X. SfvA CAAAELS EASE STRAIN ON DIGESTION SMOKING CAMELS WITH MEALS AND BETWEEN MEALS PROMOTES NATURAL PROCESSES OF DIGESTION . THEY'RE MILDER. ..APPROVED BY ATHLETES... CAMELS SET YOU RIGHT.' THEY ARE MADE FROM FINER. MORE EX PENSIVE TOBACCOS.... TURKISH AND DOMESTIC THAN ANY OTHER POPULAR BRAND. (itNfO R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY TUNE IN CAMEL CARAVAN WITH Wtl 0 ETf KKHl JANI4 . ITO W5IN6 CnJLH JMY ANPTVt 0SA LOMA 0CHf(TtA IVttMy UNO THUIttWW 9 PM I1T iriXK1WtNi (HIT. 850PM. P.JI. OVER WABC-WUJMl( n H t bi.tM GRAY .fc-'lff I
