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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.)
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