We believe the evidence is too strong to be doubted that many animals do perceive the relation between cause and effect, and that many of their actions, especially when the animals are surrounded by the unnatural5 circumstances of a state of domestication6, must be ascribed to the reasoning power. There was a dog who lived in a strict monastery7 where the monks8 dined alone, and who, instead of asking for their meals, obtained them by knocking at the buttery door, the cook answering by opening the door and pushing the allowance through. The dog observed this proceeding9 and accordingly knocked at the door and laid in wait until the meal was placed outside, and the door shut, when he ran off with it. This he repeated a number of times.
The contrast between instinct and reason is displayed in the coursing of hares. If an old and a young grayhound be employed we have examples of both instinct and reason. The young one instinctively10 pursues his game, following every turn and winding12, while the old dog, reasoning from past experience, knows that the hare will double, and accordingly does not exactly follow her, but goes across. A similar example is afforded by the dogs employed in hunting the deer in South America. The newly imported dog, in approaching the deer, flies at it in front and is often injured by the concussion13. The 14native dogs have learned to avoid this danger and they invariably keep from the front, and attack from the side or rear.
Instances might be multiplied indefinitely, but our object is only to show the distinction made between reason and instinct; those who desire to investigate the subject more thoroughly14 can do so through works specially4 devoted15 to natural history. No doubt any observing person can recall instances in his own experience with animals, where their actions showed evidence of a greater or less degree of reasoning power.
An action may be partly instinctive11 and partly the result of reasoning, but a purely16 instinctive action never changes except under the influence of reason. A hen sits on her eggs from an instinctive impulse to do so. If chalk ones be substituted for the real eggs she tends them with equal care and will not desert them any sooner than she would the others. And yet in other matters perhaps hens have reasoning powers.
Without the possession of these powers we believe no education of animals would be possible; and we farther believe that the capacity for learning is in exact proportion to the ability to reason. A horse or dog can be readily taught things which a hog17 can never learn, and in the lower scales of animal life all attempts at education become failures. Under the tuition of man the reasoning powers are undoubtedly18 developed to an extent to which they would never attain19 in a state of nature, and by judicious20 and persistent21 teaching numerous animals have been educated to an almost startling degree. How this has been done we shall show as we proceed.
Not only does the amount of reason vary with different species but with different individuals of the same species, and much of the trainer’s success will depend on the judicious selection of his pupil. Professional trainers take the utmost pains in this selection, and they usually consider that the descendants of an educated animal have, by inheritance, a greater aptitude22 for learning than others.
The young trainer must not fall into the mistaken notion that mere23 quickness in picking up a trick is the best quality in an animal. There may be such a thing as learning a lesson too rapidly, and what is learned with but slight effort is sometimes forgotten with equal readiness. Another thing, too much should not be expected of one pupil. Public exhibitors are able to show a large array of tricks because of the number of animals they have, each, as a rule, knowing a comparatively few of these tricks, or, in the case of some of the “sensation” tricks, perhaps only one. Still any animal of ordinary capacity ought, with proper tuition, to be able to learn a sufficient variety to satisfy 15a reasonable trainer. Judicious management on the part of the exhibitor will often make a variety of tricks out of a single one which the animal has been taught; an example of this is afforded by the “educated hog.”
The first essential for success in training animals is patience. At first many lessons may be given without the slightest apparent impression being made upon the mind of the pupil and an uncommon24 degree of patience and good temper is required to bear up against such discouraging results. By-and-by, however, the pupil will suddenly appear to realize what is required of him, and will perform his task with surprising accuracy at the very moment his teacher is about to give up in despair. Then each successive lesson is learned with greater ease and rapidity than the preceding one; the weariness and disappointment of the trainer is changed to pleasure at his success, and even the animal appears to sympathize with his master’s joy, and to take pride in his performance.
As it is impossible to explain to an animal what is required of him he can be taught an action only by its constant repetition until he becomes familiar with it. When he knows what you want him to do he will in almost all cases comply with your wishes promptly25 and cheerfully. For this reason punishments seldom do any good, unless the animal is willful, which is rare. On the contrary they, as a general rule, interfere27 with the success of the lessons. If the pupil is in constant fear of blows his attention will be diverted from the lesson, he will dread28 making any attempt to obey for fear of failure, and he will have a sneaking29 look which will detract materially from the appearance of his performance. This is the case with the animals instructed by a trainer of this city who “trains his horses with a club,” the animals never appearing as well as those taught by more gentle means. But for a rare natural talent this man’s success would have been utterly30 defeated by his brutality31. He is the only one we know of in the profession who does not base his tuition on kindness to the pupil. A sharp word or a slight tap with a small switch will as effectually show your displeasure as the most severe blows. It is both cruel and unwise to inflict32 needless pain.
All trainers make use of various little tit-bits as rewards for successful performance of tricks. These serve as a powerful incentive33 to the animal as well as to show him when he has done right. Withholding34 the accustomed reward when he fails or but imperfectly performs his duty is much more effective than any corporeal35 punishment. The repetition of the lesson until the animal will himself perform the required action, and the bestowal36 16of these rewards whenever he obeys your order, is really the main secret of training. Of course there are many important details in the practical application, and many clever devices resorted to by trainers to increase the effectiveness of tricks, as well as skillful combinations of simple tricks to produce elaborate and astonishing feats37. These we shall fully26 explain in their proper places.
To certain scents38 has sometimes been ascribed a mysterious influence upon animals, rendering39 them docile40 and subservient41 to the human will. To the use of these many persons imagine trainers owe their success. Though some scents are relished42 by certain animals, we doubt whether, as a rule, they have so great a fondness for them as has been asserted. Certainly there is no general use of them in the profession, though they may have been sold to the credulous43 by ignorant or unprincipled persons, for this purpose. Cats are fond of catnip, and we know of instances where kittens, displaying a violent resistance to being carried in a basket, have been quieted by being given some leaves of this herb. Animals no doubt receive pleasure from the gratification of their sense of smell, but there is about as much reason in conquering an unruly school-boy by giving him a sniff44 of cologne water, as in taming a colt by causing him to smell that or any other perfume.
To the oil of rhodium is most frequently ascribed the greatest and most general influence over the animal kingdom, almost all animals, according to this theory being powerfully affected45 by it. This is the “horse taming secret” sometimes sold for considerable sums. There is no good reason to believe it has any important influence over either the disposition46 or actions of any animal.
The horse taming powders, composed of “a horse’s corn grated, some hairs from a black cat’s tail,” and like absurd ingredients, are too nonsensical to deserve serious notice, though once a staple47 part of the veterinary art, and still, possibly, believed in by a few persons.
To a certain extent many animals are able to understand the meaning of words. That is, if any particular word of command be used in instructing an animal to do a particular act he will learn to associate that word with the action, and be able to distinguish between a variety of words and apply each to the act associated with it, without confusing them. In training animals it is important that each word of command should be used only in its proper place. The common habit ignorant drivers have of using the words “back,” “whoa,” and others indiscriminately is absurd, and it is not wonderful that their horses sometimes 17fail to understand them. A story is told of a farmer who had recently purchased a new yoke48 of oxen, and was driving them in a cart. Slipping from his seat he fell before one of the wheels and very naturally got run over. “Back! back!” he cried to the oxen, meaning for them to stop, but, like many another man, using words which meant something else. The oxen happened to be better linguists49, or else had been accustomed to obey literally50, and in this case did so by backing as ordered, running over the man for the second time.
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1
concisely
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| adv.简明地 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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judgments
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| 判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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domestication
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| n.驯养，驯化 | |
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monastery
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| n.修道院，僧院，寺院 | |
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monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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concussion
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| n.脑震荡；震动 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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aptitude
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| n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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32
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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withholding
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| 扣缴税款 | |
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corporeal
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| adj.肉体的，身体的；物质的 | |
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bestowal
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| 赠与，给与； 贮存 | |
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feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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subservient
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| adj.卑屈的，阿谀的 | |
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42
relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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43
credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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44
sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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45
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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47
staple
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| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
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48
yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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49
linguists
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| n.通晓数国语言的人( linguist的名词复数 )；语言学家 | |
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50
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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