Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/263

upon his haunches and rub his nose, besides numerous other amusing tricks.

One day Monad smelled of a lighted cigar; the smoke inhaled caused him to sneeze; this gave me an idea; lighting a match I held it toward him, at the same time repeating, "sneeze! sneeze, sir!" The smoke made him sneeze, and after repeating the operation several times I held out an unlighted match and commanded him to sneeze; the dog sneezed at once. It was then an easy step to make him sneeze at the word without the match. Monad is now very proud of this accomplishment, and when desirous of "showing off" always commences by sneezing.

In much the same manner I taught him to rub his nose by blowing in his face and repeating the words, "rub your nose." The breath coming in contact with that sensitive organ apparently tickled it and he would rub it with his paws. After one or two trials he learned to rub his little black nose in a very comical manner whenever commanded to do so. By patting your leg with your hand and at the same time calling your dog, it will learn to come to you and place his fore paws against your leg. If you take advantage of this and pat the door the next time with your hand, the dog will stand on its hind legs and rest its fore paws against the door. Reward him with a bit of meat or a caress, and then opening the door a few inches go through with the same performance, giving the command to close the door; by degrees, as the dog learns, open the door wider, and without moving from your chair or position in the room give the command, "close the door, sir." The dog will by this time understand your meaning, and resting his fore paws against the panels, follow the door until it closes with a bang. Perhaps there is no simple trick that excites more surprise than this. A friend comes in and leaves the door open; you rise, greet your friend, ask him to be seated; then, as if for the first