Bruce m. Conkey
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Registered: May 2016
Location: Palatka, FL
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In the next section of the book Mr. Miller talks about the proper age to separate the litter. Please remember he stated he likes to keep the whole litter so some of us might say I have only two pups so I don't need this. I think you do as we will see that separation of pups is an important part of their maturing process and allowing them to establish their personality.
Mr. Miller states the if pups are left together for a period of time the litter will begin to assume a "Position in life". Since it is important for a trainer to realize what he has in a pup, as far a quality is concerned, he must concentrate on the problems of his pups as the earliest age possible. Since time is so valuable you should not waste it on ironing out problems you have allowed to creep into your training program.
If the litter is left together, one pup will almost invariably assume the position of king of the roost and will set out to rule the entire litter. Another pup will take the title of second in command and will dominate those under him and so on down the line. If sufficient pride and guts have been bred into the litter, and none of them will bend in their quest to rule, then there will probably be the constant threat of a battle royale. This situation would tend to be far worse than a cowered pup.
Mr. Miller states an important factor to consider in training dogs is that of realizing when all hope in the animal has been exhausted. At that this point, you should cease you time with the dog. You can't afford to waste a valuable pup by exposing it to every manmade problem.
You should wait 60 days before separating the litter, and the only time the pups should be allowed to mingle is when you are working them. Teaching them to get along in the feed pan and walking them in the woods.
The young dogs should be penned in separate runs or tied outside to dog boxes. They should always be addressed by NAME. If you cannot spend time teaching them their names or teaching them other commands in the prescribed manner, then they should continue to be separated and their minds should be given a brief respite before you begin their schooling.
Mr. Miller takes a break here from the hounds schooling and starts to talk about the mechanical function of the dogs brain.
He states a dogs brain functions like a human's. He wrote. It would be wise to consider the assumption that a dog's brain functions similarly to that of a human being. Keeping this in mind, the dog trainer should gain a keener knowledge of how the animal "ticks".
Mr. Miller states he has consumed thousands of hours working with hounds--keeping records of their every performance and the manner in which they perform under the same conditions when forced to make a decision on their own. Those records tell an all-encompassing story--one that should be of vital interest to all dog admirers.
From his records kept on hundreds of hounds he feels he understands the process by which a hounds brain operates. His theory present the mechanics of the animal's thinking powers.
Mr. Miller concludes that the first part of a pup's brain is simply devoid of authority--it is empty. The animal initially cannot perform because it is not schooled or geared to that purpose. What the pup is doing is responding to its instincts and curiosity, on first encountering the world.
The first part of the dogs brain involves the flashing of an experience that registers on his brain. As the experience lingers, a tiny portion is slowly funneled to the second part of the brain. The diminishing flash invariably vanishes with the ensuing experience. At this point you will begin to realize the importance of controlling these experiences in which your pup is involved. Obedience is the first quality you may teach a pup. At a tender age, you should cautiously acquaint your pup with a very simple command. When you have with him for only a few minutes, and discern even the slightest sign of progress, then you should return the animal to his kennel run until the following day. One the second day you should repeat the work, after which you should add a few words. When the dog shows a trace of progress, return him to his kennel for two more days. By this time it is crucial that the dog is kenneled alone, only with a slight view of outside activity, because too many experiences will distract his thinking and allow other thoughts to hinder his schooling.
Mr. Miller breaks down the dogs brain into sections and says the first part of the dogs brain--or the part on which an experience first registers--is an extremely critical portion, because the initial sensation must enter here before it can be funneled to other parts of the brain.
This mechanical phase is know as the "witnessing" and "doing" portion, since about 80% of the dogs performance is comprised of thoughts from the main portion of the brain. Part one of the brain must receive practically all its orders from the final storehouse of experiences, with few of the latest experiences contributing form part two of the brain. After this phase, part one puts the operations in motion and the performance is witnessed.
Assuming a hound is 50% trained, is normal minded and has an average amount of nose power, he should work reasonably smooth. However, since he is only 50% trained and is forced to make a decision on his own, there is a 50-50 chance he will comply with instances based on hundreds of years of breedings. Mr. Miller states it is up to the reader to sort of "read between the lines" when reading this guide as the writer has endeavored to place the reader on the near-equal thinking level with the hound. The reader shouldn't let this comment "throw-him or deter his understanding of dogs, because authorities point out there there are only three creatures, intelligence wise, distinguishing between man and dog. It is popular conclusion that a normal minded hound, if schooled properly is an extremely intelligent animal "individual"
Next time we will dig deeper into the dogs brain.
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01-14-2017 12:30 PM
