Smart Dog
Smart Dog Smart Dog "Sit, Toby!" Charlie commanded. He held his breath and watched his dog, Toby. They had worked on the sit command yesterday, and Charlie hoped that the dog would remember the lesson. Toby wagged his silky tail and panted excitedly. Maybe Charlie wants to give me a treat, he thought. Toby skipped forward and pressed his nose against Charlie's knees, nudging him. Charlie sighed, "No, Toby. That's not sit. That's walk." "Sit!" Charlie said again, as he tried to push Toby
登录后可以听外教原声朗读。
Smart Dog
Smart Dog
"Sit, Toby!" Charlie commanded.He held his breath and watched his dog, Toby.They had worked on the sit command yesterday,and Charlie hoped that the dog would remember the lesson.
Toby wagged his silky tail and panted excitedly.Maybe Charlie wants to give me a treat, he thought.Toby skipped forward and pressed his nose against Charlie's knees, nudging him.
Charlie sighed, "No, Toby. That's not sit. That's walk."
"Sit!" Charlie said again, as he tried to push Toby into a sitting position.Toby flopped down lazily and rolled over to have his stomach scratched.
"Are you still trying to train that silly dog?"Charlie turned around and saw his sister Eileen standing on the porch.
"He's not silly," Charlie said. "We're working very hard on a new trick."
Eileen laughed. "A new trick? He doesn't know any tricks.I'll bet he doesn't even know his own name.You won't be able to teach him anything, Charlie.Come on. It's your turn to set the table for dinner."
"Oh, really? I guarantee that Toby can learn anything," Charlie said."If Toby can do a trick that he's learned, will you promise to stop calling him a silly dog?"
"How about this?" Eileen asked. "If you can teach him a trick in one week,I'll set the table and wash and dry the dishes every night for a week.If you can't teach him, then you'll do all three chores for a week." "Deal," Charlie agreed.
"I can't wait to have my week off from chores," teased Eileen.As she turned to go inside, she said, "By the way, your silly dog is digging up Mom's flowers."
Charlie pulled Toby away from the gardenand frantically tried to push the dirt back into place so Mom wouldn't notice.
It had taken a long time for Mom and Dad to decide that he could have a dog.Charlie had promised that he would take care of the dog all by himself.Finally, they agreed, and the family made the trip to the animal shelter.
The people at the shelter introduced them to all kinds of dogs.Charlie liked them all and didn't know which one to choose, but then four puppies scampered into the room.They played and tumbled over each other until one bounded out of the pack,ran straight to Charlie, and began licking his hand.
Charlie knew right away that that puppy was the one he wanted.Charlie and Toby had been best friends ever since,and training Toby had become Charlie's biggest goal.
Charlie finished replanting the tulips, and now he needed to get back to work with Toby.One week seemed like a short time to teach him to sit,especially when he was more interested in digging up Mom's flowers.
"Toby, sit!" Charlie commanded again.
Toby ran around in a circle. He thought Charlie wanted to play one of their games, but he didn't know which one.He tried jumping up on Charlie, but he sensed that Charlie wasn't happy.Toby wanted to please Charlie, but he wasn't sure how to do it.He stood beside the boy and licked his hand.
"Don't worry, Toby," Charlie said, brightening as he patted his dog's head."We'll figure out how to show everyone just how smart you really are."
The next day, Charlie rode his bike to the library and looked for books about dog training.He found one that promised to reveal secrets of dog trainers who worked with animals on TV.
Charlie checked the book out of the library and began reading as soon as he got home.According to the book, Toby needed clear commands and instant rewards of praise and treats.Charlie filled his pockets with biscuits and led Toby outside into the backyard.
"Sit!" Charlie said firmly in a loud voice.But instead of sitting, Toby barked and ran towards Charlie.Charlie tried to push Toby into a sitting position while holding a biscuit above his nose.Toby was so excited by the scent of the biscuit that he jumped up to grab it with his mouth.
Charlie's friend Nina came to visit the next day, and she had an idea about how to train Toby."Your words don't mean anything to him," she explained."He needs an example to follow."
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"I'll give the command, and you act like a dog and obey my command," Nina said."Then I'll give you a treat, and you can pretend to gobble it up.Toby will watch you, and then he'll understand that he'll get a treat if he does the trick too."
"It sounds silly, Nina, but I guess it's worth a try," Charlie said.
Charlie and Nina went into the house to get some dog treats for Toby.Nina hid the treats in her pocket as they walked back out to the backyard.Toby sniffed and twitched his nose. He smelled dog biscuits.
"Sit!" Nina commanded loudly and clearly.She gestured to Charlie, pointing to the ground.Charlie sighed and slowly did his best imitation of an obedient, sitting dog.Nina came over to him and held out a treat."Good boy!" Nina praised Charlie.She clapped her hands and patted Charlie's head.
Charlie pretended to chew the biscuit.He watched Toby out of the corner of his eye.Toby was staring at the biscuit.Maybe this will work, Charlie thought.But when Nina gave the sit command again, instead of sitting, Toby raced forward and jumped on Nina.He stuck his nose into her pocket.Nina fell backwards, and Toby trotted away happily, holding two biscuits in his mouth.
Nina looked at Charlie and said with a smile, "He's smart enough to find the biscuits!"
