American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 143 The Guard Dogs Show Initial Success

During the month of renovations, Lin Yu-an did not forget to train with whiskey and honey.

Since finishing Ryan's homework, he has come up with a new training plan during this month-long renovation period.

The magical effects of that training completely changed Ryan's opinion of Lin Yu'an.

He no longer treated him as an ordinary student who needed to be taught from scratch, but instead skipped all the tedious basic courses and gave him an advanced training syllabus at the level of a professional working dog.

This outline is no longer limited to simple "sit down" and "lie down," but covers more complex aspects such as obedience, stronger environmental adaptability, and the cultivation of basic guarding awareness.

Ryan said at the time, "Since you have this talent, don't waste it."

“I want you to train them as real partners. They need to learn to think, not just obey mechanically.”

So, during the breaks between each day's renovation of the wooden house, the clearing in the woods became Lin Yu'an's happiest classroom for his two dogs.

He started with environmental desensitization training.

Whiskey and Honey, as Bernese Mountain Dogs, are gentle by nature, but they are still afraid of loud, sudden noises.

Lin Yu-an did not use coercion, but turned the process into a game.

While he's cutting logs with a chainsaw in the distance, he'll place the puppies' favorite jerky and toys around them beforehand.

As the chainsaw roared to life, delicious snacks appeared at the same time.

Whiskey and Honey were very clever; after just a few times, the puppies began to associate the terrible noise with the signal that "something delicious is coming."

Gradually, the roar of chainsaws, the crisp sound of nail guns, and the rumble of loader engines all became, for them, the "dinner bells" that heralded rewards and games.

They would even wag their tails excitedly and run to Lin Yu'an's feet after hearing these sounds, waiting for praise and petting.

Next comes more advanced delayed gratification and willpower training.

Lin Yu-an would place a bowl of fragrant meat in front of them and then give the command to "wait".

At first, the two little guys were so anxious that they scratched their ears and drooled, but Lin Yu'an patiently guided them, rewarding them with clickers and snacks, even if it was just for them to maintain eye contact for one more second.

Thanks to his almost cheating sixth sense, he could always accurately catch the moment before the puppies lost patience and rushed towards their food bowl, and with a gentle command, he could bring their attention back.

After a month of training, the results were amazing.

Lin Yu-an could hold a sizzling, steaming steak in front of the whiskey's nose and then turn away.

Unless they hear the "okay" command, these two Bernese Mountain Dogs, which weigh over 13 kilograms each, will lie still like statues.

Even if saliva has formed a small puddle on the ground, they will never touch the food in front of them.

This steely composure was so impressive that even Ryan, during his inspection, couldn't help but marvel at it, stating that even his most elite K-9 police dogs couldn't reach this level when they were puppies.

Ryan told Lin Yu'an to train them properly because they had extraordinary talent! They were born to be guard dogs!
After a busy month, the interior decoration of the log cabin is finally basically completed.

The hardwood floors were laid, exuding a captivating aroma of varnish and wood, and the fireplace was successfully lit, its roaring flames bringing warmth to the entire space.

As the construction of his homestead entered a relatively calm phase, Lin Yu'an devoted more of his energy to advanced training in whiskey and honey.

Now, Lin Yu'an wants to teach them something even more important: how to become the guardians of this territory.

In the next crucial training sessions, focusing on "guarding" and "vigilance," Lin Yu-an adopted a method that was closer to their natural instincts.

He didn't teach them to bite or attack, as that would breed uncontrollable aggression, a fatal flaw for a family guard dog.

What he wants to reinforce is their "barking alarm" and "territorial boundary awareness".

The first step in the training was to create an alarm game, and Lin Yu-an invited Stan and George to help out as intruders.

He first used a simple wooden fence to demarcate a "safety boundary" with a radius of about fifty meters around the wooden house.

Then he had Stan drive his pickup truck slowly from the distant forest road.

The moment the vehicle entered the safety boundary, Lin Yu'an would immediately give the two dogs a command in a slightly tense yet encouraging tone: "Who's there?"

At the same time, he would immediately take a piece of dried deer liver from his pocket and stuff it into their mouths.

Over time, an unbreakable neural circuit is built in the brains of whiskey and honey.

"The sound of an unfamiliar vehicle's engine + entering a specific area + the owner's attention = incredibly delicious deer liver!"

They have learned to actively distinguish sounds coming from afar and regard guarding this safe boundary as an interesting job that can bring huge rewards.

If any vehicle that does not belong to Lin Yu'an enters their hearing range, they will immediately run to the door of the cabin, face the direction from which the sound comes, and bark in a deep, loud, and energetic manner to report to Lin Yu'an.

This barking is not out of fear or aggression, but rather an excited, boastful notification.

Their body language was very relaxed, and their tails were even wagging slightly, as if telling their owner, "Look! I've spotted the target! Where's my deer liver?" This was exactly the effect Lin Yu'an wanted: a perfect home security system that could provide effective early warnings, identify threats by observing the dog's body language, and not pose a threat to actual visitors.

The nightly video calls with Arya became the most heartwarming highlight of this rigorous training.

Lin Yu'an would place the laptop on the floor, and Whiskey and Honey would skillfully lie in front of the screen, rubbing their big heads against it, as if they could feel the gentle breath coming from the other end.

"Hi, my two little darlings!" Arya on the other side of the screen smiled so much her eyes immediately turned into crescent moons.

"Have you all been good today? Have you helped Daddy watch the house?"

"Of course," Lin Yu'an replied with a smile for them.

“George drove over today, and the two of them heard him from far away and barked happily. I rewarded them with a whole piece of deer liver.”

"That's wonderful!" Arya exclaimed sincerely.

She not only loves their cuteness, but is also grateful for the responsibility they will take on in the future to protect this home.

Lin Yu'an taught Ailiya some more complex remote commands. For example, he would make Whiskey and Honey lie on the ground and then say to Ailiya, "Darling, come and get them."

Arya would then call out from the other side of the screen in her clear and gentle voice, "Whiskey! Honey! Come!"

Upon hearing the sound coming from the speakers, the two little ones would immediately stand up, excitedly run to the laptop, and sniff hard, as if searching for the source of the sound.

"This is amazing!" Arya was overjoyed!
"They really understand me! When I get to Alaska, the first thing I'll do is give these two smart little guardians a big hug and reward them with the biggest steak ever!"

In addition to online interaction, offline social training is also essential.

That day, Lin Yu'an drove his Ford Conqueror, carrying honey, to Emily's veterinary clinic.

After this period of getting to know each other and training, he needed Emily, Honey's true owner, to test the results of his training and conduct a routine health check.

His own whiskey was left at the camp to guard the place, and the little whiskey didn't seem to care at all when it saw its master leaving with only honey.

It still sat like a loyal guard at the door of the wooden house, and its cute little expression made Lin Yu'an love it even more.

At the clinic, Emily saw Lin Yu'an arrive with her beloved dog and immediately smiled expectantly.

When Honey saw its owner, it excitedly wagged its tail and pounced on him, but then seemed to remember something.

He stopped a meter away from Emily, sat down, and then looked at her with longing eyes.

This small detail caused a flicker of surprise in Emily's eyes; she knew it was a sign of good discipline.

"Alright, Honey, get on the examination table." Emily pointed to the cold metal table and said in her usual gentle tone.

Upon hearing its master's voice, Honey first shook its head happily, then turned to look at its instructor, Lin Yu'an.

Lin Yu'an simply nodded calmly to it, and then gave a clear command to "go up".

Honey immediately and skillfully jumped onto the inspection table, sat steadily, and waited for her owner's inspection.

Throughout the subsequent auscultation, dental examination, and deworming medication administration, Honey demonstrated excellent cooperation.

Even when Emily touched its body with the cold probe of her stethoscope, it simply sat quietly, without the slightest struggle or unease.

As Emily took notes on Honey, she exclaimed sincerely, "Lin, is this still my naughty little girl? Her stability and obedience have undergone a complete transformation! How did you do it?"

Lin Yu'an just smiled and decided to conduct a final test.

He said to Emily, “Emily, try telling Honey to lie down in a cheerful tone.”

Emily nodded, looking at her dog, and said in a more commanding tone she had never used before, "Honey, down!"

Upon hearing its master's command, Honey was about to carry it out immediately, but then it habitually turned its head to look at Lin Yu'an, its eyes seeming to ask, "Instructor, is she right?"

Lin Yu'an gave it an approving look and nodded gently.

Having received double confirmation, Honey immediately and without hesitation carried out the command, lying down neatly on the examination table, then raising her head and looking at her master expectantly, as if waiting for a reward.

This small detail made Emily understand completely. She looked at Lin Yu'an with a complex yet knowing look in her eyes.

She stepped forward, hugged her beloved dog Honey tightly, and then whispered to Lin Yu'an.

"Thank you, Lin. You're not just training it; you're giving it a whole new soul."

"You are cultivating an absolutely loyal guardian with the ability to think independently."

After explaining some training methods, Lin Yu'an drove away, leaving only Emily and Honey playing in the clinic.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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(End of this chapter)