Animal Training by Fun For Kidz

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Presents... 3 Check It Out! 4 Mammoth Musicians 6 Roaches to the Rescue 8 10 Tricky Facts 10 Training Butterflies 12 Puzzles 14 How to Train a Porcupine 15 Max & Gracie 16 Training Horses that Heal Kids 18 A Bird on Your Hand 19 Elephant Artists 20 It’s a Dog’s Life 22 Ticklers & Teasers 23 The Art of Falconry 24 Training a Cat 25 Zak Attack! 26 Beavers in the House 28 Training a Hero 29 Kids Corner 30 Puzzle Solutions 2

If you have ever played with a pet, perhaps you tried to train it or teach it a trick. Are you aware that lots of different animals can be trained? The walrus in the photo learns through the Animal Enrichment Program at the New York Aquarium. You may have seen elephants do tricks in a circus, but have you ever seen elephants play musical instruments? Learn about teaching cats to do some of the tricks you might teach your dog. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also read about how to train butterflies. From training horses to sea lions, cockroaches to a red-tailed hawk, there are interesting stories for everyone. Settle in, get comfy, and explore the world of animal training. And when you are all done, go to our Facebook page and look and listen to videos of some amazing animals playing musical instruments. You will be amazed!

by Jacqueline Adams • photos by Richard Lair What’s gray, weighs 30,000 pounds, has 9 trunks, and plays music? The Thai Elephant Orchestra! Does the idea of elephants playing musical instruments sound strange to you? It didn’t sound strange to elephant expert Richard Lair. He’d already seen talented elephants pick up brushes and learn to paint abstract art. When he met musician Dave Soldier, the two of them decided to create the world’s first elephant orchestra. Like any group of musicians, this orchestra spends time learning how to play together. It’s like going to a music school for very large students. The musicians in this unusual orchestra live in Thailand at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. At first, two male and four female elephants made up the orchestra. Was it hard to teach them to play? “It was easy,” says Richard, “perhaps because they are used to painting and because they like the sound.”

Elephants can play some human instruments, such as harmonicas, but most instruments for humans aren’t the right size and shape for a huge animal that uses a trunk instead of hands. Richard, Dave, and three of their coworkers designed most of the elephants’ instruments, including a xylophone of large metal pipes, a ten-foot keyboard, and a gong made from a logging saw. The orchestra rehearsed outside, in the shade of teak trees. Dave wanted to hear what the elephants would decide to play, so he didn’t teach them songs. He signaled when it was time to start and stop playing, but the elephants chose their own notes. Do elephants enjoy making music? “To some, it’s just a job,” says Richard, “but others, such as Princess and Tadpole, simply love it.” Princess, a female, likes her xylophone so much, that she sometimes refuses to stop playing! Tadpole, a male, performs on several instruments. He taught himself how to play the diddley bow, which is a drum with a wire that makes it sound like an electric bass. “Music puts Tadpole in a good mood,” explains Richard. It took the Thai Elephant Orchestra only 11 days to record their first CD. The money raised by selling the CD’s bought milk formula for orphaned baby elephants and will help run a school for elephant trainers. More elephants have joined the orchestra. One is Look Aet, who is a very talented musician. Tadpole has a new drum kit, and the other elephants are learning new instruments. They will keep playing music that entertains humans and helps elephants. You can hear a sample of elephant music or order a CD at www.mulatta.org. Be sure to have a parent visit the site with you.

by Brett Howard • illustrations by Rebecca Spohn The earthquake hits in the middle of the night. Like a bucking bronco, your bed tosses you onto the floor. You try to stand, but the floor is rolling like ocean waves. Your bookcase starts to sway, and you throw your hands over your head, waiting for it to fall on you. But the bookcase falls across your bed instead, creating a tent-like space just big enough for your shaking body. The walls and ceiling begin to crumble in a roar of noise and a cloud of dust. Soon you are trapped with no way out. Aftershocks come through the night, until there is only darkness and silence. Finally, out of the gloom, a tiny red light appears. It moves this way and that, as though looking for something. The light comes close to you and stops. Another light clicks on, blinking brightly in the cramped space. Before long, you hear scraping and digging noises and then voices. A chunk of wall is pulled away. A voice says, “Are you there? Are you OK?” How did they find me? you wonder. Relief washes over you. As flashlights brighten up the cramped space, you look over to where the lights were. What is that big brown thing? you think to yourself. It looks like a huge bug! I was trapped in here with that? Wait a minute . . . what’s on its back? It looks like a tiny electronic backpack! Is that how they found me? Does this sound like a disaster movie? Believe it or not, this could soon be science fact! Researchers at North Carolina State University have already created a way to steer Madagascar hissing cockroaches like mini remote-control cars.

Dr. Alper Bozkurt and his team have attached tiny guidance systems to the roaches. They send small electrical charges to the roach’s antennae and cerci (sensory organs on the roach’s abdomen). This way, the scientists are able to direct the insects, like using reins on a horse. They hope that in the near future, mini-cameras and sensors will be attached to the roaches, helping rescuers find people after disasters such as earthquakes or fires. Why don’t the scientists just build robots to do the work? Dr. Bozkurt says, “Building smallscale robots that can perform in such . . . conditions is enormously difficult. They (roaches) come with a self-powered locomotion system. They will run away when they sense danger, which makes them hard to trap or squash.” So why use Madagascar hissing cockroaches? This species of roach is two to three inches long. Unlike many cockroaches, they have no wings. This makes it easier to attach equipment to their backs. The team likes using female roaches because they are used to carrying extra weight around. Females carry their egg case inside or outside their bodies for about two months until live babies hatch. So, these tough bugs make great little pack mules! Imagine being rescued by a roach! These unique insects, which most people would rather step on than spare, may soon be saving lives. If Dr. Bozkurt and his team are successful, first responders to disaster scenes may include firefighters, search and rescue dogs, and Madagascar hissing cockroaches.

by Kiersten Gibizov When you think about training animals, you probably think about dogs, cats, horses, or even fish. But did you know that butterflies can be trained too? The most important thing about training animals is deciding which behavior you want them to perform. Do you want your dog to let you know when she wants to go outside? Maybe you want your cat to sit before you feed him. A butterfly garden in England wanted their butterflies to fly from one side of the garden to the other at the same time. The next step to training an animal is to find what the animal likes as a reward. You give the animal the reward once they perform the behavior correctly. Cats like yummy food treats. Some dogs like belly rubs. Butterflies like sweets. The butterfly garden trainers used bowls of fruit and nectar to encourage the butterflies to fly back and forth.

The final step to training an animal is to use a signal, or cue, to tell the animal when to perform the behavior. When you want a dog to sit, you say, “Sit.” When you want your horse to move forward, you tap her sides with your heels. The signal should be something the animal can understand. But how do you talk to butterflies? Butterflies are attracted to bright colors. The butterfly trainers used flashing lights to tell the butterflies when to fly from one side of the garden to the other. Combining these three steps, the trainers had a plan of action. First, they put fruit out where they wanted the butterflies to go. Then they flashed bright lights. With a little repetition and some patience, the butterflies were trained to fly from one end of the garden to the other at the same time. The final product was an explosion of bright oranges, deep blues, and iridescent greens flitting through the garden as a symphony played. They had trained 2000 butterflies to fly on cue.

©Liz Ball www.hiddenpicturepuzzles.com

rug log cat bat pan can dog mug dew tart pear bear sock shoe cone cane bone dove clock crock moon plane glove heart spoon beetle needle balloon

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Rewards (positive reinforcements) are an important part of training animals. If the animal does what you want, giving it a reward (maybe a fish for a dolphin or a piece of banana for a monkey) encourages it to repeat the behavior. Fill in the squares so that each row, column, and 7-square section has the letters R-E-W-A-R-D-S (2 Rs in each).

by Nicole Moore

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Dogs are very smart and can be trained to do many important jobs. Using the given code, write the correct letter above each number or symbol to figure out the names of six types of working dogs.

CODE @ = A & = Y # = E 0 = C $ = I 1 = D % = O 2 = G ^ = U 3 = H 4 = L

5=N 6=P 7=R 8=S 9=T

by Francis Wheeler

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Find these words in the puzzle and circle them. The remaining letters spell out the answer to the question:

Jenna, Austin, Sara, and Will are taking their dogs to obedience training. They each have a different breed of dog: collie, dachshund, spaniel, and terrier. Use the clues to find out who owns which dog. Put an “x” in a box if you know a dog doesn’t go with a kid. Put an “o” if you know it does.

Even wild animals get enthused over television. Can you guess what program they’re watching?

Hints: 1. Someone’s name starts with the same letter as the kind of dog she has. 2. Jenna congratulated the boy who’d already trained his dachshund to sit up. It wasn’t Austin.

Terrier

Spaniel

Dachshund

3. Austin and the owner of the collie often walk their dogs together.

Collie

©Liz Ball www.hiddenpicturepuzzles.com

W A T C H I N G T H E Y R E A E E G L U O Y N P V U E A G T I R E E V A H O M O N S I U M V A G E S S W S E L R H E I I O R S A D W O L G E T M C A N D W H A T

Jenna Austin Sara

Answer

Will ©Liz Ball

W C

by Evelyn B. Christensen K K

A theme park in France trained six animals to do a special job. Their names were Baco, Bamboo, Bill, Black, Boubou, and Bricole. Use the diagrams to decode the message that tells what the animals were and what they were trained to do. Some of the letters have been filled in for you

C C

W W

K K

Jump to the Answers on Page 30.

R R

by Carrie Schmeck

How do zoo trainers get their animals to do what they want? Sharon Clay, head animal trainer at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, California, told us how she trains her porcupine, Spike. She says that what works for porcupines can work for your dog, cat, and even your hamster. These tips should work whether you want your pet to sit, climb, or roll over. 1. Bond. Build trust with the animal. Spend lots of time with him. Be calm. Talk gently. Let the animal approach you and sniff you. Offer treats for no reason. 2. Treat. Figure out what your pet likes for treats. Sharon gave Spike a variety of food (like pieces of pumpkin, grapes, and celery) and watched what she ate first. That became the treat reward. 3. Remove the treat. Once you have identified the reward food, remove it from your pet’s diet so he will want it as a reward. 4. Bridge. Connect treats with a behavior you want from your pet. To train Spike to come to the center of the stage, Sharon uses a “target pole,” a stick with a tennis ball on the end. When Spike sniffs the target pole, Sharon says, “Good,” and gives a reward. Then she repeats the action. Again. And again. Eventually, Spike remembers that it is good to go to the target pole. She will follow it anywhere to get her reward. 5. Cue. Add hand cues with the target pole to signal when the animal should perform. Spike learned that certain hand cues led to rewards, even after the target pole was taken away.

Be consistent and patient when training any animal. We might not get to train a real porcupine, but we can sure try Spike’s lessons on our own pets!

Parker, one of our readers, had a chance to help train a porcupine to eat from a spoon at the African Wildlife Safari Park in Ohio.

Exeter, New Hampshire 3:30 PM Time to snuggle up near a heater. Max and Gracie and their owners, Linda, Craig, and their seven-year-old son, Ed, are driving the back roads of America. Perhaps you have seen Max and Gracie with their heads out the window. If not, here is a letter describing their most recent adventure.

cie. Yes, she can be writings on the road, I love Gra As you can probably tell from my a few examples. blesome. Here, let me give you trou be to an me sn’t doe she but difficult, catch it. But when Ed how to fetch a ball, she’s able to When Ed tries to teach Gracie — she takes off. Ed gets so he can throw it again, Vroom tries to grab it from her mouth he didn’t chase l, and Gracie gets annoyed that bal the p dro sn’t doe she t tha annoyed ts someone to chase her. game is “keep away.” She wan her. You see, Gracie thinks the se her, particularly if on me because she knows I’ll cha When Ed doesn’t, she pounces she wakes me up from a nap! thinks the object sit when getting a treat. Gracie Ed also tries to teach Gracie to Ed over. The other can, even if that means bowling is to get the treat as fast as she him so hard his t from Ed’s hand, and bumped trea a d bbe gra up, ped jum cie day, Gra was proud of herself, poor spaghetti. Even though Gracie shirtsleeve landed in a bowl of ce off Ed’s shirt. was Linda, who had to clean sau Ed wasn’t happy at all. Neither Ed taps on knows to jump on the bed when ce Gra t tha , ugh tho , ing pris sur Isn’t it are feeling down. Her She also knows when any of us the mattress and says, “Here”? laugh. Best of all, she sting like a corkscrew makes us dropping onto her back and twi y not know all or I need a Gracie hug. She ma knows when Ed, Linda, Craig, Gracie girl! the ones that matter. That’s our her commands, but she knows

Max

by Carolyn Bennett Frasier

autiously, the horse walks down a wooded path. More than a dozen pool noodles hang from trees. They sway in the breeze and bump against his skin, but he doesn’t spook. For Buddy, it’s part of his job. He’s used to walking on tarps, umbrellas opening near his face, and loud screams. He’s been trained to stay calm. Brittany McCathern trains horses like Buddy at the Free Rein Center in North Carolina to work with special needs kids. “Horses are flight animals. Their instinct is to run away. We train them to think before they react when they see something that’s scary.” Free Rein offers sessions for kids with autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, and many other challenges. Kids learn how to take care of the horses and earn their trust. The horses help the kids walk, balance, focus, and control their emotions better. It builds their confidence. “Horses will mirror emotions. When you come near them in fear, they are going to react in fear,” said Brittany. “We teach kids to watch the horse and observe their behavior. You treat the horse like you want to be treated.”

When the horses are not helping kids, they are in training three to four days a week. Volunteers lead horses through the wooded sensory trail. Music blares from loudspeakers. They walk across a padded bridge that makes strange noises. After a break, the horses continue training in the riding ring. They must stand still while large balls bounce and people walk around them. Trainers lightly tap the horse’s side with a dressage training whip and guide it through an obstacle course full of umbrellas, barrels, and hula hoops. Brittany chooses horses that are older and laid back. But all of them need time to get used to the many props and games that Free Rein uses with the kids. Sometimes extra training is needed during sessions. But the horses love a good challenge! So do the kids. Many of them grow to consider the horses their friends. They love making and sharing special “pizzas” with their favorite horse. And the horses have helped them behave better in school and with their brothers and sisters at home. “We hope that it will change their families as well,” said Brittany. “We see the impossible become possible.”

For fun facts about horses, go to our Facebook page with a parent. You’ll also find out how to make a horse pizza that’s not just for horses! Facebook.com/ funforkidz

Would you like to have a bird eat some seed right out of your hand? You will need patience, but you can do it.

What You Need: • an old jacket of yours • old gloves or mittens • newspaper or other paper • two sticks (You decide how big they should be.) • heavy string • bird seed

What You Do Find a bush or tree in your yard that birds like to visit. Poke one of the sticks into the ground. Push the other stick into one sleeve of your old jacket and out the other. Hang your jacket over the stick in the ground. Tie the sticks together with string. Next, stuff paper into your old gloves. Push the gloves onto the ends of the stick that goes through the sleeves. Now the gloves look like hands. Turn the gloves so they face up. Tie them to the stick so they don’t move. You’ve made a scarecrow, but you’re not trying to scare birds. To attract them, pour a little bird seed onto the gloves. They’ll look like hands offering seeds! Leave the scarecrow in your yard all day and night. Put more seed onto the hands every day. It may take several days for the birds to come. But once they do, take your scarecrow down and put the jacket on yourself. Hold some seed in your hands and stand where the scarecrow was. DON’T MOVE. BE PATIENT. If the birds are used to taking seed out of the scarecrow’s hands, they will fly down and take it right out of YOUR hands! Don’t be nervous. The birds won’t hurt you. If the birds don’t come right away, put your scarecrow back up and try again another day. One time, a bird will land on your hand!

by Elizabeth Chaney • photos by David Ferris The first time someone tried to teach an elephant to paint was in the late 1980s. It was a way of keeping these very intelligent animals from getting bored. The first elephant to work with actual paint on a canvas was named Ruby. She was living in Arizona at the Phoenix Zoo and was often seen using a stick to doodle designs in the sand. Her keepers decided to trade the stick for a brush, and Ruby’s artistic career took off. The zoo sold the paintings to support the upkeep of the animals. One of her paintings sold for a whopping $25,000! In 1995, Russian-born artists Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid decided to teach elephants to paint too. Their first student was living at the Toledo Zoo in Ohio. Her name was Renee. The two artists used a teaching method which rewards a student for getting the answer right. If Renee was successful at grasping a paintbrush with her trunk, she received a treat. This step was repeated regularly until Renee learned that holding her paintbrush brought her something she wanted, like a piece of fruit. Once Renee mastered holding the brush, the next step was learning to dip the brush into a pot of paint and touching it to a blank canvas. This step-by-step approach is still used today to teach elephant artists. Renee’s teachers learned that Asian elephants were becoming endangered. They travelled to Asia and began an organization called the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project (AEACP). They have opened wildlife rescue centers in several Asian countries. Many elephants there have been painting for years. Human artists are often brought in to work with the elephants and help them develop their own style. Some elephants paint lines and shapes, while others make paintings of more recognizable things.

by Rebecca Upjohn David Kennard calls out three words, “Jack! Come by!” Suddenly, a dog leaps forward. In a black and white blur, the border collie races silently away and disappears behind a flock of sheep. Heads rise sharply. Moments later, the sheep sweep past. It takes a man, a dog, and one command to make 50 sheep run to where David wants them. It looks simple, but it’s not. David and his dogs work as a team. He has a deep understanding of the border collie breed and how each dog can be different. “It’s partly a process of communication,” David says, “and partly the process of making a pact with the dog.” He has been herding sheep with his border collies on Wellscroft Farm in New Hampshire for 40 years. David pays attention to each dog’s strengths and weaknesses. He works to bring out their best. As a result, they are happy and eager to work for him. Border collies were first developed along the borders of Scotland and England. They are great herding dogs because of their instinct to gather farm animals, or stock, and bring them back to their masters. Many herding dogs drive stock forward, but the instinct of a border collie is to bring the stock back. Border collies work quietly, with little or no barking. They use their eyes to control the animals. “I’ve seen border collies stare down 2000-pound Black Angus steers,” says David. “Because they were chosen for their herding abilities, and not their looks, they maintained their intelligence,” says David. “They are considered the smartest dogs in the world.”

David loves using his dogs to teach people what it is like to do their work. During the herding demonstrations he gives all over the northeastern US, he calls children (and sometimes adults) from the audience into the ring. He invites them to try herding a small group of sheep into a pen. Then the fun begins. Sheep have four feet, and kids have only two. Sheep don’t want to go into small pens. They want to run as far away from pens and people as they can. When the kids finally give up chasing the sheep, David calls his dogs. Within minutes, the dogs pen the sheep, and everyone is laughing. David brings sheep, ducks, goats, and pigs to use in his demonstrations. The dogs must work at the right distance to be able to herd the animals without causing them stress. If the dogs get too close, the animals might panic. If the dogs work too far back, the animals won’t move. They have to be gentle with ducks and work close to them. They work farther back with sheep. With goats, they work closer and must be more aggressive because goats can be stubborn. David’s border collies are working dogs, not pets. They earn their keep by working. David never sells the puppies he breeds as pets. He will only let a puppy go to a working situation. “They want to work all the time, and this is the problem when people get them as pets,” says David. Border collies need work to burn off their energy and to keep their brains busy. Those two things keep them happy. David spends long, hard hours on his farm, but he always has time for his dogs. It is clear that he loves them as much as they love him. “They are feisty, energetic, athletic little dogs,” he says. They are “friends, full of devotion,” he adds. Then he grins. “And they are fun.”

Riddle by Guy Belleranti

Question: What pet should be trained to always stay away from vacuum cleaners? To find the answer, unscramble the following words: A UTDS UNBYN Answer: A DUST BUNNY

In Training by Guy Belleranti

by Jim Browne

Dougie Dog: “How’s obedience school going?” Morty Mutt: “Great.” Dougie Dog: “Then you’re learning lots of new things?” Morty Mutt: “Sure am. I do a few simple tricks, and my human’s more obedient than ever!”

“That’s Ruff, our dog. He’s a domestic working breed.”

by Jim Browne

“It’s snowing. She’s listening to the radio to find out if her obedience school has been cancelled.”

by Jim Browne

“He’s the best watchdog we ever had.”

by Michele Prestininzi

Eating breakfast next to a red-tailed hawk is not unsettling to 14-year-old Jesse Hunt of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In addition to playing soccer and the violin, Jesse practices falconry. She keeps and trains a bird of prey for the sport of hunting. Jesse first glimpsed the sport when she was 11. “The first time I went hunting with my dad and other falconers, I knew I wanted to be a falconer.” In October Jesse started her second year as an apprentice on an Allegheny Mountain ridge. With the help of her sponsor, a master falconer, Jesse used a pigeon to lure her hawk into a large net. Charlene was captured without harming a feather. The pigeon was later released. Once trapped, the first step is manning the bird, or getting it used to people. Jesse’s home is the perfect place. She lives with her parents and two brothers, Charlie and Eli. On any given day, you’ll find Charlene, Stumpy, or Austin (her dad’s two Harris hawks) perched in the kitchen or living room. They stay perched while Eli goes to school and Jesse and Charlie are homeschooled by their dad. The family’s dogs and cat run about the house. The hawks live outside in the mews, or hawk house, but rotate coming inside on a daily basis. “I usually do schoolwork until one o’clock, then work with Charlene for one or two hours. If it’s a training or hunting day, then about two hours more,” says Jesse. Once Charlene is trained, Jesse takes her hunting a few days a week. When the season is over, she’ll set the hawk free. Charlene will be a strong hunter and do well in the wild. According to Jesse, “The best part of being a falconer is the birds. You feel like you’re a part of nature. I love it!”

by Stephanie Gibeault I bet you think a dog is the only pet you can train to do tricks. Nope! Like other animals, cats learn from the consequences of their actions. For example, if your cat gets attention whenever she meows at you, you will end up with a very chatty cat. But if you ignore her calls, she’ll eventually try something else to catch your eye. By controlling what happens when your cat does something, you can teach her to do simple behaviors. Step one is to use your cat’s favorite yummy treat as a lure. Hold the treat in front of your cat and lead her into the action or position you want. For example, you can have your cat spin in circles by keeping a treat in front of her nose and letting her follow your hand. As soon as your cat finishes the action, reward her with the treat. After a few successful tries, it’s time for step two. Hide the food inside your fist and repeat the action. Your cat should continue to follow your hand. Step three is using an empty fist so your pet is following you and not the food. Remember: Even though you’ve stopped using a food lure, give a treat every time your pet does a good job. In no time, you’ll have taught your cat to do a trick by following your hand signal. Cool! If you want to add a spoken word to signal your pet, that’s step four. Choose any word you want, then simply say that word before you give your hand signal. Eventually, she will do the trick whenever she hears that word. Try luring your cat into shaking a paw. Follow the steps above, and in a few days, your cat will be shaking hands with all your friends.

by Dollie Coberly One special whiskered mammal found in the ocean has been called to serve in the Armed Forces. It’s the sea lion! Zachary, weighing 375 pounds, joined the Navy during the Persian Gulf War. Zak’s responsibility is to defend and protect US military ships. If an enemy diver attached a bomb or some type of explosive device to the bottom of a US ship, Zak is ready for him with handcuffs! Zak and other sea lions train to be on the lookout for unknown divers swimming around military ships, harbors, and piers. Carrying a clamp in his mouth, he swims quietly behind the intruder. He then quickly attaches the clamp-handcuff to the bewildered diver’s leg. ZAK ATTACK! By pulling the rope that’s attached to the clamp, the crew aboard the ship pulls the diver out of the water. Another military ship is safe due to Zak and other sea lions like him. Like you, the Navy sea lions attend school. They practice diving down on command and searching for underwater mines. They learn how to retrieve the mines. Training also includes how to warn US troops when an underwater intruder is nearby. The sea lions alert humans with loud honking as they follow the suspicious person onto dry land. Zak’s underwater vision is excellent. He can also determine which direction a sound comes from. After two years of school, Zak and the other sea lions graduate from the US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program in San Diego, California. Now the sea lions and their handlers are ready to protect US military ships, harbors, and piers from any underwater enemy attacks. Sea lions are not the only animals in the US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program. Dolphins and beluga whales have been used too. Whether it’s a sea lion, dolphin, or beluga whale, each has a very important job: to protect US troops and ships.

by Bonnie Ogle Imagine having a swimming pool in the basement of your house, with beavers swimming in it. Al and Dorothy Richards created such a house in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Mrs. Richards became known as the Beaver Woman. She spent 50 years studying beavers and educating thousands of people at Beaversprite, a beaver sanctuary she established. In 1934, the Conservation Department released a pair of beavers on the Richardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; land. She called them Samson and Delilah. These two beavers adapted happily to the farmland. They built a dam that formed a small pond. Because the beavers became very comfortable around Mrs. Richards, she was able to train them to eat apples out of her hand. After years of observing the beavers and taking notes, she obtained a license to take Samson and Delilah into her house. Mr. Richards built a pool in the basement and piped water in from a nearby stream. Later he added windows which allowed Mr. and Mrs. Richards to watch the beavers from their living room. Eventually, they even allowed the beavers into their living room for an occasional visit.

Because of Mrs. Richards, ideas about beavers changed. She learned that these animals were conservationists. They never removed all the trees from one area to build their dams. They would take down larger trees but leave saplings alone so they could mature into big trees. If you would like to read more about this special beaver sanctuary, Beaversprite, ask your parents to look up additional information. Visit www.beaversww.org

Training a Hero by Caren Mlot JOB DESCRIPTION: Find missing people, search for disaster victims, locate someone buried under an avalanche, recover drowning victims. Work hours are long, in the worst conditions. Energy, intelligence, strength, and focus required. Must perform well independently and with others, be sociable, trustworthy, and always ready for action. What is this job? It’s the life of a search and rescue (SAR) dog. Elizabeth Kreitler has trained several dogs for search and rescue work. It takes up to two years to train a puppy because many skills are needed. Also, the puppy needs to develop physically and mentally. Along with her two-year-old partner, Racker, and previous dogs Garret and Nero, Ms. Kreitler has been on many rescue missions. Dogs are trained in places built to look like disaster sites. They learn hand signals as well as voice commands. This is because the handler’s voice may not always be heard above noise at a real rescue site. The dogs need to feel comfortable moving around disaster sites. On their own type of playground, they practice on obstacle courses, ladders, and elevated planks of wood. They crawl through narrow spaces and tunnels and try to keep their balance on a wobbly seesaw to prepare for unstable rubble. Barking when he smells the scent of a live victim is an important skill to learn. To teach this, someone hides in a box or barrel. The dog learns to bark repeatedly at the human scent. He is rewarded with a toy and a game of tug when he makes a “find.” This exercise involves plenty of repetition, but remains fun for the dog. The game gets even more interesting! The barrel is buried at different depths in the debris. This teaches the dog to bark at various strengths of human scent. The trainer provides consistent commands and praise. Everything is done in a positive manner. Dogs sense a negative attitude. To avoid confusion, only one handler trains the dog. No training can exactly match the challenges of rescue situations. But a well-trained SAR dog may mean the difference between life and death for a victim. A hero, for sure!

ATTENTION READERS!

Write to Ziggy, the Fun For Kidz dog. You see him on every cover of the magazine. He is the “Z” in Fun For Kidz. Ziggy has ears, eyes, a nose, a mustache over his mouth, and a tail. If you write to Ziggy, he will write back to you! Send letters to: Fun For Kidz, Attn. Ziggy PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227

Hey, Kids! Have any of you ever trained an animal? Write and tell us about it or send in a drawing or photo of you training your pet! Also, send us your stories, photos, drawings, poems, and jokes & riddles for publication! We can’t wait to see what you send in! EMAIL TO: kidscorner@funforkidz.com OR MAIL TO: Kids Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton OH 45817-0227.

How I Met My Buddy by Caleb Tinsley, age 9

I love playing with friends on the playground during recess at school. It is the best part of my day! We climb. We swing. We jump. We laugh. We have lots of fun together! But every day during recess, there is this one kid named Chase who walks over to the bench on the playground and sits by himself. He does not play. He looks sad. He looks lonely. So, one day I walked over to him and said, “Do you want to play with me?” And he smiled and said, “Yes!” Chase and I became friends that day. We play. We laugh. We have lots of fun together!

Parker Edwards, age 7, caught his first trout all by himself. It measured between 16 and 18 inches long. Ivan Edwards-Leeper, age 6, enjoyed his summer with a new puppy called Cowboy Clark.

by Raijah Tinsley, age 7

Dear Ziggy, I love your Fall Fun issue! (Sept./Oct. 2019) Everything in it was very good. I am 8, and I like social studies and science best in school. Your friend, Meagan Hermann

Dear Ziggy, We are brothers. Matt is 8, and I (Jake) am 11. We want to get more of your magazines because we like the cartoons, stories, and puzzles. I play baseball and soccer, and Matt plays soccer. Our family has 2 dogs and 1 cat. Matt and Jake Bachar

Rewards Sudoku on page 12

Mystery Picture Puzzle on page 12

Working Dogs on page 12 1. SEARCH AND RESCUE DOG 2. HERDING DOG 3. SLED DOG 4. POLICE DOG 5. GUIDE DOG 6. THERAPY DOG

Park Puzzle on page 13 Crows were trained to pick up trash.

Word Find Puzzle on page 13 Training Logic on page 13 W A T C H I N G T H E Y R E A E E G L U O Y N P V U E A G T I R E E V A H O M O N S I U M V A G E S S W S E L R H E I I O R S A D W O L G E T M C A N D W H A T

A GAME SHOW

Jenna owns a collie, Austin owns a terrier, Sara owns a spaniel, and Will owns a dachshund.

Photo Credits: Biobot by Eric Whitmire 7; ©Kenneth Keifer/123RF.COM 11; ©Larysa Honcharenko/123RF.COM 10-11; Photo courtesy of Turtle Bay Exploration Park 14 top; © Alexey Stiop/Adobe Stock 16-17 (top); Photos courtesy Free Rein Center 16-17 (middle); Noppakhao, who resides at ElephantStay in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Photo by David Ferris, AEACP, 2018 19 (bottom-left); Lucky, who resides at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo by David Ferris, AEACO, 2018 19 (bottom-right); Photos courtesy Wetlands & Wildlife 26-27.

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Please allow at least six weeks. US POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) Date of Filing: September 1, 2019 Title of Publication: FUN FOR KIDZ Publication #: 20286 Frequency of Issue: Bi-monthly No. of Issues Published Annually: 6 Annual Subscription Price: $32.95 US Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: FUN FOR KIDZ, 190 Sunset Dr, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Offices of the Publisher: FUN FOR KIDZ, 190 Sunset Dr, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817. Full Names and Complete Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Thomas M. Edwards, 190 Sunset Drive, Bluffton, OH 45817. Editor: Marilyn Edwards, 190 Sunset Drive, Bluffton, OH 45817. Managing Editor: Marilyn Edwards, 190 Sunset Drive, Bluffton, OH 45817. Owner: The Bluffton News Publishing and Printing Company-Thomas M. Edwards, 190 Sunset Drive, Bluffton, OH 45817. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None Extent and Nature Avg. No. of Copies No. Copies of Single Each Issue During Issue Published Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date A. Total No. Copies 3600 3600 B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution 1. Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 3020 2998 2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 31 31 3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS 0 0 4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS 0 0 C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 3051 3029 D. Nonrequested Distribution 0 0 E. Total Nonrequested Distribution 0 0 F. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e) 3051 3029 G. Copies not Distributed 549 571 H. Total (Sum of 15f and g) 3600 3600 I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 100% 100% Electronic Copy Circulation Avg. No. of Copies No. Copies of Single Each Issue During Issue Published Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date A. Paid Electronic Copies 0 0 B. Total Paid Print Copies + Paid Electronic Copies 3051 3029 C. Total Print Distribution + Paid Electronic Copies 3051 3029 D. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies) 100% 100% I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic & print) are paid above a nominal price. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. Marilyn Edwards

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V i s i t U s O n l i n e ! F a c e b o o k . c o m / F u n F o r K i d z • w w w. F u n F o r K i d z . c o m Vol. 18 No. 6 • NOV/DEC 2019 Publisher: Thomas M. Edwards Editor: Marilyn Edwards Associate Editor: Diane Winebar Graphic Design: Gaurakisora Tucker Marketing Director: Jonathan Edwards

FUN FOR KIDZ (ISSN 1536-898X) is published bi-monthly by the Bluffton News Publishing and Printing Company, P.O. Box 227, 101 N. Main St., Bluffton, OH 45817-0227. Telephone: 419-358-4610. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fun For Kidz, P.O. Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227. Periodical postage is paid at Bluffton, OH and Preston, ID.

Subscriptions: All subscription inquiries and changes of address should be addressed to FUN FOR KIDZ at P.O. Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817. Telephone: 419-358-4610.

Subscription rates are six issues (1 year) $32.95; twelve issues (2 years) $55.90; eighteen issues (3 years) $68.85. Canadian postage - first class - $18 per year, all other foreign countries first class airmail - $37.50 per year.

FUN FOR KIDZ, INC. accepts no responsibility whatsoever for Replacement Issues: We will replace one damaged or lostany injuries arising out of the use or misuse of ideas, materials, in-the-mail issue per year. Your request must be made within 45 and activities featured in its publications or products. days of the specific issue’s date: January 1, March 1, May 1, July Science Editor: Larry White Copyright © 2019 by the Bluffton News Publishing and Printing 1, September 1, or November 1. Co. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be Science Illustrator: Alan Wassilak reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Attention Readers: Send in your letters, short stories, Riding ... with Max & Gracie Editor: Lisa Rehfuss FUN FOR KIDZ™, and the FUN FOR KIDZ logo™, are trademarks poems, jokes & riddles, and drawings for publication. Send to: of FUN FOR KIDZ, The Bluffton News Publishing and Printing Co. Kids Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817. Cover Artist: Chris Sabatino

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