There are some occupations in this world that are not well known to people, but they are silently serving the world.

In China, dogs are considered to be “spiritual” animals. The so-called “spirituality” is to resonate with human beings, comprehend their words, and even understand their thoughts. This is why the Chinese have thousands of years of history of dog domestication. Dogs play an important role in Chinese myths and legends, and they really influence the Chinese language to a great extent.

I’ve seen countless dogs, and most dogs are extremely loyal to their owners. And they know the rules of human society, for example, not all places in the home can be used for excretion, they cannot yell for no reason, and they can only go out for a stroll at a fixed time each day. However, some dogs are smarter. They know how to stand on two legs like a human, how to skip a rope, how to stand steadily on a rolling ball. I used to think that they are able to do these because of their ingenuity, until an accidental experience that I visited the whole process of dog training under the leadership of a dog dealer. Then, I realized that just like Aristotle needs Plato as his teacher, dogs actually have teachers.

It was a dilapidated little house and a spacious yard. The dog trainer and his “students” lived in the house, and the yard was a training ground filled with various props. “I can train many dogs at the same time,” the dog trainer proudly said to me. “It looks complicated, but it’s actually very simple.” He gave an order and all the dogs gathered together and then showed us his training methods. “If you want them to walk on two legs,” he launched a tricycle, “then tie their forelimbs to the car and push the tricycle slowly, and they will start to try to move using only the hind limbs.” A few puppies ran over and skillfully grasped the tricycle with their front paws. “Very good,” the trainer said and started to move. A puppy was struggling with his legs, his body trembling slightly, but he looked hard. “Yes, Lucky, keep going. Very good, Coco, you have exceeded yesterday’s record,” he shouted in excitement while the dog was walking in the back, the light of the setting sun shining on their faces, and the long shadows behind them, like a father followed by a child of his. He also showed us some other methods, such as how to make the dog stand on the ball. “This little idiot is more difficult to teach than other dogs,” the trainer called a big white dog to show us. “But he has truly barely learned anything that I taught, so the only thing he needs now is to practice more.” The big dog stood on the iron ball, constantly tilting his body to control his balance, but his eyes gazed at the trainer, hoping to get some praise. “His prize will double if he learns all of the skills,” said the trainer.

“You never know how smart a dog is. I started training them shortly after they were born. The whole process usually takes one to two years,” the trainer told me before I left. “But when someone comes to buy him, as long as I put the dog leash into the hands of the new owner, he will immediately know who he belongs to next. No matter how I call his name, he will not come at me anymore. He knows that the owner has changed. That is the reason why I love to live with dogs, it is much simpler compared with human beings.