Training the Heavens

Chapter 198 I am a Tibetan Mastiff, and you want me to do this?

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using Tibetan Mastiffs as hunting dogs. The advantages are that they are resistant to cold weather, have a ferocious temperament, and are highly vigilant. Even if they encounter a blind bear, they are not afraid and will attack it directly. The disadvantages are that their IQ is not very high, they are not easy to tame, and they cannot understand complicated commands.

Therefore, except for special areas in the plateau, herders generally do not choose Tibetan Mastiffs as herding dogs or hunting dogs.

This may not be a problem for Xu Lingjun. He has animal affinity. With such a plug-in, even a Tibetan Mastiff can be tamed quickly and can understand more complex commands, right?
"It looks like a good dog. I'll get it something to eat first!" Xu Lingjun took the puppies and put them in the dog cages that had just been made yesterday. He also found some leftovers, added some mare's milk and fed them.

The conditions nowadays are not as good as in later generations. There are no special dog food and the herdsmen have always fed their dogs with whatever they have. If the two dogs were not so young, Xu Lingjun would not even add horse milk to their diet.

"You have to take it slow and coax them first. If these dogs don't recognize their owners, they won't eat the food fed by others." Dong Kuan watched from the side and reminded with a smile.

But before he could finish his words, he saw two puppies licking Xu Lingjun's hand and then started eating happily. Dong Kuan quickly rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen it wrong. When he opened his eyes again, the two dogs were still eating happily.

"Wow, this is fate. I fed them all the way but they didn't eat. But as soon as they saw you, they ate so diligently. It seems they have decided on you." Dong Kuan had no idea that Xu Lingjun was cheating, and he thought they really got along well.

"This saves me from making another trip. You can keep it and take good care of it. This kind of dog can be trained as a hunting dog when it is four months old. It will be soon. Come and tell me when you are ready to train the dog." After saying that, Dong Kuan put his hands behind his back and walked away.

"Grandpa, take care." Xu Lingjun walked him out of the yard, muttering to himself, "I guess this won't be necessary, right? I'm afraid there's no one in the entire Qilian Mountains who is better at this than me."

After playing with the dog for a while, Li Xiuzhi came back with a basket filled with fresh wild vegetables picked from the grassland. Seeing the dog in the cage, she was very curious, "What kind of dog is this? Why does it look so strange?"

As she said this, she was about to squat down to take a closer look. However, as soon as she approached the cage, the two puppies started barking and were very wary of Li Xiuzhi.

"Don't scream. Next time you see her, be good and listen to her, okay?" Xu Lingjun said, patting the cage.

"Pfft." Li Xiuzhi laughed. "What's the matter? Such a small dog can understand you?"

A magical scene happened. The two puppies suddenly calmed down, put their noses to the edge of the cage and sniffed, as if trying to remember the smell of Li Xiuzhi.

"Hey, now they're being obedient!" Xu Lingjun was very satisfied. The reward of animal affinity really suited the world of "Horse Wrangler". "Come here, pet them."

As soon as Li Xiuzhi came over, the two little guys seemed to understand what Xu Lingjun said, and put their big square heads close to the cage for Li Xiuzhi to stroke.

"Hey, so well behaved." Li Xiuzhi asked in surprise, but then became worried. "We can't keep them in cages forever, right? We have chickens in the yard. What if we let them out and they bite the chickens?"

"Don't be afraid, these two guys are very obedient. Just teach them slowly." Xu Lingjun is now full of confidence in his abilities.

Dong Kuan said that hunting dogs had to be four months old before they could be trained, but since Xu Lingjun was lucky, he wouldn't have to wait that long. From that day on, he would play with the puppies every day after work and gave them names: the one with the bigger head was called Dahuang, and the smaller one was called Erhuang. Dahuang and Erhuang were very attached to him, following him wherever he went. Every time Xu Lingjun went out to herd, he had to coax them into coming back to the yard.

They learn things very quickly and were soon able to be released from the cage. They don't chase or run after chickens when they see them, and only run out to stop the chickens when they want to leave the yard.

Gradually, they were no longer panicked when they saw the horses. Xu Lingjun made two bags with straw ropes and put the two dogs in the bags when he rode out. Dahuang and Erhuang would cling to the edge of the bags with their front paws, looking at the scenery along the way curiously.

Then they were taught not to bark or bite. By the end, Guo Zizi, Haisheng, and the others were surprised to see Da Huang and Er Huang. "Other dogs bark fiercely, but why are your Da Huang and Er Huang so well behaved? Could it be that after being with you for so long, they've picked up some gentle spirit?"

Dong Kuan was a little worried. "If the yellow four-eyed dogs aren't fierce, they won't be good hunting dogs. Have you trained them too badly?"

"Why are they so fierce at home? When we really need to use them, they will definitely not back down!" Xu Lingjun seemed full of confidence.

In the blink of an eye, it was mid-April, and the people on the ranch ran to the Qilian Mountains more diligently. Because with the gradual rise in temperature and the melting of snow mountains, Cordyceps sinensis began to poke its head out of the soil, and the season for going up the mountain to pick Cordyceps sinensis had arrived again.

This thing was sold very expensively in later generations, and was sold by gram. One hundred yuan per gram was only the average price. If you came across one in good condition, it could be even more expensive.

It is not cheap now. The supply and marketing cooperatives have purchasing signs for several common herbs from Qilian Mountains. Cordyceps sinensis has the highest price, which can be given as 28 yuan per kilogram, which is equivalent to an ordinary worker's monthly salary.

However, it is not easy to collect one kilogram. One cordyceps weighs only one gram, and it takes about eight or nine hundred cordyceps to make one kilogram. This thing is also small, so it is difficult for ordinary people to collect one kilogram.

Generally speaking, during the Cordyceps harvesting season, herders can dig up anywhere from a dozen to dozens of Cordyceps a day. Even if they dig every day, they can only collect a little over one kilogram in a month, which is considered a good extra income.

In the past, Xu Lingjun would go with them, but he was not very good at finding Cordyceps. After working hard for a month or so, he could only get a few yuan in return, which was not as good as those veterans.

This year was different. Xu Lingjun followed Guo Zizi, Haisheng and others to the mountain. He did not rush to look for Cordyceps. Instead, he took out a piece and held it to Da Huang and Er Huang's noses, saying, "Here, smell this. If there is some, take me there to dig it up."

"Woof woof!" Dahuang and Erhuang barked in unison, as if saying to Xu Lingjun, I am a dignified Tibetan Mastiff, and you want me to do this?

"Be good and go quickly. If you find a lot, I'll give you two a good meal when I get home tonight." Xu Lingjun ignored their protests, patted his head, and urged them to work faster.

"Old Xu, what are you thinking? Why let them do this? They won't do it." Guo Chenzi was speechless, thinking that Xu Lingjun was acting recklessly.

Before he could finish his words, he saw two little guys running forward quickly.

(End of this chapter)