King of the Wilderness-Chapter 167 - 138: Ryan’s Shocking Talent

In the training field, the A-frame obstacle board, balance beam, hurdles, and tunnels and platforms simulating various complex environments are arranged in a distinctive manner.

A nimble figure is commanding a black and brown dog, darting like lightning through these obstacles.

It is a Belgian Malinois, commonly known as a Malinois. Its muscles are prominently defined, full of explosiveness, and every movement is precise yet powerful.

The man commanding it is Ryan Anderson.

Lin Yu'an parked the car outside the training field, carrying Whiskey and Honey, who were still curiously looking, as he got out of the vehicle.

He didn't approach right away; he just stood quietly at a distance, watching the training performance, which was nothing less than an artistic display.

Ryan did not shout loudly; his commands were brief and powerful. Most of the time, he used just a gesture, or even a slight shift in his body's center of gravity.

The Malinois would understand immediately, responding with the utmost precision. This was no longer a simple command and obedience, but a deep-rooted understanding.

When the last command was completed, the Malinois sat steadily by Ryan's feet, looking up at him with eyes full of focus and attachment. Only then did Ryan seem to notice the visitor from afar.

He did not walk over immediately; instead, he calmly watched Lin Yu'an, as if wanting to see through him entirely.

Meanwhile, the Malinois at his feet also slowly stood up, issuing a low, engine-like warning growl from its throat.

Its body leaned forward slightly, muscles taut, ready to attack at any moment.

The air seemed to freeze instantly.

Lin Yu'an knew this was his first test.

An ordinary person, facing such a professionally trained working dog exuding danger, would instinctively react by retreating, panicking, or even turning around to run.

But Lin Yu'an did not; his enhanced Sixth Sense enabled him to clearly sense the emotion coming from the other side.

He could feel that, although the Malinois was full of vigilance, its emotions were stable, without any true intent to attack.

It was simply faithfully executing its guarding duties, waiting for its owner's next command.

Lin Yu'an merely stood quietly in place, body relaxed, holding Whiskey and Honey, looking towards Ryan instead of the Malinois directly.

This is a posture in animal behavior that indicates "I mean no harm, I respect your territory."

The Whiskey and Honey in his arms seemed to also feel the pressure; the two little ones whimpered uneasily and burrowed hard into his embrace.

A few seconds of standoff felt as long as a century.

Ultimately, Ryan seemed to recognize Lin Yu'an's demeanor.

He gently patted the Malinois's neck and said softly, "Alright, Kane, relax."

The Malinois named Kane instantly lost its warning growl, its tense body relaxed, but its eyes remained vigilantly locked on Lin Yu'an.

Only then did Ryan begin walking towards Lin Yu'an with long strides. He was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, tall and well-proportioned.

He wore a set of washed-out Carhartt work pants and a dark gray tactical fleece.

His short hair was meticulously trimmed, his facial features distinct, no expression on his face, but his eyes were exceptionally bright, as if they could see into a person's soul.

"Are you Lin?" His voice was deep and steady, carrying a texture unique to a police officer.

"Yes, Ryan, hello." Lin Yu'an extended his hand.

Ryan shook his hand, dry and strong, full of thick calluses.

"George spoke very highly of you on the phone."

He glanced at the two furry creatures in Lin Yu'an's arms, "Are these the little problems you need help with?"

"Yes, this is Whiskey, this is Honey." Lin Yu'an placed the two puppies on the ground.

The two little ones immediately began to curiously sniff at this new patch of earth, but they dared not stray too far from Lin Yu'an's feet.

Ryan squatted down, carefully observing Whiskey and Honey.

His gaze was professional, inspecting their bones, gait, and reaction to the new environment.

Kane also came over, sniffing the two little ones curiously and then snorted disdainfully, as if saying "two inexperienced little kids."

"Bernese Mountain Dogs, a good choice."

Ryan stood up, dusted his hands, "Good lineage, sturdy bones. But, what do you want them to become?"

This question was direct, and it carried depth.

"I want them to become my partners, and also my family."

Lin Yu'an replied seriously, "At the same time, I hope they can protect my family and property when I'm not around, I need them to be brave but absolutely without unprovoked aggression."

Ryan nodded as if somewhat satisfied with this answer. "Partners, family, guardians, good."

"But to achieve that, you first need to understand whether you want a dog, a tool, or a soldier?"

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is."

Ryan's gaze sharpened, "If you treat it as a dog, you'll spoil it, ultimately ending up with a spoiled, disobedient trouble."

"If you treat it as a tool, you'll use harsh methods to control it, resulting in a compliant but soulless machine."

"Only when you treat it as a soldier needing your guidance, trust, and to fight alongside you, can you have a partner truly worth entrusting."

These words deeply moved Lin Yu'an. He solemnly nodded, "I understand now, I need a partner."

"Very good."

Ryan's face showed a slight smile for the first time, although faint, it was enough to melt the coldness on his face.

"Then, welcome to the first lesson in dog training, and the most important one, establishing rules and trust."

He led Lin Yu'an into his cabin, which was very simply furnished, apart from the necessary living items, it mostly contained various books on canine behavior, nutrition, and tactical training.

On the wall hang a few photos, one of him in a Los Angeles Police Department K-9 uniform pictured with a majestic German Shepherd, and another, a warm scene of Kane sleeping at his feet.

Ryan took out a small, lighter-like plastic gadget and a waist pouch filled with jerky treats from a cabinet.

"Before starting any training, you need to understand two things: a dog's language and how to make a contract with it."

He handed the plastic gadget to Lin Yu'an: "This is called a clicker, and its function is to serve as a 'marker'. When you press it, making a 'click' sound."

"You're telling your dog, that's the action! You did it right! The reward is coming soon!"

"Dogs don't understand complex language, but they can grasp the most direct cause-and-effect relationship with the 'click' sound."

"It represents the first contract between you and it, 'click' equals something good happening, which is positive reinforcement and forms the basis of all modern scientific dog training."

He looked at Lin Yu'an and asked: "What do you think is the first command we should teach these little guys now?"

Lin Yu'an thought for a moment and said: "Sit?"

Ryan shook his head: "No. For puppies, the most basic command is always 'focus' and 'come here'."

"Focus means that in any situation, when it hears its name, its attention must immediately return to you, forming the foundation for all subsequent training."

"Come here means no matter what it's doing, as long as you call, it must return to your side, which can save its life in a dangerous moment."

In the next hour, Ryan began to demonstrate to Lin Yu'an how to conduct the most basic 'focus' training.

He had Lin Yu'an lead Whiskey, while he held Honey.

First, he patiently waited for Honey's attention to be slightly scattered, then clearly and happily called out once, "Honey!"

The little one instinctively turned its head for a moment, and at that instant, Ryan pressed the clicker, "Click!".

Then he quickly took a small piece of jerky from the pouch and held it to Honey's mouth.

"Good! Good child!" he praised in an exaggerated tone.

The whole process flowed smoothly, quick as lightning.

Ryan said to Lin Yu'an: "Did you see? Timing is everything, you must mark it within 0.5 seconds of its correct reaction, then immediately reward it."

"Repeat this process, don't be afraid to waste treats, you need to engrave the neural circuit of hearing its name-turning to look at me-getting a reward into its brain as solid as a rock."

Lin Yu'an began to mimic Ryan's actions to train Whiskey.

At first, he was a bit flustered, as little Whiskey was lively and curious about everything around, making it hard to focus.

He called its name, and it might still be chewing on a grass root.

But soon, Lin Yu'an's Golden Finger began to take effect.

His extraordinary Sixth Sense allowed him to capture every tiny change in Whiskey's attention with uncanny precision.

He could even sense half a second ahead when the little guy was about to lift its head or turn its ears towards him.

This unbelievable predictive ability made his 'marking' timing impeccably accurate.

"Whiskey!"

The little guy's ears moved slightly.

"Click!"

Lin Yu'an almost simultaneously pressed the clicker, and a piece of jerky was already at its mouth.

After a few times, Whiskey understood the secret.

It found that whenever it heard that sound and looked at this two-footer, something delicious would appear in its mouth. This was simply the best deal in the world!!

Its attention became highly focused on Lin Yu'an.

As soon as Lin Yu'an spoke, it would immediately lift its head, looking at him with those expectant black shiny eyes, its tail wagging like a fan.

In just twenty minutes, Whiskey had perfectly mastered the 'focus' training.

It could even do it when Honey ran over trying to play with it; as long as Lin Yu'an called its name, it could immediately refocus.

Ryan watched on the side, dumbfounded.

The calm expression on his face had long disappeared, replaced by a complex look full of shock, confusion, and disbelief.

He had trained over a hundred dogs, including elite police dogs with excellent pedigree and high intelligence.

But he had never seen, or heard of, any puppy that could establish such a solid command connection in such a short time.

This was no ordinary fast learning; it was like... Lin Yu'an could directly write commands into the dog's mind.

"You... have you studied dog training before?" Ryan's voice was a bit dry.

"No, this is the first time." Lin Yu'an answered frankly.

Ryan stared hard at Lin Yu'an, then looked down at Whiskey, who was eagerly waiting for the next 'click' sound, and fell silent.

He knew that Old George did not exaggerate; this young man before him indeed possessed a talent beyond ordinary understanding.

This talent might not only show in hunting but also in communication with animals.

He had thought he was a dog training expert, but today, he felt his professional knowledge paled in comparison to the nearly magical talent displayed by Lin Yu'an.

"Alright..." Ryan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart.

"It seems there's nothing basic I can teach you anymore; let's move directly to the next stage."

"Within a week, I want to see Whiskey able to return to you from fifty meters away, ignoring any distractions when it hears your call. Can you do that?"

This was a task almost impossible for ordinary people to complete within a week.

But Lin Yu'an just looked at Whiskey at his feet, filled with trust, and smiled confidently.

"No problem, I'm willing to give it a try."