King of the Wilderness

During the month of renovations, Lin Yu’an didn’t forget to train Whiskey and Honey.

After completing the homework left by Ryan, he introduced a new training plan over the renovation month.

The magic-like training results completely changed Ryan’s impression of Lin Yu’an.

He no longer viewed him as an ordinary trainee needing to be taught from scratch, but directly skipped all the tedious basic courses, giving him an advanced training syllabus at a professional working dog level.

This syllabus no longer restricted to simple ”sit” and ”lie down,” but covered more complex obedience, stronger environmental adaptability, and initial cultivation of guarding instincts.

Ryan said at the time: ”Since you have this talent, don’t waste it.”

”I want you to train them as true partners; they need to learn to think rather than mechanically obey.”

Thus, in the gaps of daily cabin renovations, the clearing in the forest became the happiest class for Lin Yu’an and the two puppies.

He started with environmental desensitization training first.

As Bernese Mountain Dogs, Whiskey and Honey are naturally mild-tempered but still fear sudden loud noises.

Lin Yu’an didn’t use coercion but turned the process into a game.

When he cut logs with a chainsaw in the distance, he would place their favorite jerky and toys beside the puppies ahead of time.

As the chainsaw roared, delicious snacks appeared simultaneously.

Whiskey and Honey were very intelligent; after just a few times, in their cognition, the scary noise tied firmly to the signal ”something good is coming.”

Gradually, whether the roar of chainsaws, the snap of nail guns, or the hum of loader engines, for them, became ”dinner bells” heralding rewards and games.

They might even wag their tails excitedly, running to Lin Yu’an’s feet, awaiting praise and petting upon hearing these sounds.

Next up, was more advanced training of delay gratification and stability.

Lin Yu’an would place a fragrant bowl of meat cubes in front of them and issue the command ”wait.”

Initially, the little ones were anxious, scratching their ears and drooling, but Lin Yu’an patiently guided them, using clickers and snacks, rewarding them, even if it was just for maintaining eye contact for an extra second.

Thanks to his nearly cheating Sixth Sense, he could always accurately capture the moment the puppies were about to lose patience and head towards the food bowl, using a gentle command to bring their attention back.

After a month of training, the results were impressive.

Lin Yu’an could place a sizzling, steaming steak in front of Whiskey’s nose and then turn away.

As long as they didn’t hear the command ”okay,” the two Bernese Mountain Dogs, now weighing over 13 kilograms, would stay firmly in place like statues.

Even with drool pooling into a small puddle on the floor, they would not touch the food in front of them.

This iron-like determination amazed Ryan during inspections, who remarked that his most elite K-9 police dogs couldn’t reach this level as puppies.

Ryan insisted Lin Yu’an should train them well because they had super talents! They were natural guardian dog seedlings!

After a busy month, the cabin’s interior renovation finally neared completion.

Hardwood flooring was laid, exuding a charming mix of varnish and wood scent, and the fireplace was successfully ignited, bringing warmth to the space.

With home construction entering a relatively calm phase, Lin Yu’an devoted more energy to advanced training for Whiskey and Honey.

Now, Lin Yu’an wanted to teach them something more important: how to become guardians of this territory.

In the important upcoming ”guarding” and ”alertness” training, Lin Yu’an used a method closer to their nature.

He didn’t teach them to bite or attack, which would create uncontrollable aggression, a fatal flaw for a family guardian dog.

He aimed to strengthen their ”bark alert” and ”territory boundary awareness.”

The first step was to establish an alert game, inviting Stan and George to act as intruders.

He first used simple wooden fencing around the cabin to mark a ”safe boundary” with a radius of about fifty meters.

Then, he had Stan drive his pickup slowly along the forest path from afar.

As the vehicle momentarily entered the safe boundary, Lin Yu’an would immediately issue a command, ”Who’s there?” in a slightly tense and encouraging tone to the dogs.

At the same time, he’d quickly retrieve a piece of dried venison liver from his pocket and pop it into their mouths.

Over time, Whiskey and Honey’s brains built an unbreakable neural pathway.

”The engine sound of a strange vehicle + entering a specific area + owner’s attention = super delicious venison liver!”

They learned to proactively differentiate sounds coming from afar and view guarding this safety boundary as a fun job offering significant rewards.

Whenever a vehicle not belonging to Lin Yu’an entered their auditory scope, they would immediately rush to the cabin door, facing the sound direction, barking deeply, loudly, and energetically, reporting to Lin Yu’an.

This barking wasn’t out of fear or aggression; it was an excited, credit-claiming notification.

Their body language was very relaxed, tails even swaying slightly, as if telling the owner: ”Look! I’ve found the target! Where’s my venison liver?”

This is exactly the effect Lin Yu’an wanted—a perfect home security system that can effectively alert, judge threats by observing the dog’s body language, and yet not pose a threat to real visitors.

The nightly video calls with Aliya became the most heartwarming report segment in this hardcore training regimen.

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 aura coming from the other end.

”Hi, my two little sweethearts!” Seeing them, Aliya’s eyes immediately turned into crescent moons with her smile.

”Have you been good today? Did you help Daddy watch the house?”

”Of course,” Lin Yu’an replied on their behalf with a smile.

”Today George drove over, they heard him from afar and barked joyfully. I rewarded them with a whole piece of venison liver.”

”Wonderful!” Aliya sincerely praised.

She not only adored their cuteness but also appreciated the responsibility they would bear in future to protect the home.

Lin Yu’an taught Aliya some more complex remote commands; for instance, he would have Whiskey and Honey lie down, and then say to Aliya, ”Honey, you make them come over.”

Aliya would then, from the other end of the screen, with her clear and gentle voice call out: ”Whiskey! Honey! Come!”

The two little ones, upon hearing the voice from the speaker, would immediately get up and excitedly run to the laptop, sniffing hard as if searching for the source of the voice.

”It’s so amazing!” Aliya was beyond delighted!

”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 a huge steak!”

Apart from the online interactions, offline social training was also essential.

That day, Lin Yu’an drove his Ford Excursion, taking Honey to Emily’s veterinary clinic.

After spending time and training together, he needed Emily, Honey’s real owner, to check the training results and conduct a routine health check.

His own Whiskey stayed back at the camp to guard the house; Little Whiskey didn’t even flinch seeing his owner leave with only Honey.

He still sat like a dutiful sentinel at the cabin door, his adorable expression making Lin Yu’an love him even more.

In the clinic, seeing Lin Yu’an bringing her beloved dog, Emily immediately flashed an expectant smile.

When Honey saw her owner, she happily wagged her tail and leaped towards her, yet seemed to remember something.

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

This small detail made a hint of surprise flash in Emily’s eyes; she recognized it as a sign of discipline.

”Alright, Honey, onto the examination table,” Emily said, pointing at the cold metal table, using her usual gentle tone.

Upon hearing her owner’s voice, Honey happily shook her head first, then turned to look at her trainer, Lin Yu’an.

Lin Yu’an simply nodded at her calmly and issued a clear ”Up” command.

Honey immediately, without hesitation, skillfully jumped onto the examination table, sitting steadily, awaiting her owner’s check-up.

During the listening, teeth check, and deworming medicine feeding process that followed, Honey displayed excellent cooperation.

Even when Emily touched her body with the cold stethoscope probe, she just sat quietly, without any struggle or anxiety.

While making records for Honey, Emily sincerely exclaimed, ”Lin, is this still my naughty little girl? Her stability and obedience have transformed incredibly! How on earth did you do it?”

Lin Yu’an just smiled; he decided to conduct a final test.

He said to Emily, ”Emily, try it, using a cheerful tone, tell Honey to lie down.”

Emily nodded, looking at her cherished dog, and with a tone more instructive than usual, she said, ”Honey, Down!”

Upon hearing her owner’s command, Honey was about to comply but habitually turned her head to look at Lin Yu’an, her eyes seemingly asking: ”Trainer, is she right?”

Lin Yu’an gave her an affirmative look, lightly nodding.

With double confirmation, Honey immediately, without a hint of hesitation, executed the command, lying down perfectly on the examination table, then lifted her head, expectantly looking at her owner, as if waiting for a reward.

This small detail made Emily thoroughly understand. She looked at Lin Yu’an, her eyes carrying a complex yet knowing gleam.

She stepped forward and hugged her beloved dog Honey tightly, then softly spoke to Lin Yu’an.

”Thank you, Lin, you’re not just training her, you’re bestowing a whole new soul upon her.”

”What you’re cultivating is an absolutely loyal guardian with the capacity for independent thought.”

After explaining some training methods, Lin Yu’an drove away, leaving Emily and Honey to play in the clinic.

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(Vote for me with monthly tickets~ more will come in the afternoon.)