Working in a Zoo with Beast Taming System

Chapter 171: Chapter 141: To Train an Animal, First Train Yourself

The handlers watching from the side were secretly amazed. Building this level of trust and rapport with their own police dogs usually took them months, or even longer, of training and companionship.

Soon, Yang Qi had completed his initial "interaction" with all the police dogs in training.

"You all did great!"

Then, his tone shifted. He looked at the nearest young male handler and asked, "How much exercise do the police dogs get every day? Is it a lot?"

The handler who was asked was stunned for a moment, then straightened his chest and replied, "Reporting to Advisor Yang, their exercise volume is very high. Every day they have scheduled physical conditioning, obstacle course training, and specialized search and tracking drills!"

"However, it’s all kept within scientific limits, ensuring they have ample time for rest and recovery."

"Mm."

Yang Qi nodded, his gaze shifting past the training base’s walls to the lush, rolling hills on both sides of the valley.

"There’s still some time before lunch."

"I see everyone’s in good shape, but just running laps on the flat training ground is getting a bit dull."

As he spoke, he brought his gaze back to Vice Director Zhao and the handlers. "How about this? I’ll take them up the mountain for a couple of laps to stretch their legs and stimulate them with a change of scenery."

"You handlers can come along if you can keep up. If you can’t, just wait here for us to get back."

"Huh? Take... take all the police dogs for a run up the mountain?"

The handler who had been questioned was stunned and instinctively looked toward Vice Director Zhao.

This wasn’t a standard training exercise. Besides, taking so many police dogs out at once posed safety and management issues.

Vice Director Zhao’s expression was calm, but a flash of understanding and anticipation crossed his eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Do as Advisor Yang says. Advisor Yang is the expert; there’s bound to be a reason for his methods. All handlers, cooperate and maintain order!"

With their superior’s approval, the handlers, though still confused, quickly sprang into action, preparing leashes and other equipment.

"No leashes."

Yang Qi waved a hand. "Since we’re letting them run free, let’s not restrain them."

With that, he walked to the front of the police dog formation. Facing the dogs, whose gazes were all focused on him, he once again activated his Spirit Communication Technique and spoke in a clear voice.

"Before we begin, I’d like to share one of my philosophies."

"From the perspective of animal behavior and psychology, true trust and rapport are built upon shared experiences and challenges."

"Whatever you ask it to do, you must first be able to do it yourself, and even do it better."

"If you demand that it has abundant stamina and a tenacious will, you can’t be someone who’s out of breath after a few steps."

"This is what’s called: ’To train the beast, first train yourself!’" freёweɓnovel.com

This speech, combining theoretical knowledge, sounded quite reasonable and made some of the handlers, who had initially dismissed Yang Qi as "messing around," fall into deep thought.

"So..."

Yang Qi raised his voice and waved a hand at all the police dogs.

"Attention!"

At Yang Qi’s command, every police dog on the field—regardless of breed, age, or temperament—shot to its feet at the exact same moment.

Heads held high and chests out, their gazes were locked on Yang Qi, ears pricked and tails wagging slightly—the very picture of eagerness, ready to move at a moment’s notice.

This scene stunned all the handlers.

This kind of scene, where the dogs moved as a single entity with flawless obedience, was something they had only seen with the most elite K-9 units that had worked together for years—and even then, it required clear verbal commands and hand signals.

’And Yang Qi put all the police dogs into a highly focused "combat-ready state" with just a single phrase and one gesture?!’

"Follow me, up the mountain!" freёweɓnovel.com

Yang Qi said no more. He turned and was the first to run toward a small gate at the side of the base that led into the mountains.

"WOOF!"

"AWOOO~"

"YIP!"

...

The pack of police dogs let out a flurry of excited barks and whimpers, following closely behind Yang Qi like a surging flood released from a dam.

The sight of more than twenty powerful dogs running together was intimidating, their paw steps rhythmic and synchronized as they kicked up a light cloud of dust.

The group of handlers stood where they were, looking at each other, all of them a bit dumbfounded.

"What are you all standing around for? Follow them! Pay close attention to Advisor Yang’s methods and the dogs’ condition!" Vice Director Zhao said again in his deep voice.

"Yes, sir!"

The handlers, as if waking from a dream, quickly took off after them, following behind the pack of dogs.

And then, they discovered that what Yang Qi had said—"To train the beast, first train yourself"—was not just empty words!

Yang Qi was really running with them the entire way!

And he was leading from the very front.

The police dogs’ training regimen naturally included cross-country mountain running and long-distance tracking.

But in past training sessions, the handlers mostly followed on bikes or gave commands at key points. Who ever needed to follow the pack through the mountain forest on their own two feet for the entire duration?

Climbing a mountain is already physically demanding, but to run up it? This was simply an extreme test of human endurance.

Not even five minutes after entering the forest, the slope began to steepen, and the path grew rugged.

Most of the handlers couldn’t keep up. One by one, they were panting like oxen and sweating buckets, their pace slowing to a crawl.

"I... I can’t... can’t run anymore..."

"Need to... rest for a bit..."

"Advisor Yang... Is he made of iron?"

...

The handlers all stopped, some plopping onto the ground, others leaning against tree trunks and rocks, gasping for air.

They could only watch as Yang Qi led the "torrent" of more than twenty police dogs, like a tireless navigator, weaving lightly and steadily through the woods, crossing streams, and quickly disappearing around a bend in the mountain path ahead.

All that was left behind was the gradually fading sound of rhythmic running and the occasional bark.