Life — November 12, 1925 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous comic strip sequence titled "Skippy" showing a young boy attempting to train a dog. The four-panel narrative depicts escalating chaos: the boy tries progressively more forceful methods with a stick/training tool, ultimately resulting in the dog chasing him wildly while he flails in panic. The joke relies on physical comedy and the ironic reversal of the stated premise—rather than successfully training the dog, the boy loses control entirely. The exaggerated cartoon style, with motion lines indicating frantic movement in the final panel, emphasizes the slapstick humor. "Skippy" was a popular newspaper comic strip of this era featuring a mischievous boy character, and this particular installment plays on the relatable, humorous difficulties of pet training.