Smarter Than You Think: A Revolutionary Approach to Teaching and Understanding Your Dog in Just a Few Hours

by Paul Loeb, Suzanne Hlavacek

Imagine a dog who listens to you, comes to you, follows you, and looks to you for guidance. This ideal relationship is possible with the techniques of veteran trainer Paul Loeb. His revolutionary philosophy is your dog can learn more -- and more quickly -- if information is delivered properly. Loeb's groundbreaking theories and humane, holistic teaching style will get visible results in approximately three hours. Not only will you find step-by-step methods to teach housebreaking, paper training, and the basic commands, but you'll also

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some very useful tips, techniques, and insights in this book, however a few of them seem to be misguided and incongruent with the author's ideals. I would not recommend his leash throwing technique as a means for teaching your dog recall, nor for getting it to stop barking or removing an unwanted dog from a negative interaction. There are plenty of other ways to more effectively and humanely handle those kinds of situations. Maybe my dog is a special case but if I ever threw her leash at her it would frighten her and could easily hurt her. I know that the author insists it will improve your dog's trust but in all likelihood it will do the exact opposite.
ALSO, please do not EVER use a matchstick as a suppository to house train your dog. I am baffled by how anyone as knowledgable on animal behavior as the author could suggest this as the most effective means of housebreaking. Again, there are many other effective ways to housebreak a dog. You should not be making any sort of suppository for your dog unless they have a medical issue that requires one and even then you should not be crafting your own.

[Kimberly Letourneau]

When we got our first puppy, we borrowed a puppy training book from my mom that helped us bring up a wonderful, well adjusted dog. We just brought home another new addition to the family, and I thought this was the book we read the last time around - it was not.

I quickly realized it was not the same book, but thought I would give it a read anyway. While some of Loeb's philosophies were of interest (such as the idea that our dogs are capable of understanding more than just one word commands, and that they should enhance our lives and become a part of our daily experiences instead of becoming a source of stress and worry) I didn't come away with a significant new insight into my dogs. While he claims his "Magic Touch" approach will fix nearly any problem I feel that at times, there are significant obstacles to trusting such a method.

I believe that it is always of value to read another's techniques and while you might not use the entire process, there are bits and pieces that can be useful. I don't plan on using the Magic Touch with my puppy's training, but do like the idea the he might be taking in more of my ramblings and daily chit-chat than some folks will give him credit for.

All in all - an interesting read with a distinctly different approach to dog training. Take what you will from it.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked this up from a Little Free Library while out with a client (I'm a dog walker), as I'm always excited to read new training perspectives. However, once I started reading, my notes in the margins got so agitated that I ended up throwing the book-- not at a dog, as Loeb bewilderingly suggests!-- but directly into the recycling. I refuse to return it to Little Free Library circulation like I usually would, as it includes ridiculous techniques like throwing things at your dog to make it come to you ("Magic Touch") and slapping it firmly when it displeases you. Loeb fails to convince me that these methods are the "quickest, easiest, and most effective" approach when there are so many legitimate positive-reinforcement trainers out there who can get the same results with less force. Look up Dr. Sophia Yin or Victoria Stillwell (positively.com) if you need a good starting point, but don't waste your time with this mess of a book.

[Christopher Archibald · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you own a dog, you need this book.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but the editor and copy editor were asleep at the wheel, or maybe it was a rush job. It's unorganized; has shifting points of view (from one author to the other and to anthropomorphized dogs); and has so many sentence fragments that if they were intentionally attempted linguistic techniques, they were rendered completely ineffective. I'm not arguing that Loeb is a dog expert--he's worked with enough of them--but some of his advice made me stop and raise an eyebrow (throw things at my geriatric beagle? That just seems cruel. And thank goodness I am not housetraining him, because I don't want anything to do with the match suppository method). Maybe just read the middle chapters for some training ideas: Judging by the Amazon reviews, they do work for some people's pets. This just wasn't helpful for me.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book- but not necessarily for the major dog training method espoused by the author. No- what I really enjoyed about this book is the concept that dogs are much smarter than we give them credit for, and that dog training is not really about gimmicks and tricks- just good communication. I loved the author's sense of humor, and his various stories kept me smiling.

Again, though, I just don't think his main method of communication (throwing a soft object in your dog's direction to get his attention) is really the answer to all doggie misbehavior. It may have worked perfectly when his dog was running off, but I think most dogs with the habit would just keep on running (or even move a little faster!)

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when I first got Frida & re-read for our new dog Indy. After a second read, I'm less impressed than I was the 1st time. Though I agree w/the author's take on the link between nutrition & behavior, & the importance of getting your dog to come to you, a lot of his techniques seemed to contradict each other. Most of techniques depend on your dog being w/you since puppyhood, being completely well adjusted & having no emotional traumas. Any dog w/a traumatic past will need more time & patience than the author thinks is needed. Overall, dogs are extremely smart & deserve to be treated as such, as the author states. He had good tips & general good practice but it's not a great overall training book.

[Philip]

I loved this book. Getting a puppy very soon. Their ideas are fantastic and I cannot wait to start using some if not all of the techniques. To the earlier reviewer who said that they encourage you to use wooden matchsticks to aid in encouraging the dog to go outside, he is mistaken. The author never alluded to the use of a wooden match. So glad this book came across my path and so thankful for the friends who introduced me to it.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not read this book straight through. I tried, but quite frankly, the author has such a high opinion of himself that it was a little hard to stomach. I found myself rolling my eyes quite often. So I skipped to the parts that most interested me, and in the end, found several useful tips for training and appreciating my Auggie Doggie.

[I_love_a_happily_ever_after · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting and helpful hints, but some very strange ideas as well, putting a wooden match in your dog's bottom so he will poop on your schedule for instance. The helpful hints make it worth a read. Take from it what you think would work best with your furbaby.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book on dog psychology, training, and even a bit on diet. I highly suggest it to anyone who wants to train dogs, or even just anyone who loves dogs

[Olesya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever techniques, good insight, and a whole new world to understand about the behaviour of dogs.