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SMARTER THAN YOU THINK: A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO TEACHING AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR DOG IN JUST A FEW HOURS Hardcover – March 1, 1997
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length272 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAtria
- Publication dateMarch 1, 1997
- Dimensions5.75 x 1 x 8.75 inches
- ISBN-100671001728
- ISBN-13978-0671001728
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
From the Publisher
Paul Loeb's lifelong passion for animals -- and his desire to communicate with them -- has brought him four decades of leadership in the field of animal behavior. His philosophy is revolutionary but simple: your dog can learn more -- and more quickly -- if information is delivered properly. Now you can reach a new level of communication with your dog, and get visible results in approximately three hours. Paul Loeb's techniques are geared to respect your dog's ability to learn complex behaviors. Not only will you find step-by-step methods to teach housebreaking, paper training, and the basic commands, but you'll also discover:
- Why one-word commands, including "No," are ineffective
- Why gimmicks like water pistols or pennies in a can don't really work
- Why food rewards and choke chains are not good training tools
- Why "crating" is unnecessary and can jeopardize your dog's life in an emergency
- Why teaching your dog to come to you is essential -- and teaching your dog to sit is not
- How to adapt your dog's behavior to your lifestyle -- whether you need your dog to walk without a leash, ride politely in a car, sit near the dinner table without begging, never jump up, remain on your property...or do just about anything else you can imagine!
This complete guide also tackles problem behaviors like barking, bolting out the door, aggression and biting. And Paul Loeb reveals an alternative to commercial dog-food diets that can enhance your pet's behavior and health.
Now you can have the well-behaved dog you've always wanted -- and your dog will have an owner who understands his or her language. With Smarter Than You Think, you and your dog can share the special bond of true understanding.
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Atria; First Edition (March 1, 1997)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0671001728
- ISBN-13 : 978-0671001728
- Item Weight : 1.05 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.75 x 1 x 8.75 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,652,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,924 in Dog Care
- #40,501 in Psychology & Counseling
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Paul Loeb
The Wall Street Journal compared Paul Loeb's work with animals to the work of B.F.Skinner:
"Loeb illustrates practical approaches to physical needs as a means to psychological (read "behavioral") cures, he is to the canine world what B.F. Skinner, the noted Harvard psychologist who devoted himself to the techniques of shaping behavior, was to the study of man."
The Chicago Tribune noted that Loeb has been identified as an animal psychiatrist, animal psychic, or animal trainer. Whatever you call him, he's a success in a wide range of activities involving animals.
"His credits include more than 600 TV commercials, ranging from pet foods to men's underwear."
Loeb was for several years the Director of Education of animal behavior for the ASPCA in NYC, and held a behavioral clinic at NYC's Animal Medical Center, the largest small animal hospital in the world. His most popular classes were group therapy sessions with radical confrontation for aggressive dogs. Never before or since has anyone taken groups of aggressive dogs with their owners and successfully solved these problems, and solved them quickly.
Dr. Wm. Kay DVM, former Director of The Animal Medical Center, and Dr. Martin De Angelis DVM, Director of Village Animal Clinic and a leading authority on orthopedic surgery, have acknowledged Loeb's work, calling him a "pioneer in the field" and one of the "premier animal trainers in the world today." Dr. Kay and Dr. De Angelis endorsed Smarter Than You Think and The Heart Of The Matter referring to them as the "champions of training books" and Loeb as an "internationally acclaimed expert" in this area.
When National Geographic produced an Educational Series on animal behavior they featured Loeb as the expert on dogs and cats. This was a special honor since he was in the company of such renowned names as Konrad Lorenz and Jane Goodall. Loeb's, You Can Train Your Cat, was translated into many languages and is still widely referenced today by cat owners and experts, as was his next book, Cathletics.
Early on he realized the need for a holistic approach when working with animals including diet and nutrition. The wrong diet can be detrimental not only to a dog's health but also to his behavior and learning ability. Gaines, a division of General Foods, used Loeb as a consultant in the early development of their Cycle dog food. In addition to Nutrition And Your Dog, his work regarding diet, nutrition and proper exercise, has been written up in the Wall Street Journal, Esquire Magazine, Glamour, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Family Circle, The Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, New York Post, New York Daily News, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
His easygoing style and ability to make the complex simple with humor and understanding made his column for Parent's magazine, during the early eighties, an outstanding success. The series, which ran for three years, dealt with such topics as: When a Child Fears Animals; Communicating With Your Pet; Can My Pet Perform Like Those Animals on TV; Teaching Your Pet to Accept Your New Baby; How to Pet Train Your Child; Traveling With Your Pet and other subjects, in a direct, common sense approach.
Loeb made frequent appearances on national and local radio and television shows from Johnny Carson's Tonight Show in the early seventies, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, CBS Early Show, among others, including a recent challenge on NBC's Dateline.
Although the seeds of Loeb's new techniques are evident in his large body of work, he has refined and simplified this technology. What has taken him over fifty years to develop is now available to you, the reader. Your dog, or cat, can learn all that's necessary for success in a few hours. Loeb's philosophy is quite simple. Animals have the ability to learn more and learn faster, if what they really need to know is delivered in a way they can fully understand. They are smarter than you think.
Loeb's latest books, (with co-author Suzanne Hlavacek) Smarter Than You Think and Heart of The Matter have set a new standard in the understanding and the shaping of behavior in both dogs and cats.
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I love this book!!!
Update (a month later):
Gonzo & Faeryá: Our mom wants to make a PSA on our page. We approve.🐾🐾 This book has changed our lives! For the better!💗
The pups have always been great, we love them more than we could ever imagine. So, when we couldn't figure out how to help our pups & ourselves with some of the challenges we were facing even with the help of several trainers, we (all of us) found ourselves a bit (a lot) frustrated.
Many months later, this book entered our lives because I met a man with a very impressive dog (like my jaw was on the floor in awe impressed). I talked to the man (a retired Veteran...Thank-you for service to our Country sir!🇺🇸), and he shared about this book and how it took his already great relationship to incredible and his role of handler and his dog from great to excellent.
So, I got the book (used) and read it in a few days. I then started using his techniques with our challenging areas of behavior and instant response between us all! That night I went to bed with happy tears because the things I worried about for my beloved pups are no longer going to be a challenge.
For the past month we have been working on all of the challenges with great improvement (and not everyday either). Before this book we were training everyday for 30 mins each pup (literally, no lie...Afraid to make a mistake because we would confuse our sweet babies)! Now, we are all at ease, happy, communicating wonderfully & enjoying each other thoroghly. I LOVE THIS BOOK, LOVE IT!
Oh, and I don't have to constantly have treats on me to get them to listen to me...FREEDOM.
Our personal improvements:
1. Recall is good now and we will be working to acheive excellent recall at all times on & off lead. This is huge!
2. Eating in the kitchen only (our pups are raw fed, this is necessary).
3. Tooth brushing, no longer a struggle.
4. Brushing Faeryá out, she would attack the brush & my hand. Now, she just lays nice & relaxed.
5. Nail trimming for both was a horrific 2 day nightmare where my husband was the abused one with bites & scratches. Ok, check this out....Yesterday, I trimmed both of my pups nails in under 10 minutes by myself! (I am still in shock & amazed, our whole family is.)
6. Gonzo had started barking aggressively at our male friends when they would leave then, it extended to children. We were afraid it may eventually end in a bite. Now, he no longer does it at all. We are incredibly relieved!
All of our visitors have noticed the improvement too. 💗
7. Their crates are a thing of the past as of this past 12 days. So, they are coming down & being stored today.
GET THIS BOOK🐾👅💓
Update: Several years later now in 2023, I have recommended this bookore times than I count. My dogs behave on an exemplary level and they are praised all the time while we are out and about. I have also bought maybe 20 used copies to give to people that face financial hardships but want to train their dog properly. If we could all help each other properly train our beloved dogs and the world was filled with well trained dogs as a result..,WOW...What a world this could be. I still give this book 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2018
I love this book!!!
Update (a month later):
Gonzo & Faeryá: Our mom wants to make a PSA on our page. We approve.🐾🐾 This book has changed our lives! For the better!💗
The pups have always been great, we love them more than we could ever imagine. So, when we couldn't figure out how to help our pups & ourselves with some of the challenges we were facing even with the help of several trainers, we (all of us) found ourselves a bit (a lot) frustrated.
Many months later, this book entered our lives because I met a man with a very impressive dog (like my jaw was on the floor in awe impressed). I talked to the man (a retired Veteran...Thank-you for service to our Country sir!🇺🇸), and he shared about this book and how it took his already great relationship to incredible and his role of handler and his dog from great to excellent.
So, I got the book (used) and read it in a few days. I then started using his techniques with our challenging areas of behavior and instant response between us all! That night I went to bed with happy tears because the things I worried about for my beloved pups are no longer going to be a challenge.
For the past month we have been working on all of the challenges with great improvement (and not everyday either). Before this book we were training everyday for 30 mins each pup (literally, no lie...Afraid to make a mistake because we would confuse our sweet babies)! Now, we are all at ease, happy, communicating wonderfully & enjoying each other thoroghly. I LOVE THIS BOOK, LOVE IT!
Oh, and I don't have to constantly have treats on me to get them to listen to me...FREEDOM.
Our personal improvements:
1. Recall is good now and we will be working to acheive excellent recall at all times on & off lead. This is huge!
2. Eating in the kitchen only (our pups are raw fed, this is necessary).
3. Tooth brushing, no longer a struggle.
4. Brushing Faeryá out, she would attack the brush & my hand. Now, she just lays nice & relaxed.
5. Nail trimming for both was a horrific 2 day nightmare where my husband was the abused one with bites & scratches. Ok, check this out....Yesterday, I trimmed both of my pups nails in under 10 minutes by myself! (I am still in shock & amazed, our whole family is.)
6. Gonzo had started barking aggressively at our male friends when they would leave then, it extended to children. We were afraid it may eventually end in a bite. Now, he no longer does it at all. We are incredibly relieved!
All of our visitors have noticed the improvement too. 💗
7. Their crates are a thing of the past as of this past 12 days. So, they are coming down & being stored today.
GET THIS BOOK🐾👅💓
Update: Several years later now in 2023, I have recommended this bookore times than I count. My dogs behave on an exemplary level and they are praised all the time while we are out and about. I have also bought maybe 20 used copies to give to people that face financial hardships but want to train their dog properly. If we could all help each other properly train our beloved dogs and the world was filled with well trained dogs as a result..,WOW...What a world this could be. I still give this book 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!
The other amazing thing is I ran into Paul in the park and he walked with us (my dog and I) around Central Park. He is such an amazing man. Not only have I learned how to train my dog but how to feed him better. Everyone I meet hears about this book from me. Of all the books (over 30) this is the only one I ever read completely and made a difference. It's actually fun to read!
Again, if you have a dog, no matter the age or how well you think his manners are, get this book, I guarantee you will learn something you didn't know that will make this all important relationship with your beloved companion ever better. Thank you Paul!!!
Con: The book often glosses over specific training techniques that you need to truly train an exceptional dog.
* We have read all of Paul Loeb's books about dog training. In addition we have had the pleasure of having him as our dog's trainer. As you will discover when you read Smarter Than You Think, Loeb approaches the practical matter of dog training without a lot of indulgent theories. Very simply he employs the best technique we have ever witnessed for housebreaking. You will see it in the book...the tether. It eliminates the confining cage, putting paper down or letting the puppy take over your house. The throwing technique works like a charm for initiating good behavior and correcting bad behavior....no it is not mean nor does it hurt....rather it surprises. His approach to food for the puppy and the grown dog employing fresh food is by far the best and it proves itself out as soon as you adopt it. His style is humorous and it will help any of you to break destructive habits like chewing or tearing up your favorite slipper and/or learning to live with your new puppy.
psychology. It is very intriguing.



