“My Dog is a Genius” is a very informative book. It is written by David Taylor, a highly respected veterinary surgeon. He founded the International Zoo Veterinary Group in 1969 and now travels around the world, treating all the animals he finds that need help. He is the author of more than 40 books on pet care, including the bestsellers ‘The Ultimate Dog’, ‘You and Your Dog’ and ‘Think Cat’.
It begins with the author explaining about dogs and their history and how humans began to domesticate them. As he read, David Taylor went on to talk about the scientific evidence for the dog’s intelligence. Times are different now and many behaviorists are studying animals and the way they communicate.
David Taylor also goes on to talk about the intelligence of dogs, such as that different breeds belong to a certain category and also their intelligence, their emotions, their smell, their hearing and even how to communicate with your dog. What surprised me the most was his proof that dogs do have memories! And they have 5 different memories. I have always thought that dogs forget events and incidents easily. Now I understand why my dog always barks at the same people. That’s because it has a social memory!
When I started reading this book, I thought it consisted of theoretical words and analysis. However, as I ventured deeper into the book, I found this chapter. It’s called “How Smart Is Your Dog”. David Taylor actually provided a lot of games and tricks for dog owners to play with their pets. Most of the games and tricks (tests) are intended to determine the intelligence of your dog. I couldn’t help but tick off the interesting games and couldn’t wait to try it out on my dog! We had a great time! My dog enjoyed his treats and in turn, I came to know that he is really smart! There are so many games and tricks that I haven’t finished trying with my dog yet.
After all the fun and games, it’s time to calm down a bit. The following chapters cover obedience and basic behaviors. What about the training method David uses?
“Any form of corporal punishment should never be applied to a dog. Hitting, hitting, kicking, pressing the lips hard on the teeth, all of this is an absolute taboo. Acceptable punishments are interrupting what the dog is doing in a way loud, abrupt, even surprising, perhaps through the use of an air horn, the rattle of a can, a puff of citronella spray, a squirt of water, or just a firm, scolded ‘No!’ “. (D. Taylor, p. 100)
David Taylor uses the reward method in training his dog. Commands like look, sit, sit, come, and give are some of the training commands that are covered in the step-by-step picture guides. Advanced commands and tricks are covered later in the chapters. Tips on agility training are also shared.
This book contains a lot of information about dogs, as well as practical work. To date, I find this to be the most interesting and informative book I have come across. In fact, I even thought I could trust this book without having to research others! This book will definitely help keep your dog’s brain in shape and both of you entertained and together.