Caninestein: Unleashing the Genius in YOUR Dog

Caninestein is for those doting parents who want to make sure that their beloved pooch leads the pack when it comes to intelligence. A fun and entertaining way to indulge themselves and their pets, it includes:

• a quiz made up of a series of activities that test the dogs problem-solving ability, learning ability, memory and language comprehension

• tips for dealing with advanced learners or underachievers

• games and exercises to stimulate the canine intellect.

Featuring a fun design, tons of humorous cartoons and a tongue-in-cheek approach that is sure to charm all who read it, Caninestein is a wonderful gift for dog lovers -- and their dogs.

The first part includes some IQ-type quizzes/activities that can be scored to roughly calculate your dog's intelligence. I found many of the 'questions' more taxing for the owner than for the pooch. Some are simple, some more involved--such as one activity that requires a refrigerator box or some comparably sized structure. I already suspected that my dog was on the lower end of the intelligence scale, so besides taking too much time to set up the 'quizzes' that further discouraged me, I would have preferred to engage my dog in a rousing game of fetch....which basically is what the authors are trying to convey. Stimulating your animal with fun and new games, getting him out of the house for outings and introducing him to new environments--these are all things a loving, devoted and responsible owner already consistently practices! It doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that a dog regularly socialized, stimulated and cared for will more than likely gain some intelligence along the way.

The latter part of the book recommends games, outings and unique toys for further exploration into dog/owner bonding. Unfortunately, most of the activities weren't a fit for my smaller sized dog, and although going off to a summer camp that specializes in all aspects of doggy fun sounds like an absolute blast, most owners don't have such cooperative budgets.

I did find very helpful some of the authors' suggestions about letting your dog know who's boss. If your dog, like mine, clearly wears the pants in the family, I did discover some of their recommendations to remind your mongrel just who pays the bills around here, quite refreshing. For example, they say to walk up to your dog while he's busy chewing on a favorite toy and remove the toy and begin say, trimming his nails. Sounds nearly cruel to a softie like me, but it lovingly reminds the animal that the Human is ultimately in control. Or so we hope.

In closing I'd say there isn't too much to glean from this book for the seasoned pet owner, but for the list price it makes for a fun afternoon read. My dog is no smarter, but I managed to pick up a few helpful pointers. As I eluded to above, this title will not appeal to the owner who confines Rover to a life in a fenced yard, and to the rest of us fanatics, we're already so tuned-in to our furry companions we already know how to make their lives stimulating, interesting and fun. (And buying this book online might save you look I received from the cashier. "I saw you coming a mile away" was her expression.) And anyway, all dogs are brilliant in their own way.


Be happy with your canine pals without dumbing them down   May 27, 2003
Brad4d (United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

What a neat book! The authors give a brief "intelligence test" for your dog and then tell how to make use of whatever intelligence your dog has (including emotional intelligence) to reward the lives of you and your dog(s). The authors seem to feel that you have to be realistic about the intelligence level of your animals -- you can't assume they have too much, but you shouldn't assume they don't need mental stimulation, either. Their tips don't take a great deal of your time and the authors provide suggestions for making the best use of the time you do have together.
We tried their tips and were amazed at how much our animals seemed to enjoy them, and the dogs seemed to sense we were giving them time, stimulation, and credit. One caveat -- if you teach them how to do tricks, make sure they "only use their knowledge for good and never for evil" (i.e. if you teach them how to climb things, don't forget to use additional safeguards for your things!).


Towards a Smarter, better trained Dog   June 15, 2002
rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Those who love canines will enjoy this book. It aids one to measure and stimulate the learning abilities of dogs.

Through a series of tests, the owner is brought to an understanding of the dog's relative learning abilities. This is supplemented by activities to develop and enhance the dog's gifts and intellect.

Dogs are smart, they just see and learn things in different ways than humans. That's at the beginning for all dog owners to tune into. The games and activities provided help this process in providing fun stuff to do as we hang out with our canine pals.

My two just love these things, as they do most anything we do with them, short of toenail trims, etc.

A valuable little book for the canine world.


A MUST read. Increase the IQ of your pet and have fun!   July 29, 1999
16 out of 20 found this review helpful

This book is creative, challenging, informative, but most of all it is fun! This book will open up another window of understanding and excitement for your and your pooch!

Betty Fisher is a talented and creative trainer in my area. If you are tired of reaching for the same old training books then this is the book for you!


An encouraging resource to add creativity to your dogs life.   July 25, 1998
23 out of 23 found this review helpful

Fisher and Delzio's book is very encouraging and helpful to those of us who wish to add more creativity and interest to our dogs' lives. The book is full of stimulating and fun activities for your canine and you or just your dog alone while you are away. Most dogs enjoy creative stimuli and this is just the book on how to train the owner. I found it most encouraging and resourceful as a loving and concerned owner of an energetic border collie.