The Heart of the Matter : Breaking Codes and Making Connections Between You and Your Dog or Your Cat | 
 enlarge | Authors: Paul Loeb, Suzanne Hlavacek
Publisher: Atria
Category: Book
List Price: $23.00
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Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 1158840
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.6 x 1
ISBN: 0671027905
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.70887
EAN: 9780671027902
ASIN: 0671027905
Publication Date: July 1, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!
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Amazon.com Review
From the authors of Smarter Than You Think, the revolutionary book on teaching and understanding your dog in hours rather than months, The Heart of the Matter takes the next step in addressing dog and cat behavioral problems and nutritional needs--with detailed explanations of the health benefits of fresh food and the health and behavioral problems possibly caused by some commercial foods for pets. The authors have created an innovative and eye-opening approach to living in greater harmony with our beloved dogs and cats. Forget obedience school, forget the choke chains. Paul Loeb and Suzanne Hlavacek eschew even the word training with its negative connotations of crates, muzzles, cages, and other devices of animal cruelty and control. They explain "The Magic Touch," a simple method of creating immediate and positive behavior change without gadgets, practice, or pain. They take a very thorough look at nutrition and its ramifications for pets' health and behavior, and debunk numerous "well-known truths" of animal care and behavior. The goal is to acknowledge and understand your pets' personalities, enjoy each other's company, and not end up with a furry robot-pet. This is a refreshing and unusual approach, and the book entertains with stories of the authors' and others' hilarious adventures and misadventures with dogs and cats. --Mark A. Hetts
Product Description
Paul Loeb and Suzanne Hlavacek presented a revolutionary -- and surprisingly simple -- approach to teaching and understanding dogs in Smarter Than You Think. Featured on NBC's Dateline, that acclaimed volume has been embraced by scores of fans who have seen Loeb's methods work wonders with their "problem dogs." Now, this acclaimed animal behaviorist joins his partner Hlavacek to further enrich our bonds with our dogs and cats with a guide to giving them the best care possible and to deepening the special love that is at The Heart of the Matter. This breakthrough book offers a whole new perspective on the human/animal relationship. The Heart of the Matter features a three-point approach to your animal's health and well-being: The Magic Touch -- how to make a profound and lasting soul connection; including sharing dialogues and conversations with your dog or cat Diet -- how you can ensure balanced nutrition with an astoundingly easy food plan You -- what you need to know to end behavioral problems, allergies, and more. These are the keys to creating harmony between yourself and your dog or cat. You'll gain a fuller understanding of their needs, abilities, emotions, intelligence, and highly developed "super senses" -- and delight as they become well-behaved, truly integrated family members, and trusted friends. Loeb and Hlavacek also tackle one of our biggest obstacles to animal health and happiness: the startling conspiracy between pet-food manufacturers and veterinarians who sell "premium" food that can keep animals susceptible to illness, skin problems, and other chronic conditions. How can you feed your dog or cat and break this chain of codependency? The answers will surprise you; the solutions are right at your fingertips. Filled with fascinating, often amusing, case histories -- including amazing accounts of improved health based on dietary changes -- this is the essential care guide that animal lovers have waited for. With the compassionate advice in The Heart of the Matter, you can create a powerful connection -- and enjoy the gift of looking into your animal's eyes and seeing love.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Doesn't deserve the vitriol some reviewers are emitting... April 22, 2007
Susan Shedd (South Woodbury, VT USA)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
except in regard to the quality of the writing. The authors' style can best be described as "wretched." I think the content is closer to 4 stars, and the writing should get 2. The style is attempting to be funny and cute (it's not), and the authors seem to think bragging about themselves and putting down other behaviorists will inspire confidence (it doesn't). As other reviewers have noted, the book is at least a third longer than it needs to be.
However, there are some unfair criticisms as well. ALL animal behaviorists are operating out of their own beliefs about dog and cat behaviors, and the ones who cite "studies," aren't necessarily on very solid ground (even if the studies are properly done, and even if they say what the behaviorist thinks they say, they don't usually provide genuinely empirical support for an entire theory of behavior). There's nothing inherently weird about these authors believing that your companion animals should be socialized to humans instead of to other animals. Moreover, just as no theory of teaching works for all children and almost any theory of teaching will work for SOME children, believing that only one behaviorist is "right" is just asking for the universe to send you a pet who will turn your beliefs inside out! The authors think the pet food we buy is bad for our pets and that many of them have behavioral problems due to food allergies. In view of the recent evidence of massive contamination of pet foods, I don't think we can dismiss their concerns out of hand. (And if you'd ever had an animal with food allergies, you'd KNOW they can affect behavior.) I would caution here, though, that they're overly simplistic in their feeding advice and have forgotten to mention some common human foods that can be toxic to animals. There are some excellent books and websites that explain how to make your own pet food and I would consult them before trying it. (Me, I'm still using commercial foods.)
I was amused to see that one reviewer's rather hysterical characterization of "bolting your dog to the floor" was merely the authors' belief that it's better to have your dog on a secure short leash in every room than to use a crate. Gee, people, what do you think owners did before crate training? They used baby gates in the kitchen or laundry room, stuck a short leash over a doorknob, or installed a secure eye bolt to hitch the dog to. I'm an advocate of crate training because I work outside my home, but if I were home most of the day, I think their approach would be perfectly reasonable.
The major strength of this book is the "magic touch" ( yes, it's a ridiculous name). I don't care what the theory is: it's simple, it's harmless, and if it works for your dog, it really will seem like magic. ONE slipper toss cured a barking problem that was driving me mad (and that other training methods weren't touching) and I'm now targeting a few other really irritating behaviors. The emphasis on human language (rather than barking out one or two-word training commands) is also positive from my perspective, and it certainly can't hurt. Some reviewers are aghast at the idea of an occasional quick smack on the rump; please read what the authors actually say about this before leaping to conclusions -- if you don't agree with them, fine, but they are NOT advocating cruel or inhumane treatment.
I'm a huge fan of Carol Lea Benjamin, and her training approach is, overall, the one I like best. (She can write, too, and her mystery fiction is excellent.) However, with my current dog, some things just weren't working. I adopted a young dog who really was socialized to dogs more than humans (his litter had been abandoned near people who do vacation kenneling, so he was raised with a large and constantly changing group of dogs). He is sweet, intelligent, and loving -- and adding the "magic touch" to the training repertoire is rapidly making him fun to live with, too. We're both a lot happier now!
 Must read book for dogowners July 28, 2005
Smartee (Colorado)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Great book. Have read numerous dog training books and this one was an easy read that held my attention. It works too. The techniques the authors suggest seem a little different at first but if they end in the desired results, it's worth the effort. Definitely read the nutrition section and you will be shocked to see what goes into commercial dog foods.
 a trained dog! June 28, 2005
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
i trained my first dog with the book "smarter then you think" (also by paul loeb) and got wonderful results so when i got a pyrenees-mastiff puppy that bit my fingers, played the "catch me if you can game",had no respect for me (or my books) i decided i needed to read "the heart of the matter". i trained my dog not to run away not to chew on me and now she respects me and looks up to me (oh yeah she comes when called and shes only 9 weeks old. this book trained this dog in less then an day.) not to mention my mom who does not have to deal with the smell of pee all day. dont even get me started on how much she loves her fresh food. this is a must read for any one with a dog.
PET OWNERS, THIS IS A MUST HAVE BOOK! February 13, 2003
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I thought I knew all about my children (my Yorkie and my Poodle), but this book was enormously eye-opening! It is easy to read (you won't want to put it down), and so informative that you MUST have this book in your library!!!
The Best Dog Traing Manual EVER! February 5, 2003
Christine (Richmond, VA United States)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This book is amazing. I have three dogs. A beagle, a labrador and a rottweiler. They do exactly what I say when I say it and seem to love me all the more. I really understand them now, and see my mistakes in dog rearing in the past. I have never found a book like this. You do what he says, exactly, and it works. Period. No nonsense - a slap on the behind is effective punishment for some offenses. The "throwing technique" is the best. If your dog is doing something wrong, correct him verbally and if he ignores you, throw something at him! It doesn't have to hit him - I use sock balls with pups - and your dog will obey you immediately. This guy is Dr. Doolittle. Got a dog? GET THIS BOOK!
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