Dogs are funny animals. They lead a simple life, yet their thought process can be pretty complex. For anyone that has ever had a dog you can easily relate to the fact that dogs have keen sense for reading people and knowing what they can get away with, and how far they can push certain people. Just like a child knows which parent will fold faster than the others, the dogs are very calculated in their actions.
After studying and observing German Shepherds for the past few weeks, their intelligence was quickly evident. But I was curious how they stack up against other breeds. I figured they had to be near the top since they are being used for guide dogs, but I wasn’t sure exactly where and how much research and information is on the internet regarding the intelligence of dogs.
After a quick search for “dog intelligence” I found a number of very informative links. One of these links - http://petrix.com/dogint/1-10.html - actually listed the dogs in order of intelligence. The Border Collie is at the top of the list followed by the poodle and the German Shepherd. Rounding out the top ten are the Golden Retriever, Doberman Pinscher, Shetland Sheepdog, Labrador Retriever, Papillon, Rottweiler and Australian Cattle Dog.
Another page on this site - http://petrix.com/dogint/index.html - cites three type of dog intelligence according to Stanley Coren, author of “The Intelligence of Dogs.” Coren lists the three types of intelligence below:
· Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability). The is specific to the individual animal and is measured by canine IQ tests.
· Instinctive Intelligence. This is specific to the individual animal and is measured by canine IQ tests.
· Working/Obedience Intelligence. This is breed dependent.
Just for those of you who are curious, dogs rounding out the 70-79th rankings of most intelligent according to http://petrix.com are as follows:
70 Shih Tzu
71 Basset Hound
72 Mastif Beagle
73 Pekingese
74 Bloodhound
75 Borzoi
76 Chow Chow
77 Bulldog
78 Basenji
79 Afghan Hound
Ok, so you’re probably wondering now that you’ve seen the three types of intelligence and seen the dogs at the top and the bottom of the list, how do I judge the intelligence of my own dog? Good question and I found a good answer for you on suite101.com in an article written by Joy Butler under the headline, “Canine Intelligence Test/How Smart is Your Dog?” Butler lists a few tests you can use to judge your dog’s intelligence. To find the full list follow this link -
http://dog-training.suite101.com/article.cfm/canine_intelligence_test. Here is an example of one of her tests:
Throw a towel over your dog’s head and time how long it takes him to free himself. An average may be 15 to 20 seconds.
I found the tests interesting and it also made me wonder how do we differentiate between acts of intelligence in our dogs and acts of conditioning? For example most dogs know when people are coming home as the car turns up the driveway and the react with excitement as they know a family member is coming home. Is this a sign of intelligence because the dog can differentiate the engine sounds amongst family members and associate this with their family member coming home, or is it simply a matter of conditioning because family members come home from work at the same time every day? I think it’s a little bit of both.
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