Dog Intelligence

Is there an Intelligence Rating by breed? Have heard poodles are smart and basset hounds are not.

• We have a bulldog and they are rated at the bottom for intelligence but I think our dog is very smart. He's just not particularly obedient and has to take his time with everything. Poodles are supposed to be very smart (although my friend's poodle isn't housetrained and my bulldog is). I believe there's a ranking on Wikipedia, for what that's worth.

• I had a basset hound. Great dog. Really dumb. Never learned any tricks to do. He just was. The vet told me that basset hounds were "low" on the intelligence scale. I did not care

• There should be an intelligence rating for DL trolls. The current faux-naïf troll is the DL's Bassett hound.

• [quote] I think our dog is very smart What pet owner doesn't? I have friends who fawn over their dog constantly. It seems to be a perfectly pleasant pet, but it also seems very stupid and has no personality. But, to them, it's the "bestest dog EVER!"

• Border Collies and Australian Sheep Dogs are supposedly two of the most intelligent breeds.

• I have an Australian Shepherd & he seems pretty smart for a dog, I guess.

• We have a border collie -- they are hardwired sheep dogs and the only problem we have with him is the fact that we aren't sheep, but he always treats us as if we are. The cats too -- if they fight, he breaks them up (to protect the non-existent wool) and will corral them into the kitchen at night.

• When you call a dog he comes. When you call a cat he takes the message and gets back to you later.

• I know they are very popular, but to me dogs are too much trouble for what you get back.

• Lots of rankings by breed are available. Border collies and poodles are at the top; Afghans at the very bottom.

  http://petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html

• I have a schnauzer. Very smart. Give him even just a look and he knows what's up. I have a really old mutt who learned to do some tricks at her old age (12yo), which surprised and impresses me. Got a third young dachshund, dumb as rocks, but super adorable, sweet and perky--so that makes up for it. r7, so cute.

• Rat Terriers are very smart and easy to train.

• Yes, Afghans are incredibly stupid, as well as not being very coordinated. My friend's Afghan is always tripping over his own feet.

• Intelligent dogs don't necessarily make a good pet. Kind of like boyfriends...

• You don't want a super smart dog. Those dogs disobey and fake you out, they're opinionated -- they think like cats.

• I think Lena Dunham would rank fairly high on the intelligence scale.

• As long as they eat their own shit, they can't be that smart.

• I had a Sheltie, very smart and cute. My mother had a pond in her backyard with Koi fish....my dog would run back and forth and bark at the fish swimming...looked kind of stupid doing that but he was a wonderful dog.

• Yes. You can google it. Some breeds interpret human direction, their environment and can apply problem solving better than others.

  http://www.stanleycoren.com/e_intelligence.htm

• [quote]Yes, Afghans are incredibly stupid We count on it! Allahu Akbar!

  The%20Taliban

• These ratings are subjective and like most studies, are interpreted rather loosely. I would prefer a study that clearly defines each dog breed by the behavior a prospective owner can expect. I've known people who bought dogs as status symbols because they were rated as highly intelligent, then after the cute puppy stage wore off, they discovered they couldn't live with them. Herding dogs always rate high because they have been bred to instinctively follow their owners' commands, but who really wants a dog who herds all of your cocktail party guests into a corner? That's not a form of intelligence I find appealing, not to mention their boing-boing energy levels. My father was a professional trainer of field trial dogs. He both owned and trained dogs and although they were friendly and we spent time around them, they were working dogs and not pets. I currently own a basset/cocker spaniel mix. She is one of the sweetest-natured dogs I've ever been around, but she was obviously born without a brain. The smartest dog I've ever owned was a smooth chow, and I see chow chows are rated very low. My dog trainer neighbors (who owned border collies and Australian shepherds) described my smooth chow as "scary smart." I swear that dog knew every nuance of my behavior because his purpose in life was to protect me.

• I have a Newfoundland and she is extremely intelligent - can learn new tricks in just a few minutes, for example. However, she is also incredibly lazy and stubborn at times, so she will do what you want but only when she's ready. You have to allow for some reaction time while she decides if it's worth getting off the couch for LOL.

  Mrs%20Danvers

• So what you're saying is that Afghans are the twinks of the dog kingdom.

• Wuf

• My dachshund is smart but very, very stubborn and willful. He doesn't see the point in running after the ball when I can just hand it to him. Things like that.

• I watched a show on the Animal Planet about canine intelligence #1- Standard size Poodle (the large size) #2 Border Collie #3 German Shepard

• I think Dalmatian are pretty stupid and all kinds of shepherd dogs are among the intelligent ones - Border Collies, Poodles, German or Belgian Shepherds, Retrievers and Dobermanns

  anonymous

• The dumbest cat is still smarter than the smartest dog.

  Miss%20Sissyboodles

• r23 What a fucking racist. We invaded Afghanistan and then you have the nerve to call Afghans dogs and idiots. I bet if they weren't Muslims or if they was fags, you'd think they was hot. You're all assholes.