Did you know that dogs can learn around 150 words, can count to four or five and even can work out when there are errors in simple maths sums (like 1+1=3)?
While you wouldn’t want them to complete your tax return, renowned canine psychologist Stanley Coren* says that dogs can solve complex problems and are more like humans and other higher primates than previously thought.
Everyone has their own opinion on which breeds are the smartest. There are the dogs that are razor sharp and seem to understand every word you say. The ones that can predict what you want and race off to do it with just the flick of a hand. And then there are the goofballs, the dogs that are great fun to be around but maybe lacking a little in the ‘smarts department.’
According to Coren, dogs have three main types of intelligence: adaptive intelligence (i.e. figuring stuff out), working intelligence (i.e. following orders or the equivalent to ‘school learning’), and instinctive intelligence (i.e. what they were bred to do).
In one of his earlier studies, Coren surveyed around 200 dog obedience judges to work out which dog breeds score highest in the working intelligence category.
He ranked different breeds based on the amount of time it took them to learn a new command and how likely they are to obey commands.
We have used his list to help pull together the information and you can find here the world’s smartest dog breeds.
There are exceptions in every breed and a lot comes down to training, a dog’s connection with their handler and giving them the right motivation.
Before you dive into our list (spoiler alert, Border Collies are #1), here are some other fun facts about dog intelligence:
- larger dogs tend to be smarter
- the average dog can learn 165 words and “super dogs” (those in the top 20 percent of dog intelligence) can learn 250 words
- dogs can learn the location how to find treats, the best routes to follow (e.g. the fastest way to the bed), how to operate latches and simple machines and the meaning of words and symbolic concepts
- dogs can deliberately try to deceive other dogs and people to get rewards, and the mental abilities of dogs are closest to a human child age 2 to 2.5 years.
Even if you aren’t living with a Lassie or Rex, remember the smartest dog in the world may not be the best pet for you. Every dog has the capacity to learn in the right environment and with the right motivation.
So, it is best to focus on finding the perfect pup for you and your lifestyle, and then working with them to help them be the best dog they can possibly be.
*Stanley Coren, the author of more than half-dozen popular books on dogs and dog behavior, is from the University of British Colombia and has conducted and reviewed numerous studies on dog intelligence.