The Smartest Dog Breeds

Top 10 Smartest Dog breeds in the world

The cynologists from the American Kennel Club took up the study of the question of which dogs are the smartest in the world. Their research was inspired by the work of Stanley Koren, a professor of psychology from Vancouver, "The Intelligence of Dogs", first published in 1994. The book has been translated into 26 languages and has already been reprinted 16 times – and this is not the limit.

It is impossible to determine a dog's IQ without selection criteria. The rating "the smartest dog breeds" took into account:

• how many times you need to repeat the command for the dog to master it;
• percentage of pets who completed the learned command accurately and from the first time.

This approach allowed us to identify the most intelligent breeds, but with reservations.

• Some dog breeds may have high intelligence, but their type of thinking is different from others. So, dogs of hunting and riding breeds should have sufficient independence to make decisions independently in a critical situation. Because of this, hard workers are less eager to execute commands than pets. This does not mean that they are dumber, but they occupy lower places in the ranking of the smartest breeds due to relatively poor learning ability.
• "Young" breeds are easier to execute commands than "ancient" relatives, whose genotype is closer to the wolf. For this reason , the last places in the list were afghan hound and basenji - one of the oldest breeds.
• Dogs of medium and small size, as a rule, occupy places below the real ones, their natural stubbornness is to blame for everything.

Thus, the top 10 of the smartest dog breeds in the world is quite conditional. In addition, if you start a conversation about dog intelligence with a loving and caring owner, then most likely the smartest dog will be with him!

10. Australian Shepherd (Aussie)

The homeland of the Australian shepherd dog, despite the name of the breed, was America. Each aussi has an original color, so it is considered unique. The breed is distinguished by phenomenal abilities in grazing cattle in mountainous areas. Australian Shepherds easily tolerate pressure drops at altitude.

It is interesting that Aussi graze poultry and cattle only with the help of their piercing gaze, never bite and do not use force. The Australian Shepherd stands in front of an animal strayed from the herd, lowers his head and looks sternly at him – this is enough for the loner to return to his fellow tribesmen.

Aussi are very smart, sensitive and loyal, for them there is no reward better than the praise of the owner. Dogs love to play and walk for hours. Responsible and hardworking, "shepherdesses" can babysit a child or a cat all day.

Among the Australian shepherds, a dog named Streak distinguished himself. One day the breeder Aussi on horseback fell to the bottom of the canyon. Strick ran for several hours without stopping to get to the nearest village and bring help. Subsequently, the Aussie hero became one of the main founders of the breed.

9. Rottweiler

Rottweilers were bred in the German city of Rottweil and were originally used for cattle driving, household help and as guards. Representatives of this breed are distinguished by endurance, strength and energy, which are easy to direct in the right direction, thanks to their high intelligence and balance of character. "Butcher's dogs" consider only one person to be their master, to whom they are infinitely devoted.

The Rottweiler learns new commands quickly, literally grasps everything on the fly, but the dog needs regular training and iron discipline. To curb the Rottweiler who wants to dominate, you will have to show perseverance and self-confidence, it is not for nothing that they say: "If you trained a German shepherd, you did nothing, and if a Rottweiler, then a lot."

A rottweiler named Eve was riding in a car with her American mistress Katie, who suffers from partial paralysis. There was a breakdown in the car, a fire started. Katie couldn't get out of the burning cabin on her own, she just opened the door for her pet. Instead of escaping, Eve began to pull out the hostess, who is 5 times heavier than her, by her legs. After a couple of minutes, the vehicle caught fire completely, but Katie was already at a safe distance from the fire, thanks to her brave and loyal pet.

8. Continental Toy Spaniel (papillon)

Papillon , despite the doll-like appearance and miniature size, got into the list of the smartest dogs. The breed, whose name translates as "butterfly", appeared in the XIV century in France. Unusual ears resembling butterfly wings and an extraordinary mind quickly made papillons favorites of kings. These adorable babies were kept by Henry IV, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour.

The Continental Toy Spaniel is a room–decorative breed designed for communication and stress relief. The dog will be an excellent companion not only for crowned heads, but also for ordinary families with children. Papillons are friendly, cheerful and mobile, they charge others with positive emotions.

The papillon Lilin got into the French chronicles. Henry III's pet met the king's killer with aggression and furious barking, not typical of the breed. For the sake of preserving the decency of the audience, the servants were forced to take the baby out of the hall, where a murder took place in a few minutes, which led to a coup d'etat.

7. Labrador Retriever

Getting into the top 10 smartest dogs in the world labrador retriever it's hard to surprise someone. The breed was bred on the Canadian island of Newfoundland, which is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Dogs have high intelligence, excellent memory and a keen nose. Representatives of this breed successfully work as rescuers, bloodhounds, guards, guides.

Kind and affectionate Labradors love to actively spend time with their owner and are ready to walk all day. They always find a common language with children and pets. In the character of these merry fellows there is absolutely no vindictiveness and aggressiveness.

Labrador easily learns new commands and does it with sincere joy. During training, the dog tries so hard, looks into the eyes of the owner and listens to his words and intonation, that it is simply impossible to give a command with a strict serious look or punish the pet!

There are dozens of Labrador retriever exploits left in history. One of them belongs to a guide dog named Dorado. Together with the owner Omar, the dog ended up in one of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. When the planes crashed into the north and south towers, the buildings began to collapse rapidly, and the blind Omar could not quickly get out on his own. Dorado did not lose his head, tightly squeezed the owner by the pant leg and pulled him to the emergency exit. Friends survived, getting off with bruises and bruises.

6. Shetland Shepherd (sheltie)

For those who nostalgically remember the series "Lassie" and dream of having a home collie , but it is not solved because of the size, it is worth paying attention to its reduced copy – sheltie . The homeland of this breed is the Shetland Islands, where small agile animals were engaged in grazing and overtaking the herd and, if necessary, even protecting the fields from sheep.

Shetland Shepherds are smart, quick-witted and trainable. Charming shelties are able to instinctively make the right decisions, perform the roles of a watchman, a guard and a companion. Dogs are not aggressive at all, they will bark, but not bite. Shelties treat strangers with distrust, but they are ready for anything for their owner and family!

Scottish farmer Robert Sinclair lived alone in the woods. He had an asthma attack and needed emergency help. No longer hoping for anything, the man wrote a note, put it in a bottle and threw it out of the window. Meanwhile, a Shetland shepherd dog who lived on a farm nearby found a bottle and took it to her owner. With this decision, the dog Ben saved a man's life. The owner of the shepherd dog read the letter and called 911. The doctors managed to put an oxygen mask on Robert at the last moment.

5. Doberman

The top five smartest dogs are opened by luxury dobermans . This breed was bred in the German city of Apolde. Dobermans make a mixed impression: on the one hand, they fascinate with their beauty and elegance, and on the other – they seem dangerous and frightening. Representatives of the breed even got the nickname "devil dog". Dobermans can effectively work on the trail, search for prohibited substances, protect people.

These service shorthair dogs are distinguished by loyalty, endurance and reliability. Each Doberman is a real person who reveals his potential with regular training, high–quality care and a healthy atmosphere in the family. In order for the high intelligence of the dog to work not in the direction of pranks, it is necessary to train him.

Dobermans have many famous representatives. A true legend has become a Club – a tracker dog, on whose account more than 1,500 solved crimes. Doberman was born in the kennel "von Thuringen" and in 1908 began working as a bloodhound in the police of the Russian Empire. The reputation of the Club was so impeccable that the rumor about the imminent visit of the Doberman was enough for the criminals to flee the city – if only the dog would not take their trail.

4. Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever descended from common ancestors with labrador retriever , but then his genotype was supplemented with the genes of the yellow straight-haired retriever, the Scottish water spaniel and the setter . And, judging by the higher place in the ranking of the smartest dogs, quite successfully. The defining traits of the golden retriever's character are kindness, sensitivity and calmness. A dog can be useful as a bloodhound, guide dog and just a four-legged friend.

Golden Retrievers will have no difficulty learning new commands, they are not lazy at all. Representatives of this breed always come to the rescue of people, are ready to play with children and are even used for therapeutic purposes, helping to cope with psychological problems.

Retrievers love outdoor activities, including splashing in the water. Despite their size, they can live not only in a house, but also in an apartment.

Golden Retriever Trepp is the most qualified sniffer who got into the Guinness Book of Records. The dog, who is in the service of the Florida Police Department, detained more than a hundred criminals, and also found drugs worth a total of $ 63,000,000. When the retriever was brought to the police academy to demonstrate his talent, he was tasked with finding 10 bags of drugs. Trepp found 11.

3. German Shepherd

Bronze in the list of the smartest dogs in the world deservedly took german shepherd . Among all modern breeds, it is the closest relative of the wolf. The first German Shepherd named Graf was registered in the city of Hanover. The dog can be safely called a "universal soldier", able to work in any conditions and keep cool. Most often, sheepdogs worked as shepherds or carried patrol duty.

Interestingly, when patrolling, the dog almost daily has to change a partner. Unlike many breeds that obey one owner, the German Shepherd will clearly follow the command of each policeman.

To raise an obedient and friendly pet, they need to be engaged from childhood. The German Shepherd is well trained, has high intelligence and is very efficient. By nature, the "German" is not aggressive, but if the owner is in danger, he will not hesitate to stand up for him.

The company of sniffer Trepp in the Guinness Book of Records was made by customs officer Leo. The German Shepherd served at the airport customs for 9 years. During this time, Leo detained more than 300 drug dealers.

2. Poodle

The English speak of poodles so: "Not yet a man, but not a dog anymore." Ludwig van Beethoven, George Sand, Giuseppe Verdi, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, John Steinbeck, Emma Watson and Rihanna were able to personally see the outstanding intellectual abilities of poodles. Representatives of this breed rightfully took second place in the top ten smartest dogs. Poodles are the national breed of France, rooted in the north of Europe.

Poodles are invariably associated with the circus, but few people know that the breed has many varieties. Hunting poodles help catch birds, and large swimmer poodles rescue drowning people. Dogs also cope with the duties of a watchman or companion.

Curly-haired beauties are able to master the most difficult commands. Their sharp mind is combined with attentiveness, sociability and inexhaustible energy.

Bye sheepdogs and retrievers collect medals in the field of service to the law, a white poodle distinguished himself on the other side of the barricades. A smuggler named Malin was transporting expensive lace under his skin. The owner cut his dog's hair, wound lace on her body, and put on a fur coat made of previously shorn wool on top. In this form, Malin crossed the French border and came to the agreed place where the owner took the valuable cargo. When the customs officers – on the denunciation of envious acquaintances of our couple – went to court, it was decided to catch all the white poodles. Then Malin began to wear not a white, but a tinted fur coat. And when the customs officers decided to grab all the poodles in a row, he escaped punishment, thanks to his dexterity. Rumor has it that the dog and his owner retired from business, being very rich.

1. Border Collie

Border Collie - the smartest dog in the world. The intelligence of these amazing animals is comparable to the level of a 3-year-old child. The breed was first mentioned in 1570, and official recognition came much later, in 1915. It is assumed that the ancestors of the Border Collie were working dogs of the Normans. During the Viking invasions of Scotland, their dogs ran away and interbred with local shepherds.

It is impossible to list all the advantages of a border collie: an extraordinary mind, an understanding look, incredible dedication, activity, kindness, caring... The dog learns quickly and immediately remembers new items. In addition to their mental abilities, Border Collies have also distinguished themselves physically - they are great athletes and playmates. For representatives of this breed, there is no greater joy than to run for a frisbee on a sunny day.

The border collie named Chaser is recognized as the smartest among the smartest. His owner John Pillay always suspected that dogs are smarter than they seem, so he decided to teach his pet new words. To do this, he bought various toys, showed them to the Chaser and named each item many times. At the age of 5 months, the dog knew about 50 words, and by the age of 3 his "vocabulary" had expanded to 1022 words. Now, when John asks to bring him this or that toy, Chaser unmistakably finds it in a bunch of others. This dog knows exactly what a raccoon, hippo or vampire looks like.

Another legendary dog of the Border Collie breed is Rico. He has memorized more than 200 words, distinguishes them by ear and understands the meaning. In addition to his outstanding memory, Rico is also smart – he can make the right decisions on his own. Scientists from Leipzig undertook to study the dog's abilities. During one of the experiments, they put a border collie and its owner in a room, and took their favorite toys to the next room. Then the owner named the items in turn and asked Rico to bring them. The dog coped with the task 38 times out of 40. After that, a new thing, unfamiliar to Rico, was added to the toys. When the owner asked to bring it, the dog itself guessed that the new word means a new object, and correctly executed the command. The unique dog remembered all the learned words even a month after the end of the tests. Scientists concluded that the Border collie Rico learned the language in the same way as children in the first years of life.