For the first time, the list of the smartest dogs was compiled by Canadian psychology professor Stanley Coren back in 1994, his book “Dog Intelligence” has already survived 16 reprints and was awarded translation into 26 languages, of which there is, unfortunately, no Russian.
There are only three criteria by which the author determined the mental abilities of dogs: instinctive intelligence, adaptive intelligence, and obedience intelligence. The author himself claims that such an assessment is quite subjective, in view of the fact that many breeds were specially bred to perform certain tasks. For example, hunting and sled dogs are less likely to fulfill certain orders only because the main thing in their work is independence and the ability to make decisions quickly. The most intelligent dog in the world, according to Stanley Coren, should be well trained and be able to follow all the orders of the owner. The Canadian identified several groups of dogs. Below are not all, but only some, the most famous varieties.
- Breeds with the lowest learning abilities. This means that mastering a pet’s team requires about a hundred repetitions, and their implementation the first time accounts for at least 25%. This list includes such dogs as Basenji, Russian Canine Greyhound, Beagle, Pekingese, English Bulldog, Mastiff, Basset Hound, Chow Chow, Shih Tzu and others.
- The next group is dogs with lower than average abilities. They need 40-80 repetitions to memorize commands, and the percentage of completion exceeds 30: Chihuahua, St. Bernard, Scotch Terrier, French Bulldog, Italian Greyhound, Sky Terrier, Pug, Chinese Crested Dog and others.
- Dogs such as: Australian Shepherd, Irish Wolfhound, Pointer, Fox Terrier, American and English Foxhound, Greyhound, Shar Pei, Boxer, Great Dane, Dachshund, Pointer, Siberian Husky showed average training abilities (25-40 reps, and 50% success). other.
- The following is a list of breeds that are closer to the title of “smartest dog in the world”. These are representatives of breeds whose training abilities, according to judges in the United States and Canada, are rated above average: Yorkshire Terrier, Bearded Collie, Australian Terrier, Dwarf Pinscher, Dalmatian, English Setter, Samoyed.
- Dogs with excellent abilities did not reach the title of “smartest dog in the world”: Pomeranian, Bernese Mountain Dog, English Cocker Spaniel, Kurzhaar, American Cocker Spaniel, Belgian Shepherd Dog, Mittelschnauzer, Collie, Miniature Schnauzer, Welsh Corgi.
- And finally, dogs with excellent training abilities. They need less than 5 repetitions to learn a new team, while the percentage of completion ranges from 95% and above. Representatives of the papillon breed (8th place) and the poodle (2nd) are in the lead in the category “smartest small dog breeds”. However, as noted above, obedience is not the most necessary quality for indoor dogs. Here the palm belongs to service dogs: German Shepherd (3rd place), Rottweiler (9th), Labrador (7), Doberman (5). The title "the smartest dog in the world" was awarded to a shepherd breed - border collie.