Interestingly, the factors defining your dog’s intelligence levels are its ability to learn maximum no. of commands quickly without much repetition, have high level of concentration, could perform search and rescue, detective work. GSD’s and dobb’s when trained and put through a working environment can adapt quickly like figure out a boogie trap or block a person fleeing from coming at it in a different direction etc. And the ability to understand what is expected of them when put in working situations. you don’t want a dog to goof around when it is at work and taking work seriously unlike goofing around at times in practice section’s. Most importantly it should be able to read the difference in the environment. Most people would rather want an intelligent dog which is a quick grasper of commands, teachable and trainable than a normal self-indulged, willful, proud, charming, affectionate dog. Life is a race – to be the best and to have the best. Also, does your pooch take pertulent , lifesaving decisions/actions when needed to protect their masters life ? Tries to lighten up the mood of the master after a stressful day? All these questions relate to your dog’s intellect J There are 3 types of intelligence – adaptive intelligence, instinctive intelligence, obedience intelligence.
But, there are fixed realities when it comes to your animal’s inherent qualities. If it’s bred to hunt, herd, or retrieve, the dog is more likely to be quick on its feet, eager to work, to move, and to please you. It will learn faster. If it’s bred to be a livestock guard dog or a scent hound, it may seem distracted and just a bit dense. But, not to forget the best in any breed can be nurtured by owners willing to put in the time and effort. It just might take them longer to catch on. Learning ability includes the environmental learning, language comprehension, social learning and task learning. The key is knowing what your pooch is built for and how to motivate him. Anyways, here is a list of top 10 most intelligent dogs of the world, with relevance to the various National Dog Shows.
1. Hound: “Jewel,” American Foxhound
This dog won the #1 in national dog show 2013. Looks like the little hound – Beagle, isn’t it? The American Foxhound is a breed of dog that is cousin to the English Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.
Height: Male: 53-64 cm, Female: 48-50 cm.
Weight: Male: 29-34 kg, Female: 21-26 kg.
Origin: USA
Temperament: Loyal, Kind, Sweet-Tempered, Intelligent, Loving, Independent
Life span: 10-12 yrs
Color: red merle, tricolor, black & white, brown & white
2. Border Collie
On #2 we have the Border collie. Ahh! I’ m gonna fall in love with its fur!!
Herding: “Fawny,” Bearded Collie
It is essential to give Border Collies an occupation or purpose, or you may well find your home wrecked upon your return from a long day at work. They have an intense connection with humans, making them ideal work and home companions. Originally herding dogs, they may be frustrated by small children, as their inability to herd the children as they deem fit is confounded. They are exceptionally good at learning, and also a true-blue companion.
They have the ability to understand and follow instructions and are extremely focused animals. They excel at dog sports due to their amazing trainability, spectacular agility, speed and flair for acrobatics. Most famous collies around the world have displayed sensational ability to remember instructions (Chaser, the Border Collie who learned a thousand words!) and identify objects, displaying their dexterity and obedience.
Height: Male: 48-56 cm, Female: 46-53 cm.
Weight: Male: 13.6-20.4 kg, Female: 12.2-19 kg.
Origin: originated from the Anglo Scottish border. Great Britain, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, England, United kingdom .
Temperament: extraordinary intelligence, intense, hardworking, highly energetic, ability to impose his will upon sheep is legendary. so good, he just might impose his will on you, too.
Life span: 13-16 yrs
Color: red merle, blue, gold, white, sable merle, red, chocolate, brindle, lilac, sable, liver, blue merle, black
3. Labrador Retriever
No doubt, anybody would fall for the cuteness of this breed. The Lab, working class of dogs, best known for its intelligence, affection, patience, and gentility, making them perfect companions for households with kids. Easily trained, search and rescue, assist the disabled, police work. They are also known to self-train, observing behaviors in humans and repeating them — a great asset in emergency situations , isn’t it ?
One of the most playful breeds and a personal favourite, the Labrador’s most distinct feature are its soulful yet playful eyes .It hails from Newfoundland and historically held the reputation of being used as retrievers for hunting fowls. Relatively large with broad heads and fuller faces, they have dense coats and strong bodies. They are registered in three different colors notably- black, chocolate and yellow which includes whitish to cream colour as well. These extremely smart dogs are pleasant, outgoing and amiable. Their sense of smell is noteworthy and that combined with great trainability and obedience explains their use in police departments and navies as drug detection dogs. Enthusiastic and boisterous, they are great at retrieving games like fetch. Their intellect and loving nature has also made them popular as therapy dogs, assistance dogs and aids to autistic and blind children. Their easygoing nature, on one hand makes them great pets also makes them bad watchdogs.
Height: Male: 56-62 cm, Female: 54-60 cm.
Weight: Male: 27-40 kg, Female: 27-35 kg.
Origin: Canada
Life span: 12-13 yrs
Color: yellow, ivory, black, chocolate
4. Pekingese
The Pekingese (Toy: “Rodger”) is an ancient breed of toy dog, originating in China. They are called Lion-Dogs due to their resemblance to Chinese guardian lions. Now, if you train it to identify toys most amazingly it would bring each of those toys according to their names (comprehends language) when asked for. Such is the heights of intelligence of Pekingese. The peke is not a good choice for families with toddlers as, it won’t tolerate being grabbed or poked and won’t hesitate to defend himself. Fears nothing and makes a perfect lapdog.
Height: Male: 48-56 cm, Female: 46-53 cm.
Weight: Male: 3.5-6.4 kg, Female: 12.2-19 kg.
Origin: China
Temperament: Good-natured, Stubborn, Aggressive, Intelligent, Affectionate, Opinionated
Life span: 12-15 yrs
Color: red merle, blue, gold, white, sable merle, red, chocolate, brindle, lilac, sable, liver, blue merle, black
Hypoallergenic: No
5. Irish Water Spaniel
A spaniel (Sporting: “Riley”) is a type of gun dog. It is assumed spaniels originated from Spain as the word spaniel may be derived from Hispania or possibly from the French phrase “Chiens de l’Espagnol”. Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of dense brush. It has floppy ears, webbed toes (which help in swimming) in contrast with a smooth face and a rat tail . It is good at both hunting and water retrieving. Easily trainable.
Height: Male: 56-61 cm, Female: 48-54 cm.
Weight: Male: 25-30 kg, Female: 21-25 kg.
Origin: Ireland
Temperament: Inquisitive, Alert, Quick, Clownish, Active, Intelligent
Life span: 10-12 yrs
Color: brown, chocolate
Hypoallergenic: Yes
6. St.Bernard
Ya! This is the dog in the movie Beethoven 2nd. The St. Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Italian and Swiss Alps, originally bred for rescue. The breed has become famous through tales of alpine rescues, as well as for its enormous size with plenty of charm and cheer. They could sense avalanches. It is said that they can smell and detect a person buried 20 ft down. Need grooming because of its thick fur. They fare well in cold places.
Origin: Italy, Switzerland
Hypoallergenic No
Life span: 8 to 10 years
Temperament: Lively, Watchful, Gentle, Friendly, Calm
Height: Male: 70-90 cm
Mass: Male: 64-120 kg
7. Rottweiler
Yes! That majestic looking dog on #7 is indeed the Rottweiler. Highly notorious for attacking and biting people. It is also a Herding dog, police dog/guard dog.
It is one of the oldest, most reputable breeds known and can be traced back to the first century when roman legions used them to herd cattle and guard prisoners. Powerful and brave they are generally feared, and they make for exceptionally good guard dogs. High intelligence and sense of smell makes them great trackers for law enforcement. Intimidating with a strong physical presence, they are calm and protective enough to be ferocious. They have great memory .Proud and intelligent, it is by far one of the finest breeds of dogs on earth.
Height: Male: 50-60 cm, Female: 35-48 cm.
Weight: Male: 61-69 kg, Female: 56-63 kg.
Origin: Germany
Temperament: stoicism, keen perception, courage, and unflagging loyalty.
Life span: 9-10 yrs
Color: Mahogany, tan, black
8. Shetland Sheepdog
Take this dog to a morning walk and i m sure people will mistake it for a lion. The street is all yours, mind it!!! 😉
Used as a herding dog as it is well known for its protectiveness. Highly intelligent, the Sheltie handles life with great efficiency and diligence, learning new commands with little repetition, and making sure that all of the family is safe, sound, and in place. They show great devotion to their families, and are happy to live just about anywhere.
Height: Male: 33-41cm, Female: 33-41 cm.
Weight: Male: 6.4-12.3 kg, Female: 6.4-12.3 kg.
Origin: Scotland
Temperament: Though they make for great pets due to their loving nature, they are highly vocal and are great watchdogs. They need attention and continuous physical exercise to keep them occupied, and also their naturally untrusting nature needs socialization. They are yappie .
Life span: 12-13 yrs
Color: merle, sable & white, tri color, sable, black & tan, black & white, blue merle
9. Siberian Husky
OMG! ‘What is this scary faced dog?!’ would be your first question. It is the great Siberian husky. Known for its Sled pulling skill , strength ,endurance , protective nature and high focus on the task .Mostly Found in snow falling areas its heard of as protecting its master if at all trapped in snow and sense danger(and refuse to go there) , since ages. These dogs need a lot of exercise, else you would find your home wrecked upon returning home. They need work equivalent to as much as pulling a sledge. Being wolf like, they have a tendency to take over their masters / the family that owns them. So if you want to have a husky, you need to learn to be the pack leader. They are also great escape artists. Love to dig. So if you are a garden lover, beware of leaving your husky in it! Huskies generally shed a lot. The strong-willed Siberian Husky is highly independent and is inclined to use his intelligence in clever ways that suit his own purposes.
Height: Male: 53-60 cm, Female: 51-56 cm.
Weight: Male: 20-27 kg, Female: 16-23 kg.
Origin: Siberia, Russia
Temperament: Outgoing, Alert, Gentle, Friendly, Intelligent, hilarious.
Life span: 12-15 yrs
Color: brown & white, black & white.
10. Weimaraner
On #10 we have the Weimaraner. Doesn’t it look hypnotized? Well, you dare not ignore a Weimaraner as it being a hyper active, highly energetic dog – is gonna take it as a challenge, to impress you. The Weimaraner is a dog that was originally bred for hunting game such as boar, bear, and deer, in the early 19th century by the royalty. Generally grey / blue grey, silver or mouse color Weimaraner has a docked tail and a short hard, smooth coat .It has long ears – if ever sad, you could whisper your deepest secrets into its ears! It is a quick witted dog which learns commands on 5-15 repetitions. In short, it is a jack-of-all-trades; a pointer, tracker & retriever but spade of none.
Life span: 10 to 12 years
Temperament: Alert, Steady, Fast, Aloof, Energetic, Stubborn,Powerful, Intelligent,playful.
Height: Female: 58 – 63 cm, Male: 63 – 68 cm
Mass: Female 25 – 32 kg, Male 32 – 37 kg
P.S:
In his bestselling book, The Intelligence of Dogs, neuropsychologist Stanley Coren, PhD, focuses on trainability as a marker of intelligence. The University of British Columbia psychology professor relied on the assessments of 110 breeds by more than 200 professional dog obedience judges who scored breeds based on working/obedience tests. The top dogs absorbed commands in less than five repetitions and obeyed those 95% of the time or better.
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