Is your pup among the smartest dogs in the world? Certain dog breeds are prized for their intelligence. The smartest dog breeds in the world were bred to be brainy so they could help people accomplish specific tasks. But canine intelligence, like human intelligence, can be hard to define. There are many different kinds of intelligence, like the ability to adapt, having good instincts, being able to read emotions, and mastering control of one’s body.
Studies are being conducted to examine these different types of intelligence in dogs, but one type that has been studied thoroughly is working intelligence–the ability to learn and follow commands. Psychologist Stanley Coren
surveyed 199 dog obedience judges to find out which dog breeds are the smartest when it comes to working intelligence for his book
The Intelligence of Dogs. Though there are exceptions within breeds and a lot comes down to training, results were fairly consistent. Here’s a gallery of the top 50 dog breeds ranked in order of intelligence:
Dogs in the top ten can learn commands in five seconds and obey 95% of the time. Dogs ranked 11 to 32 can learn commands in five to fifteen repetitions and obey 85% of the time. Dogs in the 33rd to 63rd rank are average and can learn commands in 15 to 25 repetitions, obeying 70% of the time. Dogs ranked below that can take 25 to 100 or more repetitions to learn commands and obey 50 to 30% of the time.
Here are the breeds, in order, that ranked below the top 50:
51. Tied between
American Eskimo Dog,
Cairn Terrier,
Kerry Blue Terrier, and
Irish Setter
55.
Norwegian Elkhound
56. Tied between
Affenpinscher,
Silky Terrier,
Miniature Pinscher,
English Setter,
Pharaoh Hound, and
Clumber Spaniel
62.
Norwich Terrier
63.
Dalmatian
64. Tied between
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier,
Bedlington Terrier, and Smooth-haired Fox Terrier
67. Tied between
Curly-Coated Retriever and
Irish Wolfhound
69. Tied between
Kuvasz and
Australian Shepherd
71. Tied between Saluki,
Finnish Spitz, and
Pointer
74. Tied between
Cavalier King Charles spaniel,
German Wirehaired Pointer,
Black and Tan Coonhound, and
American Water Spaniel
78. Tied between
Siberian Husky,
Bichon Frise, and
English Toy Spaniel
81. Tied between
Tibetan Spaniel,
English Foxhound,
Otterhound,
American Foxhound,
Greyhound,
Harrier, Parson Russel Terrier, and
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
89. Tied between
West Highland White Terrier,
Havanese, and
Scottish Deerhound
92. Tied between
Boxer and
Great Dane
94. Tied between
Dachshund,
Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and
Shiba Inu
97.
Malamute
98. Tied between
Whippet,
Chinese Shar-Pei, and Wirehaired Fox Terrier
101.
Rhodesian Ridgeback
102. Tied between
Ibizan Hound,
Welsh Terrier, and
Irish Terrier
105. Tied between
Boston Terrier and
Akita
107.
Skye Terrier
108. Tied between
Norfolk Terrier and
Sealyham Terrier
110.
Pug
111.
French Bulldog
112. Tied between
Brussels Griffon and Maltese Terrier
114.
Italian Greyhound
115.
Chinese Crested
116. Tied between
Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Vendeen,
Tibetan Terrier,
Japanese Chin, and
Lakeland Terrier
121.
Old English Sheepdog
122.
Great Pyrenees
123. Tied between
Scottish Terrier and
Saint Bernard,
125. Tied between
Bull Terrier and
Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen
128.
Chihuahua
129.
Lhasa apso
130.
Bullmastiff
131.
Shih Tzu
132.
Basset hound
133. Tied between
Mastiff and
Beagle
135.
Pekingese
136.
Bloodhound
137.
Borzoi
138.
Chow chow
139.
Bulldog
140.
Basenji
141.
Afghan hound
Where does your dog’s breed stack up in working intelligence? Do you agree with these rankings? Let us know in the comments below!
Smartest Dog Breeds
