New tests shed light on how dogs think, smartest breeds

[undeterred]

USA Today

TORONTO — A presentation on "How Dogs Think" drew a crowd Saturday as a psychologist, canine researcher and author of a 2004 book by the same name told the American Psychological Association that the newest research strategy for understanding dogs is to use tests meant for very young children.

"One of the most recent breakthroughs is that people began to use tests which were originally designed for young humans — for pre-linguistic or limited-linguistic humans — to see whether dogs had certain capacities. "And that allows you then to do a whole bunch of things, not only to determine whether a dog has a certain thinking skill but to place him in terms of where would you be in terms of human beings, as well as in terms of other animals," says Stanley Coren, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.

He's the researcher who already found that the mental abilities of dogs are close to those of a human child between 2 and 2½ years old. Coren's presentation included a review of numerous studies that show how dogs are more like humans than previously thought. He says dogs can learn about 165 words, including signals; they can count up to four or five and have a basic understanding of arithmetic. Also, he says, dogs can intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats they want.

Previous research conducted by Coren and others has shown that different kinds of dogs have different levels of intelligence. A past study Coren did set out which breeds have the smarts. Based on data from 208 dog obedience judges around the USA and Canada, Coren says that the most intelligent breed is the border collie, with poodles ranked second, followed by German shepherds and then golden retrievers and dobermans. He ranked the breeds and calls the top 20% of dogs, by intelligence, the "super dogs." At the bottom of the list are the hounds, with the Afghan hound ranking last of more than 100 breeds.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-08-08-how-dogs...

My Aussie negotiates, so I'm ranking the Australian Shepherd right up there with the Border Collie.

[Robb]

1. That's exactly the flaw with this.

I've known many dogs who would be terrible obedience dogs (where he got his data), but it's apparent after you've been with them for a while that it's not that they're disobedient, but rather they're weighing their options every time they're given a command.

[undeterred]

4. My dog sees that I am eating something he wants

and begging is beneath him. He brings me a rawhide strip, hoping I will trade with him. He initiates in all kinds of ways that I haven't seen other dogs do.

[juno jones]

53. You just described my former dog Jack to a T.

He was a border-collie/terrier mix. Too smart for his own good by half and too tough and independant to 'train' easily. He had to always be mentally stimulated. He was like Steve McQueen in the "Great Escape". I watched him, a 60 lb adult, literally go boneless and slide thru small holes in our fence or gaps under it. It was all a challenge to him and yes, he was always weighing his options in any situation.

We finally had to return him to the pound after an incident where he escaped and cornered the local registered sex offender in his own home. He had never been aggressive before, but I guess he didn't like the guy. No one was hurt, but the guy couldn't leave the porch of his house until animal control arrived. To keep peace in the neighborhood, Jack had to go. I hope he found the farm and cattle herd he so needed.

On edit: The most amazing thing about him, food held no charm. You couldn't bribe him with treats.

[XemaSab]

54. I've had two dogs where their attitude is "make me"

For instance, you tell all three dogs to go outside, and Bailey is the one who is sitting there like "I'm not in the mood."

Which is smarter? The dog who does what they're told, or the dog who understands the commands and just doesn't feel like it?

[undeterred]

72. I think so.

The one who obeys commands gets a higher score. My dog knows exactly what I want, but sometimes he says, "Well I'm not ready to leave the dog park yet, and I know you'll wait for me, so I'm not coming."

[unpossibles]

89. agreed

I've had a lot of dogs (and cats) - all rescues btw - and sometimes the smartest ones were the most difficult to train well. One in particular would do things the first time I commanded when it was just us, including some neat tricks, but as soon as I tried to show her off to other people, she could not ever hear my voice - although of course her hearing was good enough to hear a noodle hit the floor at 40 feet....

I miss that dog. She was the ultimate escape artist, so I had to walk her every time she went outside, which I did not mind at all.

[Chemisse]

2. After having dueling women in one household

With me and my too-smart black lab, which at one point resulted in her pooping on my bed in utter spite, I decided to only get the dumber dogs.

I now have an adorable Mastiff who still goes to the back door to ask to go out to pee even though we stopped using that door 2 years ago.

[Robb]

11. LOL. We have a Papillon living amongst the huskies

...holding his own quite well, I should add.

Anyhow, the Pap will beg to be let outside to pee. If I let him out the side door, he does his business immediately and comes back in. This is the first door he was ever let out when we moved into this house.

If I let him out the other door, he runs around the house to the side door area, does his business, and waits to be let in. Forgetting about whoever let him out the other door waiting for him.

[Chemisse]

55. That's funny as hell! The dog probably thinks YOU are mixed up

I really think of my girl as like a 2 year old toddler, whereas the smarter dogs are more like 4 year olds.

[murray hill farm]

3. I s your Aussie a male or a female?

My 13 month old female just came into heat...and I would like to breed her but not yet. All the male doggies from miles around..are lurking near and on my property. Do you know how long a doggie stays in heat? Odd question, I know...but i was just wondering and there was your beautiful Aussie's picture.

[undeterred]

5. He's a neutered male.

I don't know anything about breeding dogs.

[murray hill farm]

31. He is a beautiful dog.

Looks just like my female aussie.....mine has a little more white. Great dogs...and yes, sooooooo smart.

[shimmergal]

45. I think it's about 3 weeks usually.

[Obama2012]

75. Is she an (ick) AKC champion or a titled herding dog?

If not, why are you breeding her? There are too many dogs that die in shelters, because somebody thinks breeding their dog is a good idea, because it's a "nice" dog or a "pretty" dog.

[PDJane]

6. Yep, I agree......and that's a lovely animal.

And Samoyeds and huskies and malmutes are like that too......lovely dogs, and great company. I think they forget they're not human...

[InvisibleTouch]

7. The sighthounds are unfairly miscategorized.

They're not, by nature, obedience dogs. They've been bred for thousands of years to be independent hunters (the Afghan hound, for instance, hunted leopards and quickly outdistanced its human handlers - so, in the wilds of Afghanistan against deadly prey, the dog had to make split-second life-and-death decisions alone), so they won't respond the way the very trainable border collie or German shepherd will. Remember that the herding breeds were selected specifically for their willingness to interact with a human handler, in order to do their job. But trainability alone is hardly the sole hallmark of intelligence. Ask any cat owner.

[undeterred]

10. I didn't know that about Afghans.

The only one I've become acquainted with always seemed like a very nervous dog.

[InvisibleTouch]

18. They can be shy or stand-offish with strangers...

...but are normally very devoted to their families.

I've read the author's book, btw - it's good, but he has a personal bias toward border collies because that's what he has. Admittedly I have a personal bias toward sighthounds because that's what I have. But I can see how breeds selected and trained for different jobs are going to have differing talents; one isn't "better" or "worse" than another, just perhaps more suitable for certain owners or certain households.

[undeterred]

19. I am biased toward aussies

but in my experience a less intelligent dog will love you just as much and be easier to live with.

[elleng]

49. Of COURSE! What's love got to do with it???

[truedelphi]

92. Are Dalmatians considered hounds?

I read this remarkable passage about how in the old days, when every horse-drawn fire engine had its Dalmation (or two) the dog would run ahead of the engine out toward whatever intersection the engine was heading for. Then it would wildly circle the intersection - as a warning to the other carriages that the fire engine was coming.

That seems remarkabley clever to me - and rather brave also.

[dysfunctional press]

16. rhodesian ridgebacks were bred to take on lions.

for every cat there's a dog.

[Medusa]

23. Same with scent-hounds

they are easily distracted because their sense of smell is even more keen than that of the average dog. I'm so tired of seeing these studies where someone equates intelligence with trainability. They are not the same thing.

[roakes10190]

44. Beagle

As the proud parent of a seven-month-old Beagle, I can tell you that hounds aren't dumb. Scent hounds are hard to train because they are fixated on what they were bred to do--follow a scent. Dogs aren't meant to be humans and have human skills. Their sense of smell and of hearing is so superior to humans that they know when something's about when humans don't. Let's stop trying to judge dogs, or any other animal, by human standards.

[truedelphi]

98. I love beagles. I am not patient enough to

Parent one, and my neighbors would hate the bark, but I think that breed is so wonderful in so many ways. Good luck with your baby.

[dysfunctional press]

8. our black lab is plenty smart as well...

intentionally deceiving other dogs and people to get treats she wants is a specialty of hers.

meet fredda katz

cats are pretty bright too- they just don't feel a need to flaunt it.

mars

animals in general are a lot more...aware..than some people want to give them credit for.

[elleng]

14. NATURALLY!

'people' continually prove themselves unaware! They don't want to be bettered, but they/we ARE!

[Blue_In_AK]

9. I haz got smartz...

The new shih-tzu who is smart enough to be able to chase the cat around the house unmercifully while not getting her eyes scratched out.

[backwoodsbob]

12. my shepperds are dumn as a rock

dont care what that study says...my dogs are one step down from garden rocks....but I love them

[Obama2012]

76. It's spelled "Shepherd"

And, I've never met a dumb one.

[TahitiNut]

13. Excerpted from "The Intelligence of Dogs":

For example, over 200 professional dog obedience judges, ranked 110 dog breeds on the basis of their intelligence. According to them, the top dozen dogs in terms of intelligence are:
Rank Breed

1. Border Collies
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pincher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottwieler
10. Australian Cattle Dog
11. Pembrook Welsh Corgi
12. Miniature Schnauzer


At the low end of the intelligence rankings are:

106. Borzoi
107. Chow Chow
108. Bull dog
109. Basenji
110. Afghan Hound

http://www.stanleycoren.com/e_intelligence.htm

Also, a good summary on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs_ (book)

[undeterred]

22. Where's the beagle?

[TahitiNut]

25. Tied with the Mastiff at #72

Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence

* Understanding of New Commands: 80 to 100 repetitions or more.
* Obey First Command: 25% of the time or worse.

70. Shih Tzu
71. Basset Hound
72. Mastiff
Beagle
73. Pekingese
74. Bloodhound
75. Borzoi
76. Chow Chow
77. Bulldog
78. Basenji
79. Afghan Hound

[liberalmuse]

35. Well! My Chow is very intelligent...

I'm surprised Chows are at the low end of that list. They do what they want, but that doesn't mean they're dumb.

[surrealAmerican]

59. They ought not have used the word "intelligence" to describe ...

... what they were measuring. They were measuring obedience.

[carlyhippy]

46. a bloodhound is 74?! These dogs are used to find people, they have to know alot of commands

and understand them, I beg to differ on that one, as well as a bulldog, they are smart

[dixiegrrrrl]

78. Not obeying a command may be a sign of HIGH intelligence

and WE are slow to catch on to that.


"Stupid dog won't mind me"...riiiight.

Guy who wrote this book never had passive/agressive teenagers.

[Obama2012]

80. Well, my dog learns commands with just a couple repetitions...

whether or not he'll always do it depends on his mood, but seriously, I couldn't handle having a dog that it took like 100 times to teach it something.

[dixiegrrrrl]

84. My dog always learns on the first try.

It takes ME 99 attempts to realize he doesns't care to repeat the behavior.

Like I said, he is smarter than me.

[ColbertWatcher]

40. They call Chows dumb? Wow. Bad study! BAD! n/t

[WildEyedLiberal]

48. There is NO way Labs are #7

Every Labrador I've ever met is stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. My sister used to have a mastiff, and he was a complete genius compared to the lab she has now. Actually, the mastiff was fairly smart - you never had to tell him anything twice. I don't think the lab yet knows what "no" means - and she's 2 years old.

[Chemisse]

56. My mastiff "talks" to us

She makes snore sounds to 'converse' with us. It's really sweet.

[NYC_SKP]

15. How about a dog who climbs near vertical ladders and chain link fences..

.
<----No, not Ginny.

Bridgette, my female black lab.

Taught herself, clever damn dog, could dive to the bottom of swimming pools, too.

God rest her soul.

[saltpoint]

17. All in favor of replacing Jeff Sessions with a border collie, say 'aye.'

[rwheeler31]

24. aye

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

20. My dog plays the piano.

He likes Bach. My cousin gave him Wagner sheet music and he shit all over it.

Good boy! Who's daddy's big lover?

[undeterred]

28. I guess he doesn't have webbed paws?

[saltpoint]

42. I think I drove by one day. Your windows were open and I heard your

dog playing the piano.

I hate to say it, but while the main themes were convincing, his adagio sections are insufficiently nuanced.

[elleng]

51. OH Merci Merci ME!!!

[grasswire]

63. well played, well played!

A good laugh for a Sunday morning, thanks!

[subcomhd]

21. Anyone seen the whgole list?

where do beagles rank?

[TahitiNut]

26. Tied with the Mastiff at #72

(There must be an echo in here.)

[subcomhd]

27. Thanks

But that's bullshit. My girl is smarter than the people who made the list.

[silverweb]

33. Where'd you find that?

I looked... must be going blind.

[silverweb]

29. Looks like you'll have to read the book to find out.

The article is about a presentation to the American Psychological Association about a 2004 book, "How Dogs Think," by Stanley Coren, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.

I'd be curious to know about beagles, too, since they're one of my favorite breeds.

[A-Long-Little-Doggie]

57. Go to the Wiki link above.

They are all listed there. #49 for dachshunds?? I don't think so. My most "obedient" dachshunds have always been the dumbest! The smartest figure out what they want and the easiest way to get it. Sometimes that is by doing what I want them to do and sometimes it is not.

[Roon]

94. My aunt has a couple of dachshunds

and when we open up a shed, barn, or garage..no matter where we are..they go into "mouse mode"...they're a real riot.

[meow2u3]

96. One of my friends has 4 miniature dachshunds

They're cats in dog suits--stubborn, relatively independent, and take on cats and dogs far bigger then themselves!

[Roon]

97. cute!

[UTUSN]

30. Here's one list, don't know if it's the same as this author's

http://petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html

[704wipes]

82. Yes, this guy's Border Collie is #1 then all other collies

are lumped together at #16 ? As just generic collie?

It is generally accepted that Border Collies are nuts and OCD, but his is the smartest alive? yeah, right

[undeterred]

34. I knew a dog trainer who charged double for beagles...

I thought she was joking, but she said she really did because they are smart but stubborn, which is a tough combination.

[SuperTrouper]

32. I have a Brittany Spaniel and a Corgi, both extremely smart, they drive me crazy

but I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ColbertWatcher]

36. Aussies are very similar to Border Collies.

I don't own either (had a BC growing up), but I've watched both breeds owned by friends over the years and they're remarkably similar.

[undeterred]

62. I agree.

The biggest difference I see is that the border collie barks more at whatever he is herding and the aussie nips.

[Obama2012]

77. A Border Collie shouldn't be barking when it herds

It should be controlling the sheep with it's eye.

[Gabi Hayes]

37. who CARES? where's the catsmart list?

[carlyhippy]

47. one of my cats can "speak" and "sit" when commanded,

the other one is here for his cuteness, intelligence is not a necessity for him.

[stray cat]

87. most cats probably can but choose not too -

[Shell Beau]

93. Oh that poor cat. That eagle would mess its world up.

[Fire1]

38. Coren is full of crap. The dumbest and most destructive

dog I ever owned was a poodle. Never wanted another one. In my experience, the Lab, Papyan and Yorkie are the most intelligent, hands down.

[elleng]

52. Poodle only dog we had that TRAINED himself!

(We the people FAILED!)

[rwheeler31]

39. This makes sense if you are looking for a guide

or security dog,they must be trainable.

[charlie]

41. My Dobe is dumber than dryer lint

I mean brick stupid. My boxer mix is Star of the Class in comparison. I need to show her this list and make her quit slumming in Special Ed. Because Jeebus knows, she's a high maintenance handful.

[corpseratemedia]

43. lol..dryer lint..I had a doberman way too smart for his own good.

He knew the bottom line with everything I asked. You always had to show him that yes, you the human, were the boss, not him, or he wouldn't respect you (i.e. he'd steal the food from your plate - while you were eating!).

[old mark]

60. Ours is half dobe and half great dane - he is a 115 pound Doberman

with the Dobe wiliness and the Dane goofiness and happiness.He is a real individual, led the pack of 6 other dogs before he came to us in '03.
He wants to run the entire world. He already runs most humans he meets. He is a bit over 9 years old and we want him to be immortal.

mark

[corpseratemedia]

70. is that called a King Doberman?

my dad once acquired one, it was huge, looked just like a dobe, but so gentle. Hope yours stays around a long time.

[old mark]

73. I don't know - I'd love it if he were a real breed rather than a love child -

he is the sweetest dog I have had, and seems genuinely happy with life. I'd love to be able to find another one like him. He is a bed hog, though....


mark

[mix]

50. Ellie, the smartest, loveliest dog I ever had, an Aussie

[Riley18]

58. She looks so much like my dog. I was reading this and thinking of her, and

this picture reminds me so much of her. She was the smartest and most loyal of all dogs, and we still miss her. Funny thing is that a year after she died I went into the local humane society to pick up a job application for one of my kids, and instead walked out with a small terrier. We always laugh about her because she has a big dog's heart in a little body. Terriers seem to be a smart breed, but I didn't notice if they were mentioned.

[undeterred]

65. She is gorgeous.

Aussies are delightful even if they are a lot of work.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

61. My dog sings...He's a Border Collie mix (YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PH8B7yf-rk

[grasswire]

64. my border collie sings when I say "sing"

...and the sounds he makes would wake the dead. Unearthly mournful crooning.

Amusing, but intolerable!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

91. LOL

I had a dog who would curl up on my feet and go to sleep when I played the violin; but howled when my brother played his trumpet.

[cwydro]

66. My two rescued mutts are smart as hell.

The black one will bring you whatever object you ask for: coconut, ball, stick, toy, etc. She will bring the one named and not the others.

Of course, she'll bring it to you but she won't give it to you unless you offer something better in trade...

[XemaSab]

79. My last four dogs have been mutts

4 different mixes, personalities, and attitudes, but they're all smart.

Polly was a Cattle Dog x Lab.

Bailey is a Springer x Golden Retriever.

Pippi is maybe a Cattle Dog x Boxer or Pit or Kelpie. Or something. She's a stocky herding-type dog.

Maddy... who the hell knows what Maddy is? She's a German Shepherd x Chow x Irish Setter x Poodle x Beagle x Border Collie x Italian Greyhound x terrier x something. Who weighs 30 lbs.

But they're all good dogs.

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[undeterred]

69. My 14 month dog old can herd sheep.

How many babies can do that?

[cherish44]

68. We had a poodle as when I was a kid

He could do a lot of tricks..fetch, roll over, jump through a hula hoop, sit, speak, shake...all the classics. Years later we had a mutt (blue heeler, St. Bernard and godknowswhatelse mix). He had great herding instincts, he'd stay by the pig confinement and wait very patiently for one of them to come to the edge of the fence and then he'd bite them, making them squeal and run off... but alas, he could not be taught tricks...

[RebelOne]

71. In another study I read, the Rottweiler,

which is the breed I have, was ranked as the 10th most intelligent dog. I can attest to that. My Rottie is ultra intelligent. She understands everything I say to her. My last Rottie (deceased since 1999) learned to spell. She knew the words walk and ride, so I would spell them when speaking to someone, but she soon learned what they mean.

[Sheltiemama]

74. My Shelties have all been Superdogs!

Sheltie owners know what I'm talking about.

[PJPhreak]

81. Having an Aussie is like having a Three Year old version of George Carlin

Here's mine...
Kira, Red Merle Aussie 1994-2002


Timber,2007- Siberian Husky/Aussie

[LeftyMom]

83. They're not ranking by intelligence, they're ranking by eagerness to please.

A lot of the dogs at/near the bottom of the list are bright enough, they're just less inclined to do what their people want.

I mean, to look at this list you'd think that a beagle was about as smart as a bag of hammers. Now anybody who's ever tried to keep one out of the trash knows that's not true, those dogs have problem-solving abilities that most any animal would envy! They just use them for evil.

On the other hand some of the dogs near the top of the list aren't terribly bright, they're just really, really excited about doing whatever their person wants. Which is precisely the problem of rating "intelligence" based on the opinions of obedience trial judges rather than based on direct observation of breed-appropriate behavior.

[WildEyedLiberal]

88. That has to be true - given the fact that labs are #7 and mastiffs and beagles so low

I've spent a lot of time around each, and the mastiff and beagle would be pretty closely tied, with the lab WAAAAAAY behind. Riley (mastiff) was super intelligent, he just didn't get too worked up into a fuss about anything - and with his bulk, it took him a while to respond to any command

[av8rdave]

85. We have two Bichons, which are theoretically smart dogs

One of them, however, is dumber than Bush on a bender. Oh well, he's still lovable.

[mvd]

86. My dog Gordon, who is a Goldendoodle, is indeed very smart and alert

He's also naive. Makes for an endearing combination.

[lukasahero]

90. Obedience does not equal intelligence

I'll give them Border Collies but I'm sorry, I have never met a Golden that could think it's way out of a box as wonderful a dog as they may be.

The sight hounds have been bred to hunt on their own and make their own decisions as to how best to capture/trap it's prey. That's intelligence. And I wouldn't expect blind obedience from a dog that's been bred to think.

Hmmm. ETA I guess <> doesn't work in subject lines.

[Roon]

95. My Uncle's springer spaniel is the smartest dog I have ever met

Not only is he really smart,he has a keen memory.My Unk guesses he knows about 200 words. He remembers people. He can tell when someone approaches the house that they have never been there before. He uses the arm rest in the truck. He will bring you his food dish when he is hungry..I go could on and on about this dog. My Uncle got him as a puppy and traced his ancestry back to another dog that my Uncle had and loved. He paid $800.00 for him and drove 500 miles to pick him up from the breeder. Great dog..I am a cat person and my Mother's dogs tend to make me dislike dogs,but Doc keeps me as a fan of all dogs! WOOF!!