How Smart is Your Dog?

Does canine intelligence equate in any way with animal intelligence? How are they similar, or different? For one thing, dogs are motivated to please their owners - that's where the food comes from, after all! Also, some dogs are smarter than others. However smart your dog may be, doesn't indicate how trainable it will prove to be. Dogs have minds of their own, and your dog may not accept you as the alpha animal of your pack. He may believe HE is the boss around here, and do exactly as he pleases! Such dogs are said to be "spoiled."

Training a dog involves teaching him that when you give a command, he is expected to respond to it; in other words, do what you have told him to do. The dog doesn't need to "understand" the command the way we would, he only needs to obey it. The dog doesn't know anything about the repercussions of his actions, what will happen if he does or doesn't obey (other than punishment/lack of reward, or reward).

It's a fair indication that a dog has intelligence above the norm if he uses his paws to find or bring out a treat or a ball that has rolled under a chair or sofa. Some dogs that seem intelligent enough may be handicapped by physical limitations, such as short legs, inability to jump or poor eyesight.

Some experts believe that dogs are much more intelligent than we give them credit for. For a long time - thousands and thousands of years - dogs were perceived as workers, as aids in hunting, or as protectors. Nothing more was expected of them; they were thought to operate on instinct alone, and to be untrainable. However, at some point or other, humans noticed that dogs responded positively to commands if rewarded, and so dog training began. Eventually, in recent years, scientists have begun to look at animal intelligence with a more focused eye. The first results were amazing: animals were found to be capable of grasping abstract concepts such as affection, anger, and to deal appropriately with symbols and new concepts and commands. They proved able to analyze problems and react appropriately.

Which Dogs Are the Smartest? The Dumbest?

There are three types of canine intelligence: