Dogs are known as man’s best friend, though we can’t always say that’s true. If you have ever owned a dog, you probably encountered those days where you have a slight bit of regret for getting the dog. From chewed up shoes to messy carpet to washing a smelly dog that only seems to smell worse after, dogs can be a pain.
Some say that the intelligence of a dog all depends on how well its owner trained it. Others believe it’s all about the genes…well, breed. Thanks to Waggedy Dog Supplements for this list. While it may be a combination of both, here’s a look at the top 10 smartest dog breeds, in case you’re in need of a Dogs for Dummies Handbook:
#10 Australian Cattle Dog
No you don’t have to live in Australia to encounter this dog. These dogs generally grow to be 30-50lbs. Australian Cattle Dog’s are known for their intelligence, especially when it comes to being able to train them to herd in cattle (this is where the name comes from if you didn’t catch it.) They have also been trained to be “biting” dogs. Don’t be scared, unless you’re training this dog to bite you. Australian Cattle Dogs are trained to bite cattle (not too hard) to keep them moving. These dogs have been herding cattle since the 19th century and today they still do just that. Australian Cattle Dogs are very active and love having a task at hand.
#9 Rottweiler
Better known as the “Rottie,” Rottweilers can be mis-trained to be vicious, mean dogs that can take down a human. Speaking of humans, Rottweilers can weigh as much as a petite sized female; about 110lbs in fact. This breed of dog originates out of Germany but was used in the Roman Empire. Rottweilers are sometimes used as police dogs because of the strong jaw and teeth that they have. Rotties can take you down! In the olden days, they were used to carry wood and other large heavy goods to markets and houses. If you’re looking to train a dog to protect you and all of your (precious) belongings, the Rottie is definitely the way to go.
#8 Papillon
This breed of dog is probably one of the cutest and smartest you’ll find. Papillons are able to show that cute things can be smart too. This breed also proves that small things (brains) do come in small packages. Papillons can weigh up to 11lbs and can weigh as little as 3lbs. These dogs are very charming and have always been a symbol of elegance. During the Renaissance, these dogs were adored by royal courts and the aristocrats of the time. They always proved to be good watch dogs because of their keen sense of hearing. Make the slightest sound and the Papillon’s ears will be up faster than you can say the name. King Henry II is said to have spend crowns upon crowns on his own Papillons.
#7 Labrador Retriever
This is one of the most intelligent as well as one of the most popular breeds of dog in the world. The Labrador Retriever is an amazing breed of dog that offer many different services. The breed originates from Newfoundland and was trained to hunt waterfowl. As time has passed, Labs have been introduced to more and more jobs. Many of these dogs are used in the police force as bomb sniffing or drug sniffing dogs. Any dog that can be trained to do this is most definitely smart. These dogs are also used as rescue dogs. Many are trained to help the disabled, especially the blind. Labs can be trained to lead a human around while ignoring any type of distraction. The Labrador Retriever is a loving, obedient, and patient dog that can be trained to do almost anything.
#6 Shetland Sheepdog
Though not one of the most popular dogs around, the Shetland Sheepdog is a very smart dog. Some owners of this breed of dog claim that they are just as smart as a human is. Shelties originated out of Scotland. Sporting a furry two-layered coat and definitely not the toughest looking dog around, Shelties are used to herd sheep. Since the breed can be both big and small in size, some of these dogs are used to keep pests and smaller animals out of gardens. Shetland Sheepdog’s are generally very hyper, but they have a great sense of hearing. If anyone ever shows up at your door or a car pulls into the driveway, you can expect to hear a bark from this dog.
#5 Doberman Pinscher
This breed of dog comes in right at the middle of the list. The Doberman Pinscher is another German breed to make the list. In the past, these dogs were trained to be police dogs, watch dogs, and guard dogs. In the 1800s, men were looking for a dog that was loving and loyal as well as tough and ferocious when necessary. This is exactly where the Doberman Pinscher fits in. Even though they can be trained to be ferocious, many of these dogs are very gentle and docile. Some have even been used in hospitals to help patients that are undergoing therapy. Slightly vicious by nature, you can expect that this breed will protect you.
#4 Golden Retriever
Often confused with the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retrievers are also very popular dogs that seem to be perfect for a family. In the past up to today, these dogs are man’s companion, especially for those who hunt. This breed can be easily trained to find and bring back waterfowl or game that has been shot. The dog’s soft mouth allows it to bring back unharmed game to its owner. Aside from being a hunting dog, Golden Retrievers can be used as rescue dogs, drug sniffing dogs, and guide dogs. This breed is very patient, which makes it that much easier to train. If you ever find a dog sports competition online or on the television, you are sure to see a Golden Retriever competing. Photo by Ingrid0804
#3 German Shepherd
Rin Tin Tin! This is the one breed of dog that you can say actually looks tough and mean. Looks are most definitely deceiving because the German Shepherd is one of the most lovable breed of dog you will ever come across. Loving or not, these dogs can be trained to do things that humans can’t. Today, these dogs are usually trained to be police dogs, rescue dogs, and some are even able to work with the military. These dogs are so bright that the Army and Marines have allowed them to be used in overseas activity. German Shepherds are very obedient dogs as well as protective. In the past, German Shepherds were used as herd dogs but today they are used in more “higher up positions,” so to speak. The German Shepherd is one of the smartest dogs around.
#2. Poodle
Surprised? You probably aren’t the only one. No your eyes aren’t going bad. The Poodle is number two on the list. Don’t let the fluffy, curly, white coat fool you. This breed of dog is absolutely brilliant. Though you have probably never seen it, Poodles are used as hunting dogs as well as watch and rescue dogs. The Poodle (sounds like puddle doesn’t it?) is also used as a water dog. Poodles come in all sizes, but even the Toy Poodle can be used to hunt birds. Poodles love to be around people and are very protective. Though this breed only weighs up to 8 lbs., a mighty heart can come out of such a pretty looking dog.
#1 Border Collie
Topping off the list is the Border Collie. This dog lives to work, literally. Though it may seem only us humans have a lifetime full of hard work, this breed of dog needs something to do to be happy. The Border Collie is used as a herding dog and has since grown to be used as a sporting dog as well. The breed is known for its agility, speed, and obedience. It is also known for it’s ability to learn new tricks quickly. These dogs love being able to work next to your side. Collies are especially great at dog sport competitions. You will generally see them competing in Flyball and disc games. Photo by meg price
193 Comments
blue Doberman should be first
The people commenting on this list need a reality check. Your dog may be smart to you but this list is talking about how intelligent breeds are on average based on statistics and studies. The AKC concurs with this list, so if your particular dog breed isn’t on this list it isn’t because the author is biased toward your breed. This is based on working intelligence, meaning how well a breed of dog responds to commands and how fast they learn new commands. These dog breeds surpass other dog breeds in terms of learning commands quicker and the complexity of the commands they learn. Of course, a dog in another breed can be as smart as an average dog in these breeds if you’re a good trainer and work with them. This list is on baseline intelligence. If you don’t work with your dog even a Border Collie, the smartest breed in the world, will have problems. The people who are saying a Pitbull should be on the list. Sorry, but Pitbulls in general only score about average in intelligence. That doesn’t mean they aren’t a sweet, good dog. It just means they aren’t on the same level as some of the breeds of superior intelligence when it comes to working ability and training.
Sorry, but that is incorrect of the top 10 Superdog challenges, the pit bull has won more than any breed. As an owner of a pitbull rescue and a previous dog breeder of other breeds, I have been incredibly surprised at the intelligence and sweetness of this incredibly misunderstood dog. It often only takes several repetitions to teach our dog skills and she does them all for the reward of a treat. Do not sell short the wonderful attributes of this breed. The real reason why they are not often on these lists is because the politically correct AKC refuses to acknowledge them. Their loss.
We have a golden retriever – can’t ask for a nicer dog – but not very bright. It can be -30 outside, and instead of sleeping on his heated pad in the dog house, he’ll lay in a clump of bushes and get covered with snow – then stand there shivering and soaking wet ! Doesn’t make much sense to me……..
I have another one for you, The Airedale Terrier – http://youtu.be/NVAdzDh0LW8
@ Lisa..if shepherds are the only dogs that can think, how can my 9 week old Rottie rationalize?
If Huskies hard to train, it’s because of lack of brain capabilities, don’t you think?..I have a German Rottie and that my friend is a smart dog. I got her at 8 weeks and she learned how to sit and stay in one day. On day 2 she knew exactly where I kept her food bowls. On day 3 she knew to go potty, knew her name on day 4 and she knew what I meant when I said chow time. I believe that a dogs pedigree is directly related to their abilities.
The text with the article about poodles says at the bottom that they weigh “up to 8 lbs”. I’m guessing that’s a typo, because we have two of the large Standard size poodles, and they weigh about 60 lbs each. And yes, they are both amazingly brilliant. I’ve seen them figure out how to do things that some kids wouldn’t be able to figure out. One of them ran over to a rope swing hanging from a tree in the back yard and started to pull on it really hard last week. I realized she was trying to knock a squirrel out of the tree. The other dog did something hilarious and smart last year. Dog #1 had both dog’s bones and was hoarding both of them. Dog #2 was sick of watching other dog chew on both bones, so he went to the back door and rang the bells on the door knob that signal me to let him out to go potty. Both dogs ran to the door, as usual. Dog #1 stood back and let Dog #2 run outside, and then Dog #1 ran back into the den and picked up both bones, and he was obviously so excited about the trick he’d just played on the other dog. We keep them clipped short and just let some hair grow on their ears, so they basically look sporty, not foufou. My husband didn’t want poodles. I talked him into it, and he grumbled about it for weeks until I brought the first puppy home. That puppy never once had a potty accident in the house, was housebroken so fast, and it now knows so many commands and tricks that we could probably sell tickets. You can teach a poodle a command or a trick soo fast. My husband is crazy about both of our poodles. They’re also REALLY athletic and fast. They can run and catch frisbees and balls and will bring them back to you better than most people 🙂
you are all horribly stupid , the fact that you are referring to how clever your personal dogs are to the other dogs on the list makes you stupid .This list is about how clever the dogs are overall in training ,there brain development ,how much they use there brain and what they can do , not as 1 dog but if all of a certain dog breed can do so or get high marks then yes it is smarter than a dog that u can tell to chase its tail or close a door . ppl please thing logical you sound like children !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
rotties are only the smater dogs.i even got one at my home.they r on ly the smatest
Sorry, my computer “bugged” (hum, that’s what we say in french…) And “Rotties are the best”, by the way, I sooooo agree with you… Rotties are great, clever dogs. They don’t bite as much a Labs or other dogs. In France, the dogs which bite the most are Labs, german shepherds, chihuahuas, and many other small dog breeds you usually trust “because they have a small mouth…”
And “Rotties are the best”, by the way, I sooooo agree with you… Rotties
Hi. Maybe it’s not the same in the US as in France, but, as much as I’ve read, I don’t agree with this list. Okay, many of these dogs are about the smartest breeds. But WHERE is the belgian shepherd ?? Smarter, easier to train, with much more “using of its brain” (sorry, I don’t know how to say that either way), it should be in the place of the german shepherd… Or of the Poodle… I agree with the rest of the list, except for the poodle and the Papillon… I mean, come on, these dogs aren’t smart ! They’re just good to sit and lick your face, or stay still while you swagger… To me, smart dogs are useful, working dogs… So I’m okay with the rest of the list, although I don’t agree with one thing, which is that I think, like other people, that the Husky should be there too… And, once again, the belgian shepherd “Malinois” (I’m sorry, that’s the name in french, I don’t know the english name…), which should be first or 2nd in the list… Than you for reading me.
Huskies are one of the lowest on intelligence and loyalty, they are not good for anything, sorry but that’s how it is, it should be banned to breed them so they die out humanely.
Wrong!!! The Rat Terrier is the smartest of them all! You need to do more research when compiling these lists. I am so tired of Ratties not getting the respect and recognition they deserve. Ratties are tue most intellugent and the best companion. Everyone who has ever owned one says this. And i have had many different breeds to compare them to. They are also the easiest dogs to train.
Owned a lot of dogs. The smartest has been our rat terrier. Not only learn a ‘trick’ in 10 min. but all the other dogs – you let them out a door and they’d bark at the door to be let back in, the rat terrier would circle the house and bark at the window he knew you were sitting under watching T.V.
OK, I am not saying they are the smartest dogs in the world, but we had Boxers (three) and I have never found more intelligent, patient, sensitive animals in my life–I had dogs since I can remember having memories! And the best thing: they only bark when it is absolutely necessary–I could never stand dogs who are constantly barking. Our Boxers almost self trained themselves, it was incredible how fast they learned what we want them to do. Now, the (5 month-old) Chihuahua we own now, supposedly a very intelligent animal, is soooo stupid, I can’t stand him anymore. His constant shivering makes me want to slap him out of it!
I have had Dobermans, Labs and many other breeds in my life. Rotts are by far the most intelligent breed. I’ve trained several Rotts with one being a service dog. I’m very offended that Rotts are described as vicious. That feeds into dog racism. Racism is sick no matter what. The CDC reported that Labs bite more people than Rotts and Pitts put together. You cannot generalize that Rotts are visious. In Europe the German Shepherd is considered very dangerous…. It’s just ignorance. All dogs need to be trained no matter the breed. STAND UP FOR ROTTS.
I have a border collie 😀
Dear Webmaster,
Please remove the picture of the Yellow Labs under the Golden Retriever spot and replace with a genuine picture of a Golden Retriever. They are two completely different breeds and you may be confusing some folks. Thanks!!!
Thanks for noticing. I updated the photos last week and put the same photo twice by mistake. I have placed the correct photo of a Golden Retriever. Nice pic, right?
There you go! Nice pic, and thanks very much!! 🙂
I’m really glad that dogs don’t read. I’ve had several different kind since I was around 10 years old. Most all the time they’ve been closer then best “human” friends. I dog sat for several years with a “Boston Terrier.” I’m more of a “fuzzy” type dog lover…yet this breed taught me something about “Smartness” on a total different level then I expected. She always greeted you with toys in her mouth so you knew she was up for PLAYING first thing. And she had her own VOCABULARY. If you mentioned “papa” she ran to the windows howling in a way that tore your heart out. And then she’d race to the door looking at the bottom seam with her “nub” of a tail moving back and forth with her head slightly turned to the side..waiting for his “shadow” to show that he was up the stairs and about to make his appearance…it was sweet and very hilarious. We had a red collie for years that went round and round with me on my bicycle. She was not only smart and a watch dog..but very kind natured. The first dog I was ever allowed to have was a “wire hair terrier.” I was adopted and my real parents gave her to me. I fell so in love with that breed. Unfortunately she got out somehow and was hit and killed by a car..our household grieved for a long time. I am a “crier” so all my dogs sit directly in front of me crying also. ( you never ever ever forget that) I cried for 3 years when I moved here…NO DOGS ALLOWED…( Although one manager did allow me to sneak in a kitten for a couple of years, whom I taught how to play “hide and seek”) One of the new tenants here ( who has a dog in her apt) told me that it was on her papers when she moved in less then a year ago that she could own one…my life would completely change if they would let me own a dog…( It can change a heart and heal a hurt)
Were is the Kelpie they should be second on that list :\
The Australian kelpie seems to be an awesome dog, but apparently only dogs who are registered with the American Kennel Club were considered.
Thats not fair… :\ the Kelpie is smarter than most of the dogs on this list..
Well, I have had a quite a few Chow Chows, and they are very, very smart, the proven top three goes, Poodle, Chow Chow, then the German Shepherd. So, I do not believe this.
And the Kelpie dont forget the kelpie….
i know that Border Colllie are the smartest dogs in the world. In fact, my dog used her paws to open her own cage. Isn’t funny and smart!
Since when do poodles weigh only 8 pounds?!? My standard weighed 64 pounds though he was large for the breed. As far as intelligence goes I’m surprised that poodles aren’t number one. There’s a reason they were the most popular circus dog as well as a popular service and water retriever: the things are smart. I’ve know some very smart dobermanns and border collies too and like the poodle for big dogs they have LOTS of energy. I’m surprised that staffordshire terriers didn’t make the list too.
I want to make a helpful but critical comment. Some people have commented that they do not agree with the AKC rankings for breed intelligence that are reported here. Think about that: From your limited experience with just a few animals, you have disagreed with the results of scientific research that has involved thousands of animals and hundreds of researchers. Rigorous methodology has produced very reliable findings.
It is not usually important when people jump to conclusions, but has that same bad habit of not considering all the evidence manifested itself in other opinions you hold? One wrongmight be global warming. Global warming is real, and it has been caused by the human race. It is a a very great threat, and there is an overwhelming scientific consensus about it. Please, know the facts before you speak.
Trebor, how does it feel to be in the wilderness…as the voice of reason. 😉 Thanks for the wonderful comment. Please visit other lists and lay down some wisdom there too.
I just wanted to add my own comment in here not to make an argument but red nose pits are pritty smart and they can be very mannered if raised right. Yah maybe nothing like a collie or any top dogs but the people that fight pits give them a bad name. My dads dog is red nose and he’s had him since I was 13. He took him to work and took very good care of him he’s a good listener when u tell him no. He can be a pain sometimes. But all you have to do is be firm with him and he stops. I’m 19 now and I love that dog. But know i wanna get me my own dog and I’m think shepherd husky or retriever
As someone who knows dogs, I must agree with this list. It is the correct ranking, congrats!
I think the problem here isn’t the list so much as people assuming that if a certain breed isn’t on the top ten of this list or any other that someone’s considering them unintelligent. On average I would agree that Border Collies are the smartest breed, and that they fall into the many areas one defines intelligence for a dog. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t individuals of other breeds smarter than individual Border Collies. Fact of the matter is that people have to accept dogs in general are an intelligent species. You usually see breeds like Afghan Hounds, Bassets, and Beagles rounding the bottom of any intelligence ranking for dogs. But that doesn’t mean that the dogs are dumb in the slightest.
golden retrievers are really very cute
What happened to Aussies? They very smart about as smart as any border collie!
This list is total bull. The things you listed are traits that have been purposely bred into these select breed’s of dog for many, many years. Some for centuries. Just because these dogs are good at specific tasks doesn’t mean they are smart on a human level. Two people in my family have labs and yes they can be trained to do tricks but besides that they are just big adorable dummies who want your affection non-stop.
I have three mixed breed dogs and they aren’t trained to do anything special but they are some of the smartest dogs you’ll ever meet and besides for giving you their paw they don’t know any tricks. Intelligence and traits are two different things completely.
Plus, everyone knows that Terriers are the smartest.
Who ever wrote the Top Ten dogs needs to do a better study,I have owned a 1German Shepherd lived 13yrs Great dog smart 1 chow mean dog and 2 rotties one long ago and 1 right now,Rotties are super smart both my leard to shake,sit, lay,stay,high five,speak,and find stuff i hide, and house trained (use bath room out side) and can walk him on or off Lesh.All the tricks were leard in two or three days a hour or less a day,i have no dog training or have read anything on training,The rottie loves kids and everyone it meets but put them in your house or back yard when not home and leave it turns into NO ENTER dog to everyone,My German shepherd was the same way and Half the dog you put on your top ten I have Friends that have them and their dogs dont do half the stuff my rottie dose and they tell me how smart and great my dog is. and a 2year old to a grown up can comand my Rottie to do it’s tricks or lay and stay.
I have a Cocka Poo and I really don’t think she’a that smart. However when it comes to finding things, she always seems to find the hidden object. My dog is very old( 42 in dog years) and really lazy. And frankly, she’s not very playful, either.
i am a proud owner of 3 border collies in my opinion they should deff be at number one extremly intelligent dogs, i also wouldnt say that there the smartest dogs in the world either, yes if there left in a yard with nothing to do there going to spaz and tear everything up because they have nothing if this is what u plan on doing with a border collie dont get one there a working dog, i worked at a shelter for 4 yrs i also did dog training there iv worked will all kinds of breeds i love the pitty the rotty the dob the cattles dogs there all smart amazing dogs but i think i would have to put mutt at the top of the list along with border collie i think one of the smartest dogs iv ever met was a mutt who knows what breeds he had in him, and if you need scientific proof of the border collie being number for intelligence just research them there has been lots of studies on border collies.
oh and i wouldnt say there the smartest in the world because well iv never owned all of these breeds and im sure no one on here has owned every breed on here to know what dog is smarter than the other.
You know what? I believe your border collie is smarter than you. you wrote: “there the smartest dogs…” should be they’re
wasn’t an oversite because next line you wrote “there left in a yard…” And “there a working dog”
as for the cattleS dogs and dobs(dobies?) i’m so glad “there all smart and amazing”
Maybe your collie can teach you the English language
I feel so sorry for their poor pets, must be tough for them, knowing that they are smarter than their “owner”
I think any of these dogs are smarter than people.
You don’t see them wasting their time arguing over which humans are smarter, do you?
Very informative, I love Aussie dogs too.
ok German shepherds are way smarter then poodles i mean just look at them they even look dumb!
DACHSHUNDS RULE PERIOD
germ sheppie are dumb as a brick. i know cuz i had one. how they get trained to be police dogs i’ll never know. it must be some grueling training :p
I’ve heard that you only need one thing to train a dog…
you have to be smarter than the dog.
Not true, you also need more patience. Much more patience. 😉
GSDs are NOT dumb… It’s the owner/handler. That’s who’s dumb… Charles P. Eisenmann had great success with his dogs… He even wrote books about it…
This list was not well formed. First, it was made by a psychologist. Psychology is the least reputable form of science. Secondly, the only thing it takes into account is how well a dog follows commands. What does that have to do with intelligence? Obeying commands? That is a sign of the lack of being able to think for itself. We would never determine human intelligence by such shallow methods. So, basing a dog’s intelligence score on its willingness to conform to the expectations of human society and culture is absurd. In my opinion, given the state of the world today, I would say that a dog is smarter for not wanting to do so. Regardless, this test is not well constructed in the least bit. They should have put the dogs in a maze and seen how long it takes them to find their way out, and then seen if they could remember the way out.
Also I would like to say that independence is a true measure of intelligence. Pitt bulls are very intelligent animals. Even if they do catch a bad rap for biting, how does protecting themselves and their young make them less intelligent? It is idiotic to say something like that. I have two pitt bulls and they are both smart but the male is the smartest dog I have ever owned, and I have owned a rot, a lab, a retriever, among others. He has been lively since he was a puppy and he could always find a way out of our fenced in back yard no matter what we did, whether we put a fence up or not. This isn’t because he is stupid but because he wanted to get out. I have actually seen him cry before and different emotions are one thing that are a sure sign of intelligence.
Whoever writes “this dog is stupid because they won’t obey” should have their intelligence tested themselves.
CardiCarona wrote: “Secondly, the only thing it takes into account is how well a dog follows commands. What does that have to do with intelligence? Obeying commands? That is a sign of the lack of being able to think for itself.”
They test a dog’s learning ability the same as it is tested in humans. You can think of it as “follows commands” if you like. We “follow commands” of our parents, teachers, doctors, spiritual leaders, etc. In order to test human intelligence, one must do more than “follow commands” (choose the correct answer, use a number two pencil, fill in the oval completely;) one must remember to “follow commands” learned long ago: reading, math, logic, etc. “Shallow methods” are the only criteria for testing human intelligence. How else would we base it?
CardiCarona stated: “Obeying commands? That is a sign of the lack of being able to think for itself.”
Humans obey orders all the time. Don’t believe me? Drive 85 in a 35 mile an hour zone. Don’t pay your taxes. Yell “Fire!” in a crowded movie house. Cut in line at the grocery store. Refuse to give your ID when writing a check. Let your grass grow until it’s long enough to lose your dogs. Don’t get their annual shots.
It’s the consequences that stop us from not obeying rules. The ability to understand the consequences of bad behavior is a truer mark of intelligence,. I don’t speed because I don’t want to pay the exorbitant ticket. I pay my taxes because I don’t want the IRS to come after me. My dog sits when I ask, “What does a good dog do?” because she knows if she doesn’t, she gets no reward. She knows not to eat my shoes because I yelled “bad dog!” when I caught her chewing my Easy Spirit Tennis Shoe and she hates that term. She also understands commands, but negative commands as well. “No speak” stops her barking (usually) and “No Play, get a chewy” which I use when I’m not able to play fetch or tug until my arms falls off.
CardiCarona also noted: “Also I would like to say that independence is a true measure of intelligence.”
Then the smartest dogs are the one dumped down in the country. They are truly independent. Dogs who kill the neighborhood cats are smart because they feed themselves independently. Independence does not equal intelligence. In many cases, it denotes willful behavior and a lack of training.
And: “Pitt bulls are very intelligent animals. Even if they do catch a bad rap for biting, how does protecting themselves and their young make them less intelligent?”
I think their bad rep comes from mauling people. Two kids in two separate incidents were killed by pit bulls in my city within the past five years. One of them was, in your opinion, very intelligent as it jumped a fence to reach the child. There were no puppies or a need for protection. Also figuring in to it is the fact a few people (perhaps more than a few) raise pit bulls for fighting. Rarely are other breeds chosen. Pit bulls are also considered “protection”. As such, many are not socialized properly and are more prone to attack.
Also: “Pitt bulls are very intelligent animals.”
I’ll agree that some are. Some aren’t. Overall, based on the few pits I’ve known, I’d consider them a seven on a one to ten scale, with ten being extremely smart. Except for one, they’ve all been loving and playful. The one exception was a co-worker’s dog. Her husband had died and we went to the house after the funeral. She was surrounded by family, so I slipped out to smoke and saw a pit bull chained to a dog house. Being a nosy dog lover, I went to check him out. Chaining is not my favorite way to keep a dog confined, but the fence around the property was low. The chain was adequate length and heft for such a huge dog (he was bigger than most pits, a truly gigantic specimen of perfect muscle and mass) and his collar was a rugged leather, a little worn, but still had a lot of wear left in it. I talked to him as I approached and noticed his empty water dish. Still crooning over him, I retrieved the dish and filled it at an outdoor spigot, then returned it. I ended up sitting on a nearby log and was scratching behind his ears as he licked one wrist then the other when a co-worker called me back to the house. Turns out, it was my friend’s husband’s dog and would not allow anyone but him near him. She used a rake to push and pull his food dish and fill the pan of water with the hose. She begged me to take the dog, but I lived in an apartment and already had my now-INsignificant other’s basenji-shepherd mix, Congo, and my own Yorkie-poo, Mitzi. So I said no, regretfully.
By your standard, Congo was a genius. She managed to destroy a couch, two armchairs, the glass in a sliding door, two cupboard doors, two different walls, part of a floor, all my stash of goodies needed to make treats for Christmas (we came home and she greeted us as if nothing happened, but she was no longer the beautiful red and white basenji… she was nearly all white from into the bag of powdered sugar that must have fallen on her) and, in her jealousy, destroyed several pairs of my shoes, ripped to shreds both of my winter coats, my stuffed mouse that I had had since I was three, my glasses (my vision at the time was 20/4200 so I was nearly blind) my hairdryer and a lot of other ways. Was she smart? Terribly. Did her intelligence enhance her in the family? Hell, no. What good was her intelligence?
Every dog I have owned has been smart, except for one who was a slower thinker. I’ve said before I’d like my next puppy to be the one who can’t figure out how to get out of then box. Smart dogs are challenging, but they need training (as do the less intelligent dogs… only they take longer). For example, your pit is an escape artist. You seem almost proud of this ability and consider it intelligent. It is a sign of the dog’s intelligence if he keeps devising new ways to get out. It’s not a sign of your intelligence. A loose dog can be hit by a car, picked up by people who sell dogs to unethical labs, shot by a hunter, eat the rat poison or drink antifreeze while roaming into a garage, or just simply disappear. By not anticipating your dog’s next escape attempt and fixing before he thinks of it, you are failing as a dog owner by allowing him to continue risky behavior which could easily mean his death.
CardiCarona also stated: “This isn’t because he is stu pid but because he wanted to get out. I have actually seen him cry before and different emotions are one thing that are a sure sign of intelligence.”
This seems to contradict your later statement that, besides the two pit bulls, you’ve had other dogs in the past. Every dog I’ve owned has emotions. Most dogs have cried, especially when I “abandoned” them to go to the grocery or doctor’s office. Thinking I’ve dumped her, my poodle cries for five minutes, whenever I take her to the groomers. The groomer tells me she settles down rather quickly, but seems depressed and lethargic. Until I show up and it’s “Doggie Joy” time as she prances up to me. I’ve had her less than a year and from what I can figure she’s had at least four previous owners. I understand her anxiety. Every dog I’ve had has had its own personality (should that be “animalality?) and they’ve all shown every emotion same as us.
But no one’s considered the obvious reason pit bulls aren’t on the list. This list only ranks recognized breeds. Pits are not a legitimate breed. They are not AKC registered. I’ve often wondered why, with such loyalty of pit bulls owners, there is no group working on the steps to get the breed recognized. I know the AKC looks for a standard and they want pedigrees of the standard going back five generations.
Just to let you know, it is pit bull, not pitt bull.
The willingness to follow rules because of the potential consequences is not intelligence. Even a fly can figure out to avoid the flyswatter. The fly going back is stupid but not going back is not intelligence. My brother’s cattle dogs are excellent at following commands and learn them quickly. My goofy newfies on the other hand are not so excellent at following commands, but are very good at almost following commands. They learn very quickly what is expected of them and figure out the boundaries. Whilte the cattle dogs are wowing the crowds with their tricks; my newfs are happily gobbling up all the attention for being cute and not having to do anything else. The cattle dogs obey; the newfs laugh. I do not know which is more intelligent; but I know which is smarter.
they only obey…that doesn’t mean that they are smart.
Our Swedish Elkhound, Lady, was a pretty smart dog…
She mastered the skill of stealing English Peppeermints from my mum’s purse at an early age…
And she helped us dig butterclams out of the beach when we went to the west coast….
i love but i'm afraid of the way they play
OMG I GETTING A AUSTRIAN CATTLE DOG NUMBER 10 IN THE LIST
Hmm well maybe you didn't read my post, but my comment was not an anecdotal story. I merely used a specific breed as an example to show that trainers clearly used biased methods in determining what constitutes a dog being "the smartest dog."
You echoed my remarks that "intelligence" in dogs needs to be redefined. In personally training many of the breeds of dogs in that list, I can't even imagine how they came to those results. Some of the trainers were not even knowledgeable about the breed. For example, in other articles, a trainer had no idea that border collies and Australian shepherds shared an extremely similar heritage, but split off years ago, trained to do two separate things while herding. In doing this these two breeds work as perfect teams, each having a different responsibility.
Another trainer mention that a miniature Australian shepherd is the same as an Australian shepherd, just smaller. That is also incorrect. The breeds may have a few distant relatives, but they are not small Australian Shepherds. Border Collies share a much more closer heritage with Australian Shepherds than miniature Australian shepherds do…although many people, in ignorance have been breeding smaller Australian Shepherds with miniature Australian Shepherds actually creating a "new breed." I don't have any faith in these experts if they don't even know basic information about some of these breeds. How can you properly assess a dog for intelligence if you don't know the actual history.
I am sure some of these breeders would have give the Australian Shepherd a second look had they realized they were so closely related to their #1 favorite, the Border Collie! If they were so ignorant about these breeds, then how ignorant were they with the other breeds they chose. You are right, there was NOTHING scientific in this, but that was obvious since dog trainers are NOT scientists!
It is a sad commentary on the intelligence of the people posting here when such a large percentage make basic spelling (and I am NOT talking about typos because those can happen to anyone) errors or use grammar that makes them appear as though they were raised out in the middle of nowhere without any schooling whatsoever.
I mean, come one now,
the doberman itâ??s more smartest than a pitbull and a rotty
itâ??s defenetly one of the smartest dogâ??s
This is a real good one too…
were are the sausage dogs.I have two sausage dogs the smell out rats the are HUNTING dogs. A POODLE.sins when is a poodle the second SMARTEST DOG
Here's the coup de gras
rotties are definitely smart! i even got one at homeâ?¦i think he is smarter than you.. you dont even know how to spell SMARTEST!!!!haha..lol
I could go on and on, but, well, you get the idea. I have to ask these three people – ARE YOU REALLY THAT STUPID?
I just can't fathom the fact that no one has even mentioned the fact that this article was not based on any scientific study used to determine actual animal intelligence. It was pointed out that this was just a survey of dog trainers though. Isn't it clear that the trainers are going to pick those breeds that they have had the most success in training? Could other breeds require more training but ultimately end up being able to learn more? Possibly, but trainers may not (note that I did NOT say definitely did not) take that into account. In any case, everyone here is presenting their own personal viewpoint, NONE of which makes any difference at all, they are all just anecdotal stories with NO statistical significance.
What SHOULD be done is some intelligence test for dogs should be developed. One that will not allow trainers to "train for the test", but one that truly tests the ability of the animal to make intelligent decisions based on input they have. A problem with this test is that some animals may have a better sense of small, others may have a better sense of sight, while others may remember better. So, the bottom line is, what constitutes intelligence in dogs. Before you look for the answer, you should first DEFINE THE QUESTION properly!!!
Oh and I truly hope to get replies to my post. You should be able to follow up your answer with something better than "well these are professional trainers." How many Australian Shepherds have they trained and what exactly made any dog less intelligent than another breed? How were these conclusions drawn and were specialists in each breed consulted?
My family has bred and trained several breeds over several generations. One of the first I was exposed to was Labs. Naturally, I thought they were the smartest dogs ever, at least compared to the cocker spaniels, chihuahuas, pit bulls, golden retrievers, irish setters, dalmations and a few others that my family regularly trained. Then we were introduced to Border Collies and Australian Shepherds. Border Collies were so smart, but serious. They are definately quick to respond to a command. I assume thats how they got to be number 1. Any dog can follow commands with proper training. What amazed me was how the Australian Shepherd learned by watching. They could actually teach themselves from watching us. Incredibly easy to train, but so intelligent that much of the time they would be one step ahead of you. I think they are misunderstood by trainers. Many trainers want an immediant response, complete submission…that does not make or mean that you are smart. Problem solving skills, memory, intuition are much more important. The test needs to be done over and how we view intelligence in dogs needs to be evaluated. This is obviously a very biased test. I do agree Border Collies are incredibly intelligent, but this test is offensive to anyone who has ever bred, raised or trained their OWN Australian shepherds. They are the only dogs I work with now and I can promise you they do not belong in the ranks of the 40's. I am not saying they are number 1, but there are few dogs that are as versatile, sensitive, creative and have the same incredible critical thinking that these dogs have. This test needs to be redone by people who understand what that intelligence is MUCH more than just "the quickest dog to respond to a command" or "the easiest dog to train." I would like to see EXACTLY what was included in this so called "smartest dog list." I call this test COMPLETELY BOGUS and offensive to many pet owners.
ALL YOU PPL WHO SAY ROTTIES ARE DUMB AS ROCK MUST BE CRAZY! I HAVE A ROTTIE NAMED ROXI AND IS ONLY ABOUT 1 1/2 TURNING 2 IN 3 MONTHS… SHE KNOWS HUG, SIT, PAW (IN POLISH!) LAY, HOW TO GET ON A TRAMPOLINE ANND MUCH MORE! AND I HAD A GERMAN SHEPHERD AND SHE WAS AMAZINGLY SMART! I LEFT THE GATE OPEN ALL NIGHT AND SHE NEVER RAN AWAY… SHE KNEW HOW TO SING AND SO MUCH MORE! EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON THE TRAINER! IF THE TRAINER IS DUMB THEN THE DOG WONT KNOW WHAT TO DO! I AGREE WITH THIS LIST SO MUCH! PLUS WHO DO U THINK IS RIGHT… PRO. DOG TRAINERSA TO SEEK THE FACTS OR YOU PPL! IN MY OPINION…
1-German Shepherd
2-Rottie
3-Golden Retrevier
4-Sheltie
5-Westie
This is just my list! cuz im watching Dogs101 and all u ppl who r as dumb as rock should get ur facts right!
Were is the Australia Kelpie :\
Ok so heres what i think:
1.Dobermans
2.German Sheperds
3. Rottweilers
4.Border Collies
5.Papillons
These are (in my opinion) the smartest dogs.And of course i think that wolf hybrids should be on the list too.And to all you people out there who think that Rottweilers are dumb i have three of them and the male can do loads of tricks and he can open gates and we didnt even teach him!
Smartest dogs would be Moscow strays. They commute on the subwayand have learned how to scare people out of their fast food.
http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2009/04/07/sma…
I speak on behalf of my Golden Retriever. She is extremely smart.
I do believe that all these dogs are very smart. Besides the Sheltie. My neighbor has one. I Do not find it intelligent at all. But i guess some dogs do differ from their breed standards.
We have two Shelties, and they are both smart, but in different ways. One is clever at figuring out ways to communicate with you. For example, unrolling a toilet paper roll when she has business to do outside. (Aha!) Or adopting different facial expressions for "you owe me" vs. "can I please." The other Sheltie can find a tennis ball hidden anywhere by following a highly efficient search pattern. Both are very emotionally intelligent — affectionate and grateful, and sometimes displaying jealous behavior like human sibling rivalry. They seem to grasp the concept of 'fairness'. They are dialed in to people's energy and moods.
WAKE UP!!! this is not about individual dogs. who cares if your pit bull or jack russell or akita or whatever dog u own is smarter than you. Go on youtube and enter smartest dog. You will see video of practically every type of dog u can imagine doing amazing things. BUT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS LIST!!!! take 1000 random dogs from every single breed and train them then rank them. pretty F'n sure the list is gonna look like the one here.
Every dog has his own personality, you can´t really say if a dog will be friendly, obedient, healthy or smart just by his bread.
You will have a better chance to know if he is smart if you get to look at his parents or family history.
And don´t forget, a lot of breads have been corrupted with mixes between brothers and sisters along the way.
I had a dog which was a mix between a Golden retriever and a Labrador retriever, he didn´t even need to be trained to know exactly what I wanted him to do.
The list will never be fair according to each experience, you have to keep in mind that every dog has his own personality. And yes, the Border Collie is by far the smartest bread.
"you can´t really say if a dog will be friendly, obedient, healthy or smart just by his bread."
"And yes, the Border Collie is by far the smartest bread." First of all, bread is something that you put ham and cheese on. Second, that was a total contradiction. It's not about "breeds", it's about the person training them and the individual dog. I've met extremely smart GSD's and some that were dumb as a box of rocks and wouldn't train to save his/her life! Some of the dumbest dogs I've seen are Labs or Pitbulls, but I wouldn't say that ALL Labs or Pits are dumb. Just that "those" particular dogs weren't trained, or trained correctly!
I have a border collie, and they are the smartest by FAR! She opened the house door with my key! THE DOOR WILL LOCKED AND SHE UNLOCKED IT! She is WAY smart!
Does she also drive you to work? pfffffffff
my shepherd can think and read. they are much smarter than any dog. its said people dont know this. i have a book from akc. that says. a german shepherd is the only dog that thinks. why dont people wake up. its said that people think a poodle or collie is even close. cliff
This dog breed:
Was first in space.
Was only dog to both North and South Poles.
Has appeared in long-running, live action t.v. shows.
So well-trained in athletics, has an entire "trials" competition just for the breed.
A mainstay in other athletic events worldwide.
Has claim to "World's Smartest Dog", in a member of the breed named "Maggie".
Give up?
It's the Jack Russell Terrier.
Who, not only is never mentioned in the top ten, but in ANY rankings of dog breeds I can find.
What a disservice to such an historically important animal.
Perhaps they are so smart, that they are in a category of their own – somewhere between DOG and HUMAN.
:o)
I own a Jack Russell Terrier and Toby is almost too smart for his own good and for my good. I agree they are intelligent breed but this list was put together buy professional trainers and how easy these dogs were to train was the biggest factor in deciding their intelligence. Not the best judge but something to get a conversation going.
I am partial to JRTs too, so I understand your plea and Toby also thanks you.
You made my entire day. Around 7 years ago my only son came to visit me after turning his life around and brought this little dog that he had bought maybe a year before. I was not aware that it was a Jack Russell until he told me. I had seen them in pictures and wasn't impressed. He proceeded to tell me about how he had asked God to please give him something to work patience and stability into his life. He decided to go to the pet shop and get himself a dog. While he was there a lady bought the dog he wanted and then decided to just let him have it instead. He noticed the dog would not heed him in the least and took him back only to discover the dog was deaf. The owner said they would give his money back, but something deep inside my son prompted him to keep the dog. For times sake….my son trained that dog to be completely obedient simply by sign language. My son told me that that dog was the best thing that had ever happened to him in his life. He wanted to prove it so ask Rusty to sit on my kitchen tile,but he wouldn't no matter how many times he was told. As we stepped into the carpeted living room Eddie asked again…he immediately sat down. We instantly realized it was because the tile was COLD! After my son married and had a child Rusty suffered from neglect. One day he walked off and was not ever seen again. I will never forget that dog!!
I believe a list like this in nearly impossible to accurately create, and even more difficult to please the owners. You think people are hardcore about PC and MAC? Start talking dog breeds…everyone thinks their dog is the smartest–just like everyone thinks their baby is the smartest. It's fan-boyism at its most intense.
I'm sure this list has it's merit, and we can trust the majority of it. The only thing I don't trust is the fact that Aussie Sheppard isn't on there…but Dobbie and Rotts are…out of ALL of the Dobbie and Rotts I've met, they are never as smart as the Aussie Sheppards I've met.
And I must say, I'm surprised about Poodles…they've never stood out as intelligent to me.
In my own experience, I would list
* German Sheppard
* Aussie Sheppard
* Border Collie
as the smartest dogs I've personally met (as well as researched).
Take it easy.
Pit Bills should have topped the list somewhere…so intelligent. Just because a dog is easily trained does not mean they're smarter…maybe it means they're so simple that they don't have any natural thinking ability of their own…Pitts are naturally smart. Most of your intelligent people are leaders and can't be easily trained…lol, however the dumbest people can be swayed and convinced of almost anything, in short periods of time…Pitt Bulls are pleasers and loyal to their owners, they're usually way ahead of their owners and require more breaking that training.
gsd iz smartest of all dogs so he should b at the top of the list
I can not say if this list is "correct" or not I have not owned all of these dogs but I grew up with Labs. But by far the best trained dog we owned as I grew up was always a Chesapeake bay retriever. Now were they smart ? I don't think so… just well trained. We have two dogs now one rat terrier and one pit bull mix. The rat terrier is trained very well he does a ton of tricks, but he is dumb as 2 boxes of rocks! Our Pit bull is very well trained too but not only does she "get it" quicker but she can figure out things like how to open the refrigerator. How to open doors. She sees a problem and figures out how to "fix it". Now some owners would think she is a stupid dog getting into all this trouble but I see it as she is very smart which means we need to out smart her! She has learned she is not allowed to go in the fridge anymore. She has learned we do not want her opening doors, or drawers! She is also the dog who will stand in front of a kid doing something wrong and bark until an adult shows up to see whats going on! I don't know if its normal for her breed but she is just awesome. The thing about this list is it can only list 10 … so its not going to make everyone happy cuz there are thousands of dog breeds!
wolves are smarter than any of these
this list is bull, my English setter is smarter than all of this dogs, besides you cant judge dogs intelligence by breed
This list is abiut how trainable these dogs are. An irresponsable owner will have what seems like a dumb dog. Yet give that same dumb dog to a responsable owner and in a short time, you will have a smart dog. All dog breeds are different and some are more susceptive to training.
I’ve owned border collies for over 30 years. They are without a doubt the most intelligent dogs around. Once you bond to them they are almost telepathic about obedience and command. They never cease to amaze me how they figure things out. I taught one puppy that was 6 weeks old how to sit and stay in two lessons! That’s pretty smart.
I agree with most on the blog, Austrailian Shepards should be in the top 5. I have one Irish Wolfhound Aussie cross. She is VERY smart and the borders follow her lead as alpha of the pack. I don’t contribute the Wolfhound to her intelligence, I’d have to say she got her brains from the Aussie.
I don't know what you people are talking about, this list is accurate. Also it completely depends on the owner. Many of you say Rotts are dumb. There are two rottweilers in my family one owned by my aunt another owned by my cousin. My aunts dog is as dumb as a rock. My cousins dog is well trained and extremely smart. Shetland sheepdogs are also extremely smart, my dog Boots who is one, is the smartest dog I know. The goldens are amazingly smart. You say their dumb, oh you just haven't seen a good owner then. It depends on the owners. So don't completly deny the whole breed of a certain dog, off of a few you have met.
there is no mention of the Siberian husky I toilet trained mine in a day and taught it lead work in a day aswell they are naturally cunning and friend very clever dogs!
Hands down the most incredibly intelligent dog I've ever encountered is a buddy's Staffordshire Terrier… Bubba exhibited a logic that absolutely blew my mind. His command language was immense, and his ability to differentiate between like-sounding words was astounding. His owner trained him to recognize "take it" as permission to eat something put out for him, and then would run down lists of any words starting with T until finally giving the command. On the most similar sounding words, Bubba would start to move but recognize even subtle differences in the sound and halt himself. Upon hearing "Take it" he would take the food. I'm sure you'd find this more impressive upon seeing it.
I'd also suggest that the Akita is an incredibly intelligent dog, and I would definitely put them above many of the dogs in this list.
In intelligence tests by researchers at famous university – #1 border collie, #2 poodle, #3 cattle dog.
Golden retriever? Stupidest dog list, then it might rank.
Hi I got a Blue Muerl Sheltie 2/1/2 years old but she is a stinker she don’t like people too much till she get use of them, Shie, I say, But she don’t go to The Bathroom any place but home how do I get her to go other places, she like it quiet I know so does her Mother and dad
I want to travel she agood traveler in can Truck or Camper but she needs too go other then at our House Potty. Thanks for some advice.
Boarder Collies are very smart Dogs but real People Friendly too much so. Betty Dixon
I own a big standard poodle, american descent. I never thought i would get a poodle except my wife is allergic to dogs. When you think poodle, you think fluffy poofy dog. My dog is not poofy and never has been. He has unique independence which we treasure. Poodles have a tendency to have mood swings. My dog has been through all levels of training yet if hes not in the mood he wont do a thing i ask. He is the most loyal and trustworthy companion i have ever owned. He deserves to be number one
Seriously these smartest and dumbest dogs lists are retarded. Just because a dog mindlessly follows orders doesn't mean they're smart. These are ease of training lists, so change the title.
Thanks Adam,your comment is one of the best I've seen on here.
I feel any dog has the potential to be smart or dumb. It's like saying all asians are good at math, or all blacks can run really fast. I have had several different types of dogs in my life and they all seem to be different, not because of the breed so much, but moreover because of who they are/were. My current dog however is a lab/border collie mix, and I believe if he could he would be working at my office next to me answering phones, filing, and helping customers. Seriously… as long as he's not on the beach chasing the ball/frisbee non-stop! My mom's pomeranian seems just as smart as my border collie, just more stubborn….. and there in lies the issue I think. Some ppl mistake stuborness for stupidity in dogs. LOL hmmm well anywho… 🙂
I agree fully. The intelligence of a dog is equal to the time you put into it, but there are also very smart dogs that don’t respond well to learning tricks. I had a Huskie mix growing up that i tried for weeks to teach to shake, but he refused to do it. But but after that, if he wanted attention he would come up to me and raise his paw for a shake, but he never did it on command. In human blindly following orders is a sign of ignorance, but for dogs it seems it be the deciding factor of how intelligent it is. I wouldn’t have traded my dog for the world. He wasn’t any more or less intelligent than any other dog, but we had very similar personalities. we were both headstrong, free-spirited, and very easily lost in thought. The best dog is the one that’s best suited to your personality
i like #4
I have yet to encounter a smart rottweiler or poodle.Two very dumb breeds i must say.
my poodle is extremely smart, her dog walker left her outside a cafe in Yarmouth and ran home, (bout 10.5 miles) and she knows over 250 English words, if that’s not smart tell me what is. Oh she is only 2 years and 9 months!
My dog is an ACD/Border Collie mix & I think she may be smarter than me.
Hi I have a Sheltie She is 2 1/2 years old and she wont go Potty any place but home she holds it all day she don’t eat in the car or Drink much, a little, I get home she go right now. How can I get her to go Potty at Truck stops, we tryed Her Mother and Dad goes any place if they got to go. I want to Travel in our Camper with her this Fall November and threw March . She go’s in the picky Bushes at home Poppy and Pee different places some times. Thank you Betty Dixon
If you're looking for kennels, try the local breed club (see the AKC site for listings of the main breed clubs, they'll direct you to the local ones). If you're looking for a reputable breeder, check the local clubs or call the vets in the area for a recommendation. Many breeds have rescues to help place dogs/puppies. The Humane Society may also have listings of breeders in good stead. Of course, they also have a variety of pups and dogs all needing a forever home. Shelter dogs make great pets! Just don't go to a pet store and end up supporting a puppy mill. Even the ones who swear the puppies are from homes are probably lying.
As for dogs, do you know any reliable resource where one can find all the local dog kennels?
What about australian shepherds why are they not metioned they were bread out of border collies as well as a few other extreamly intelligent herding breeds. There not even metioned in the list so i have to disagree.
We and our 8 year old Australian Cattle Dog, Sydney, were walking the ramparts of old Ft. Monroe. It's a walled fortification built in the first half of the 19th century. The inside of this massive earthwork is generally merely steeply sloped down to the fort's interior and covered with grass. On a portion of its southern side, however, this gives way to a sheer drop of about 30 feet, a wall behind which the old magazine now houses a museum beneath the fortification. The danger went unnoticed.
Suddenly a squirrel appeared along the 2 ft inside wall guarding the drop on the other side. We yelled to Sydney to stop, but the dog only hesitated slightly – the temptation was too great. I dashed for the wall hoping that if something distracted her I might have a shot at interception.
She hit the top of the 2 ft high wall at full speed as the squirrel disappeared over its edge. Sydney sailed off the 30 ft drop and was at least 20 ft out before her trajectory descended below her launch point. It was absolutely unreal. She hit the ground with a weak yelp and had managed to drag her shattered body to the base of the wall in the 20-30 seconds it took us to get down to her. She died in my wife’s arms within a few minutes as I ran for the car. When I returned a few minutes later, the Post Chaplain from the church across the street was kneeling with my wife over the still body of our pet.
Smart dog………………but, who would have thought? A car perhaps, but a "cliff"? A warning to all.
Poodles definitely belong near the top of the list. My wife had 3 miniature poodles when we met and we have since gotten two more.
One that passed away several years ago was incredibly smart. As she got older she was on meds for epilepsy and also went blind, but still found her way around, even to the paper to do her business inside. One time the miniature poodle puppy we had gotten a few weeks earlier tried to get her to play by pouncing at her from different sides. She would pounce, the older one would turn to bark, but the pup had moved around to the other side. The older one finally stopped, sat there like she was in some sort of zen trance as the pup pounced. Then the pup came at her and the older one turned and barked at the pup as the pup was pouncing, sending the pup tumbling away! ROFL! She was a jedi, and missed very much.
Of the three we have now, one is extremely smart and perceptive – scarily so! – one (the pup) is smart but headstrong, and one is the anti-poodle, has her moments but overall not all there.
Owning a lab, I know by fact now that they ARE the best dogs to have as family members.
They're very smart, loyal, loving & quite comforting & love to lick!
Watch out for their tongues & their tails I might add. They can clean off a table in a second!
Also I've learned that a Lab especially is NEVER too old to learn new tricks.
She is almost 10 & still acts young as ever.
She loves water & loves to play fetch non stop.
She's very obedient & listens greatly but don't ever over estimate her though, she does have a tendency to sneak into the cat box or the garbage at times, naughy girl…
Everyone thinks the dog THEY own is the best dog and the most intelligent dog ever. Golden owners say the same thing about being the best family dog. So do GS owners. I've never met a Lab that wasn't a total goof.
U R SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
LOOK A BUNNY (=^.^=) NOOOOO SPARKY DONT CHASE IT …..LOL
OMG I THINK GERMAN SHEPHERDS SHOULD BE #1 THERE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE AND SMART I HAVE 3 OF THEM I LOOOOOVE THAT PICTURE ALSO…:) I LOVE GERMAN SHEPHERDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my dad breed sheperds the whole time i was growing up i own a pit bull now that is just as smart i think you can have a smart sheperd and an then a dumb one and that gose for any dog my cuzin has a rottie and he is dumb as a brick
american pit bull terriers are deff on that list in my op! terriers are some of the smartest dog on the planet!
I believe that dogs to some degree are as "bright" as their owners take time with them.
Definately though, i have friends with most of top ten smartest and they really are smart dogs.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM A PROUD OWNER OF MY THIRD MINIATURE POODLE. "NIKKI" IS A BLONDE FEMALE, 15 MONTHS OLD. I OWNED THE OTHER POODLES SEPARATELY AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN MY LIFE. I'VE ALWAYS GONE BACK TO GETTING A POODLE WHEN I WANTED A NEW PUPPY BECAUSE THEY TRULY ARE ONE OF THE SMARTEST, MOST LOYAL, EASY TO TRAIN, OBEY ON THE FIRST COMMAND, ETC. My other two poodles were just as smart and loyal. I highly recommend a poodle for anyone with children over ages 5-6 (depending on maturity) because poodles don't take well to being picked up and held usually except their Master. If you've ever owned a poodle you know they pick one person and bond with one person more than anyone else. They are very funny, playing with toys and balls, they easily keep things interesting. I would also recommend a poodle for ANY allergenic reasons OR if you don't want a dog that sheds. A poodle does not shed at all.
I totally agree. My year old poodle knows the words: sit, stay, walk, lay down, shake, cookie, hungry, bath, no bark, up, treat, potty, and not to mention his own name! My younger one already knows sit, which I think she partly learned from my older dog. They play a lot, even with their age difference. It’s all a matter of who can get the ball first!
I don't disagree with the list except for the absence of Yorkies. The smartest dog I ever had was a Yorkie-poo and I don't think all her intelligence came from the poodle. I've had poodles and they're smart, but nothing like this dog was.
Most of my pets have been mixes, shepherd or lab mixes mostly, and I'll attest that they are very intelligent.
Of course, every dog is different and any can be unusually intelligent or dumber than a box of rocks. My cousin had an Irish setter who spent his day whining and crying at the six foot privacy fence. Then he'd jump it and spend an hour on the other side of the fence, crying and whining, until he jumped back into the yard. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat.
seriously labs are by far the smartests dogs ever
followed by rotties and german shepards
Tiffany – Good point and I agree. I have revised the author's words to be more fair to the Rottweilers.
"Better known as the “Rottie,” Rottweilers are known to be very vicious, mean dogs that can take down a human."
i can't believe someone hasn't called the writer out for this one. everyone knows that dogs are like the people that own them. the rott is a very loving and loyal breed, and will make for a fabulous family pet if properly trained and stimulated. the problem is not with the breed, but dog owners most times.
i agree man!!! my rottie rockz!!! he is very smart!it really depends on how the owner trains his/her pet!
I really don't agree with the list because I have more experience with dogs than most people. I have owned dogs for most of my life and I have to deal with them everyday and Border Collies and Australian Shepherds should top this list for sure. I own a Australian Shepherd and in the first two or three weeks she learned sit, down, roll over, shake and so many other things I'm not even going to go their. She's just smart as hell!! However, both of these dogs take lots of time out of a normal persons life so i would not recommend getting one unless you have a lot of time to devote. Also, i believe that Boodles, German Shepherds and Siberian Husky's should also be at the top of the list because they have done things to blow my mind. However, that is just my top five!!! : )
ya ur sooooo rite!!!!!
i huv a mix of border collie and australian shepherd n she iz intelligent.
she is still a little puppy and she knowz sit, down, stay, leave it, high five, shake, jump, n otherz
Pitbullz r intelligent too n very sweet
P.S. i think all dogz r smart, it depends on da owner
if they train it or not
so nobody shuld be blaming da dog if he or she dosnt listen to dem
I FULLY AGREE WITH YA
Boston terriers should be #1
Definitely would have to agree!!!!!!
Yes!! Boston terriers are the smartest breed of dog I have encountered. I have a german shepherd too so i’m not being biased. We call our German Shepherd and Boston, Pinky and the Brain haha
I agree with everything except Labs, Goldens, and Rotties. Due to over breeding, those dogs tend to be very thick headed. From my experience in Obedience and Agility competition, Shelties, Poodles, Cattle Dogs, Aussies, German Shepards, Dobermans,and border collies are the ones to have.
Please tell me you are kidding?
Labs goldenseal and rotties thick headed? I think not.
Don’t you see all these labs and goldens with life saving jobs around the word?
I think what people like yourself lack to understand is dog breeds are trained for certain things and these are areas where they are highly intelligent in…..
Who made this list, a lab? Labs, rottweilers, and golden Retrievers are dumb as rocks. Once again, "no one knows your a dog on the internet".
What? Where are the Ridgebacks? Chiuahuas? They are incredibly smart!!!
The Doberman Pinscher is by far the smartest dog on the list and should be the #1, at least from my experience!
JACK RUSSELL AND AIREDALE OR WIREHAIR TERRIERS ARE ON THE TOP OF MY LIST. I HAD AN AIREDALE TERRIER AS A CHILD UNTIL A CAR TOOK HIS LIFE. I LOST MY BEST FRIEND. MY SON RAISED A DEAF JACK RUSSELL IN ORDER TO TEACH HIMSELF PATIENCE. HE USED SIGN LANGUAGE AND SHOWED ME HOW THAT HE WOULD NOT SIT BY SIGN ON A COLD TILE FLOOR BUT WOULD PROMPTLY SIT ON A CARPET. I MUST HAVE TOLD ALMOST EVERYONE I MET FOR DAYS AFTER THAT. UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT HAVE A DOG WHERE I LIVE AND CRIED MY EYES OUT THE FIRST 3 YEARS (I'VE BEEN HERE 15 YEARS FOR SAFETY REASONS) BUT I DO HAVE A 7 YEAR OLD FEMALE GERBIL NAMED PUMPKIN I RESCUED WHEN THE LOT BEING RAISED ALL DIED..AND I HAVE A MALE HAMSTER NAMED SUGARFOOT.THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR KNOW THAT THEY AREN'T SUPPOSE TO GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER ACCORDING TO THE BOOKS. THEIR PHOTOS ARE POSTED ON WEBSHOTS FROM TIME TO TIME. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO POST.
How about not using so many capitals, next time?
I think really depends on the owner. Some dogs are harder to train but it does not mean their not as smart, rather stubborn or even smarter then we think.
were are the sausage dogs.I have two sausage dogs the smell out rats the are HUNTING dogs. A POODLE.sins when is a poodle the second SMARTEST DOG
I fully agree with willy: terriers of all sorts are conspicuously absent from this list. Oh well, everyone knows nothing beats a good mutt anyhow. My pit/lab mix is teaching me calculus.
imho the smartest dogs are kangals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangal_Dog
I read that and thought you said the smartest dogs were kangaroos (I thought you were being funny) and I had to do a double take.
gotta agree with William, a staffy is so much more intelligent!! Proven by trainers and show people alike!
Your data and experts are not legit.
[I disagree with this list at all
noway is a dobie , or a rott as samrt as a pit bull
am staff ,or any terrier at that]
I cant speak for dobbies but Rotties and shepherds are some of the smartist dogs I have ever owned. (I have had the pleasure of having a pit, rottie, shepherd, lab and now golden retriever) All are/were very loving but intel wise the shepherds and rotties by far had surpassed all of them. (specially the pit)
rotties are definitely smart! i even got one at home…i think he is smarter than you.. you dont even know how to spell SMARTEST!!!!haha..lol
Here's a FINE example of the pot calling the kettle black… "i even got one at home." Yep – with English like that I don't think you'll be applying to Harvard anytime soon – OR ANY OTHER COLLEGE for that matter. In fact, it sounds like you didn't even graduate from HIGH SCHOOL.
So, before you start correcting other people, make sure your house wasn't constructed from translucent and very fragile material (i.e. GLASS).
newsflash: not everybody’s mother language is English, not everybody lives in an English speaking country. I don’t know if this is the case with tsheyyy, but for me it is. My English isn’t perfect, but I guess it’s better than your Dutch.
My dobie I think is the smartest dog I've met personally, it seems to have its own intuition and picks up on so much I'm quite amazed everyday. Its actually mixed breed with about 15-20% of black lab in her. But she is so quick witted and has a phenomenal memory. All the pitts I've owned they are good smart dogs but never had seemed to have as good of instinct and were more big bullies and muscle their way to get things done and not think things though as much as other dogs. I know the collie breeds have larger memorys and a few other dogs on this list are smarter than the Doberman but I think like I mentioned in my earlier comment you only get as much out of the dog as you put in it and of course you need a good starting point with your dog my Doberman has just shocked me with the level of intelligence.
I grew up w/ all sorts of animals- from dogs to rabbits, cats to birds. My main childhood dog growing up was a German Sheperd, such a smart dog-first dog I ever trained – I loved her. 3 yrs ago , I rescued an American Pit Bull Terrier . This dog learned tricks so easy, I have never trained another dog as fast, till I recieved Lily ( my 2nd APBT )
Dogs are Individually different, just like Humans . A dog is only as Smart as that Human allows it to be.
Like to the comments about meeting dumb Collies ( because all they did was bark & jump around ) – Well that dog obviously wasn't geting the Daily Mental Stimulation it needs – nor the training or excercise. This happens w/ all High Energy/ High Prey Driven dogs, just like the APBT.
APBT wouldn't be on this list anways – they are not known under the AKC .
William, this list actually was voted on by dog trainers. I would assume this means how easy the dog breed was to train would translate into intelligence. Don't shoot the messenger, we just report the data from the experts. I'm sure pit bulls are very intelligent. I'm just not so sure about the owners.
These "trainers" are biased as we all know and only go on trainability. Some dogs take a little more time, which the trainer doesn't want to give so they label them as 'dumb'.
Pit bulls are as dumb as WWF wrestlers. They have big, STRONG mouth muscles and little dicks, which also makes them like WWF wrestlers.
To say a Pit Bull is intelligent is like saying a Pig can fly.
Actually they ARE one of the smartest and u mean ROTTWEILER SORRY 4 CORRECTING U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lolz wow. So how well a dog jumps when you tell him to demonstrates intelligence? So if someone told you to play dead, and you told them to drop dead, you’d be considered an… idiot? That’s rich. A dog’s intelligence should be based on it’s problem solving abilities. Not it’s ability to do as it’s told. An Australian Shepherd should be at the #1 spot. They look at something such as a fence, and rather than accept it, they rebel against the obstacle, and systematically try different ways to get through it until they succeed.
I definitely agree with this comment. Trainability does not equal intelligence. I just got a miniature Australian Shepherd, and she has surprised me by how smart she is. She’s done well with training, sure. But as far as intelligence goes, I watch her and I can see her thinking through problems and how to get around them. Like how to get over a fence. Or how to get into the treats inside a toy. I don’t have to teach her these things; she just figures things out for herself.
It isn’t just my Aussie, either. Everyone I’ve talked to who owns an Aussie says the same thing- they’re intense problem solvers. Border Collies and some others on this list are probably the same way. But as much as I love Goldens and Labs, they are easily trained but do not have the same problem solving skills. To me, problem solving skills are way more relevant to intelligence than trainability is.
+1 If we want to measure the iq of someone we don’t tell them “sit” “down” “give me a hand” and rate this, no we let someone solve problems and see how many solutions are good.
Part of the problem is the method used for determining dogs’ intelligence. My brother has an Australian cattle dog and he is very good at herding things and following commands related to herding. That mean his ability to do what he is bred to do is bang on. More important in terms of intelligence are the ability to reason, (we had a shepherd/doberman cross who would watch you open a door and then do it himself. He could also extrapolate what he learned about one type of door handle to another) and self-awareness (my newfs look in the mirror to see what we are doing and can relate the mirror image to themselves). If my newfs like the meaning of a word, one repetition will do the trick; if they do not like the meaning of a word, they never really seem to learn the word well. That is intelligence. When my newfs are wet; they are not allowed in the living room and are told “stay in kitchen”. This must be repeated several times. On the other hand, if we say a treat, they immediately go to where that treat is kept, i.e. milkbones in the pantry, jerky strips in the fridge and peanut butter sandwiches on the cutting board. The second time they heard the name of a treat they knew each. On the other hand my brother’s genuis cattle dog, immediately goes to his spot when he is bad and told to “go to his room”. My newfs laugh.
easy to train is not the same as smart
I disagree with this list at all
noway is a dobie , or a rott as samrt as a pit bull
am staff ,or any terrier at that
the doberman it's more smartest than a pitbull and a rotty
i agree..doberman is very possesive..and it's defenetly one of the smartest dog's on the planet..
DUH…. Maybe you've been smokin' too much of that stuff. "it's more startest than a pitbull and a rotty"…
Whereas Bob, in his succinct, thought provoking, intellectual reply, has proven his intelligence far better than anyone could have imagined.
Thats bull, William. Pig dogs are dumb and ugly. But your right about one thing the list is muddled up big time. there is no way that the australian kelpie uis not in the top five.
a pitbull smart? Any dog has the potential to be great sadly what ruined the breed is the inbreeding they did to make them bigger by mixing them with other dogs. to say a rott or a dobie is not as smart as a pitt is ludacris, here is my proof the rott is over 2000 years old the dobie though about 100yr old breed both have proven them selves, between the devil dogs of ww2 to protect the troops, to therapy dogs for hospitals, to herding, hunting, guarding police use, military use, but pits???? oh yeah bite the crap out of other dogs. Ohh i see how the pit seems so superior to the dobie or rottie. last time i checked its pits that bite owners, are banned in certain cities, are not allowed in the AKC are known for attacking children and are just a flat out unstable breed. My friend has 2 pits and although smart they constantly fight for no apperant reason while my 3 male dogs a 2yr old rott, a 6 month old rott and a 4 month old dobie all eat out of the same food,bowl, drink from the same water bowl and sleep in the same cage. can your pits do that and still destroy a intruder and not a 2yr old getting his ball in your yard?
Wow, are you stupid? Obviously you no nothing about Pit bulls or Amstaffs. They don’t bit their owners or children unless they are mistreated just like any other dog. In fact they are some of the smartest and most loyal dogs on the planet. Most other dogs are most likely to bite people than a Pit. They have a very good sense of danger and know how to decipher between an intruder and a 2 yr old. In short, you are clueless and should stick to things you know about which doesn’t appear to be much.
First of all, it’s an absolute joke that Pitbulls and Amstaffs aren’t on this list. It’s also hilarious reading the comments of uninformed people talking about how Pits attack children and their owners. Pits are some of the most loyal dogs on the planet and are far less likely to attack their owner or their family than 90% of other dogs. They are extremely intelligent and have the ability to integrate into a family very much like a person. Misinformation is a crime against this dog and is why the shelters are full of them. If raised properly a pit or amstaff will be the best dog you ever owned. They have a tremendous sense of danger and know how to decipher between an intruder and someone harmless. They can be aggressive towards other animals but they love children and babies. IF a pit goes crazy it can obviously do damage but the odds of them going crazy are no more than any other dog and far less than most small annoying ankle biters which are far more aggressive towards humans.
Just look at the government statistics and you will see the amount of people pitbulls kill a year, most of all children. Many European countries and Asian countries put strict laws on ownership of those dogs, in fact you cannot have a pitbull in Germany at all. They kill not from being stupid, but being extremely powerful and underestimating their own strength: they can pull 30 times their own weight, their jaws do not release the prey until it is completely dead. I had two neighbors that had pitbulls, both were trained professionally to be obedient dogs, in fact their trainer was specializing in pitbulls, and both dogs snapped at some point and bit a human, likely one of the people the dog bit had a thick jacket that allowed some space between guy’s shoulder and the surface of the jacket. No one expected it, not even the owner, who was a pack leader in dog’s point of view.They play rough again, not knowing their strength…. So, think before you buy this dog. It can be the sweetest thing ever, but it only takes 1 bad accident to destroy everything.
Listen. It isn’t e breed that makes a dog. You can breed a dog to be stronger, and more dangerous just because of his physical attributes, but that won’t make him a bad dog. You have to train them wrong, or abuse them for them to be awful. I have known the sweetest, smartest pit bulls, and I’ve also known the ones that fuel nightmares. No one cares anymore about the fact that Rottweilers and Dobermans were bred to fight and attack and guard. I’ve personally been attacked brutally by a Rottweiler without reason or warning, as I was just walking by. But I don’t hold it against the entire breed.
Pitbulls are the smartest dogs PERIOD.
What do you have to disagree about?
the list is exactly right..
you can’t come up with a list of your own based on the dogs you’ve seen. these are compiled on nationwide and worldwide averages..
Exactly right. Common Sense that anyone should know!
Someone on stumbleupon made a great comment.
"A lot of people "Think" they want a smart dog, but are not prepared for the mental stimulation these dogs need."
Very true. Works the same way for people.
ok my uncle has a boarder collie and it is an idiot i think huskeys should be on this list
huskies are one of the dumbest breeds of dogs around! and i have a border collie that is amazingly smart. one time i went out back to find one of my child's favorite toy, after looking for a little bit with no success, my dog ran around the corner and came running back with the toy in his mouth! it was amazing! he actually had it buried somewhere, realized i was looking for it, dug it up and brought it to me! truly amazing!
I've met many intelligent Huskies. Never met a Border Collie that wasn't a spaz with the attention span of a rock.
Border Collies are very smart dogs, unbelievable smart, but they are dogs that need to be worked and have mental stimulation at all times. So many people get border collies as pets and dn work them and then the dogs develop behavioural problems from being bored and not worked. Hence they become nuts,or aggressive or nervous wrecks. When they are not bought as a working dog, they need owners that will give them a lot of attention.
And huskies and alaskan malamutes are great dogs. We have had alaskan malamutes and german shepards for years and they are both amazing dogs. Very smart. But the huskies are often very difficult to train and people then think they are stupid. Not stupid just very hard to train.
Unfortunately i disagree, the husky is by far one of if not the dumbest dog breed i have seen, though they are very good looking dogs they are not obedient for the most part, not to say none are but 9-10 times the retard is gong to dig a hole and run away, or rip the trash chase their tails etc; if i was in alaska needing sled dogs and have 1000 open acres of snow id get a husky but other than that unless you have a love for the breed i would not consider them a good working or obedient dog. Again not to say there are exemptions to the rule. By the way i dont own a border collie but to say collies are not a smart breed its like saying the earth is still flat being that all studies say otherwise.
So you would trust your life to the dumbest dog breed you have ever seen? You understand that Huskies need to know the difference between left and right, know when to go slower and stop, they need to know where the ice is weak and were not. And need to be stubborn and do their own thing even if the musher says something else if their lives would be in danger. They need to find their way if the musher can’t anymore (for example in case of whiteout). And finding their way, that’s something they can, they can find their home over 1000’s of miles. They think for themselves, with good training they will see you as an alfa. But that doesn’t mean he will do everything you ask him. If he thinks that the thing you are asking isn’t very useful for him, he won’t do it. Is that stupid? I don’t know, I surely can’t think of a lot of people that do everything you want them to do. I own a Husky and in terms of smartness, it’s more a child than a dog actually. He listens and knows how he should behave but likes to do something different from time to time.
The behavior you are talking about isn’t the behavior of a proper kept husky, ripping things, chasing their tails,… None of the things you say does my husky and the ones I know do, first of all our garden is well fenced so he can’t escape, the other things are all signs of pure boredom. They need to be physically and mentally challenged everyday for a few hours and they won’t do these things. I go with my bicycle in the woods and he runs with me, I take long walks with him, play football with him, let him rope pulling (I use old jeans for this), he has a kong for indoors to keep him busy,… A lot of people don’t spend a few hours with their Husky and than you will get the behavior you talked about, that’s not because he is stupid, but because he is really bored and full of energy. I know enough of dogs to know they are one of the smartest dogbreeds together with Alaskan Malamutes, smarter than a Border Collie. He just doesn’t has a will to please like a Border Collie, but imo that has nothing to do with being smart or not.
I don’t think huskies are stupid, just not the smartest around. When it comes to working with sleds, they are down to earth and very good at it. They are actually hyper and if they aren’t trained to do a little bit of work, they can tend to be a bit insane. Honestly, I love the German Shepherd, they are great dogs, although Border Collies are good dogs too, they CAN develop ,mental behavior problems, from what I’ve heard. Now, stop saying huskies are the dumbest dogs. If I had to be in Alaska and have to work with the sleds, I’m with huskies. And yes, they are very had to train. Also, good list of dogs.
Why do you people think that an obedient dog is a smart one? It just means it has been interbred to the point of losing the ability to think for itself, we brainwash them to doing what we want. The true measurement of intelligence is a dog over riding a stupid decision you are about to make which you lot think makes them dumb because they won’t fetch a ball, they are looking back at you thinking you fetch the ball. I have a malamute and he is the smartest dog I have ever known, Huskies are clever but can be nasty with it.
I want to know why a Husky aint on the list….they are a lot smarter than some of them on there.
Yer so some people have trouble to train a Husky, but thats because they don’t have the right spirit for it. My 8 month old husky is too smart for his own good & he’ll do what he wants at times but are not easy to trick them to doing anything, however he is a easy dog to train & it only takes a few goes & he never forgets how to do it again.
Huskies are what they are & they have a strong spirit that most people can’t handle & i get pissed off when they buy a Husky & then a few months later are selling it because they wont spend the time to train it right. It’s sad that they don’t even know they are going soon.
So don’t ever get a Husky because it’s beautiful, cause they are more work than you would know.
Malamutes and huskies are very smart and would most likely be the breed that would be able to survive on their own if they have to in the wild. One should not confuse stupid with stubborn. They need that trait in order to not obey a master onto thin ice and kill the entire team.
Were these dogs you call spazs kept as house dogs or in a small house yard, with nothin got do but go crazy and run around chasing their own tails and running around the yard looking to sheep? Or were they working dogs (which is what they are bred for), with a job and mind sitmulation. Not working these dogs is like winding up a spring, the tighter you wined them. You get my drift. There are heapS for other breeds more suitible to this twon life style, I think it’s cruel and unresponsible to keep this kind of dog as JUST a house dog.
Have you ever had a border collie? Well I do, and I can tell you you are so wrong. They are so intelligent its amazing to train them and watch them learn new things every day at such a great speed. Four days after I got him he knew his name and knew how to sit and quickly learning many other things. So don’t speak out at things you have little knowledge of.
It takes five minuets for my husky to learn things . I taught her to bow jump into a hoop play dead paws and high five . FIVE Minuets. What is cool about the husky it loves everybody and I swear it knows the difference of what your saying. I could have a conversation and she be tilting her head. Would followed people guarding us and won’t bark at the door bell when people ring it.
For you to say that a Husky is dumb you must of fell on your head as a kid…..a lot…..& you must still do it…….yer so a collie is a smart dog i’ve lived with them before, i wont lie like you…..& that’s cool if it’s true what your dog did……..but my husky is very smart & he shows it daily.
They are strong willed & spirited dogs that most people like yourself never spend any real time around them to see that……& it’s rude of you, thats never been around them to say that they are dumb & you need to pull your head in & don’t talked about them like that when you don’t live with one.
think before you speak
have a nice day
I currently own 3 Siberian Huskies and have to tell you that all 3 are extremely intelligent dogs. Yes, they are stubborn and opinionated, but I think the level of intelligence they display is directly related to what type of environment they have and whether the owner challenges them. Every dog is as smart as the dog trainer they have!
I agree with Helen 100% dogs are often labeled stupid because they are hard to train. I think the South African Boerboel is one of the smartest dogs, if anyone knows how they got this info and where the Boerboel came please tell me.
@Aggie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boerboel
Dogs on the list are all AKC registered breeds, of which the boerbeol is not. They do seem like wonderful, versatile, loving dogs.
You only get as much as you put into your dogs, If its a collie they have a huge degree of starting advantage over other dogs, if this is recognized and the taken note of, it will have very good ending results I gaurantee, unless there is a sickness or health issue involved. Dogs just don't wake up and become smart they need to be trained and yes they will pick up on stuff on their own but honestly dogs need and love the training and like furthering themselve just like us humans do. So I disagree with your comment and yea Huskies are good smart dogs but the memory and commands the Boarder Collie can retain is uncomparable to a Husky.
Border collies are the best dog you can have, it might be an idiot, but they are nice and awesome like mine 😀
Just like any other intelligent being, they need stimulation and things to occupy them. Ask any vet, they are very active and HIGHLY intelligent. I have two of them, and I had one when I was a kid. Their personalities differ dog by dog (just like people), but I have never heard of a dumb Border Collie. They can be mischievious if they are not occupied, but that certainly does not mean they are dumb (they are just bored). They are wonderful dogs and amazing with children and other animals.
Huskeys are clever dogs but one of the hardest dog to train, they need a lot of work,and are mostly used to for pulling I.e in the snow. They wouldn’t make the top 10 list
They are not just bred for their good pulling capabilities, if you trust your live to your dogs, they better be damned smart. You don’t want to end up lost in Siberia midwinter, you don’t want to run over weakened ice, you don’t want to fall of a ledge, you don’t want them to run after a bear,…
A Husky can survive on his own in midwinter Siberia, none of the dogs on this list would, not only because of the freezing temperature but they simply wouldn’t find food.
my god, there’s a raging debate over this. for the few people who read this, here’s the facts: the majority of these blubbering idiots are citing nothing more than case studies – in depth studies of individuals. hell, they’re biased case studies for that matter, too, and they don’t mean a thing – i had a pomeranian, a real quick learner and one of the most intuitive, polite dogs i’ve ever known. example? we had to leave him with a friend for a month. at the end of that month, they told us he hadn’t made a sound until we came back to pick him up – he barked like crazy then. in contrast, my boyfriend’s english springer spaniel – rated as one of the most intelligent dogs – is terribly behaved. second example? he ate a can of fish food. this was after he’d been strongly reprimanded for eating a can of fish food. before anyone blames us for not hiding the second can, it was a can of phytoplankton – basically dried algae. what kind of dog eats algae?
do either examples mean anything about the breed as a whole? no. not at all. the differences in individual dogs, training, age, etc all work to make a difference in how “intelligent” the dog is.
so, seriously? one. dog. does. not. make. facts. get over yourself and your obsession with huskies/pit bulls/shihtzus/whatevers. each dog deserves the same loving care, and by extension the same patient training all other dogs do, whether it takes the dog one try to learn how to sit on command or one hundred.
however, here’s the followup on that – certain breeds have been bred for certain things. border collies? herding, so a smart dog that can learn commands quickly is a good dog and would probably have been bred a lot more than a dumb dog that just stared at the sheep. pomeranians? lapdogs. they’re meant to charm people, which means they must be clingy to an extent and willing to lay around for hours. huskies? sled dogs, which meant they learned about four commands and were willing to pull a sled for hours. etc, etc, etc.
this doesn’t translate to “well that just means that huskies need a *special touch*” or anything. it means that you probably shouldn’t get a border collie if you aren’t going to keep it entertained, or a husky if you’re not going to give it plenty of exercise. a dog breed description isn’t there to be a badge of pride for your favorite breed, it’s there to tell you the requirements of the particular breed. so get over it, no one cares if you like poodles over pit bulls, they’re both good dogs.
As of today, Dec 14, 2010 this list has been viewed 213,000 times, so more than a few people have read it. About 250 people read this list every day, which is why there are now 100 comments defending their favorite dog breeds.
Yay Border Collies!