A recent study by the University of Helsinki has identified the Belgian Malinois as the smartest dog breed, challenging traditional rankings that typically place Border Collies at the top. The study, published in Scientific Reports, assessed 1,002 dogs from 13 different breeds using various cognitive tests designed to measure memory, problem-solving skills, impulse control, and logical reasoning.
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The Belgian Malinois, often utilized as a police or security dog, achieved a score of 35 out of 39 points on key tasks, outperforming the Border Collie, which scored 26 points, and the Hovawart, with 25 points. The study's methodology involved a series of tasks, including a V-detour test for problem-solving and a human gesture reading test, where dogs were scored based on their ability to follow various cues from humans.
Despite its impressive overall performance, the Malinois demonstrated a notable weakness in a cylinder test measuring inhibition. In this test, the dog had to retrieve food from a transparent cylinder, where the Malinois scored among the lowest of all assessed breeds.
Dr. Katriina Tiira, study author and CEO of smartDOG, noted the Malinois excelled in many cognitive tasks, which explains its preference for security work. While Border Collies typically rank high on intelligence lists, the study indicates that canine intelligence can vary significantly across different breeds and tests.