A recent study has ranked various dog breeds based on intelligence, analyzing their performance in cognitive and behavioral tests. Researchers assessed the dogs' abilities to interpret human gestures and navigate challenges, such as maneuvering around a V-shaped fence to access visible food. They also evaluated each dog's independence and the speed at which they requested help when encountering tasks they could not accomplish on their own.
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Saara Junttila, a doctoral researcher in canine cognition at the University of Helsinki, noted that each breed exhibited distinct strengths and weaknesses. For instance, Labrador retrievers excelled at interpreting human gestures, yet struggled with spatial problem-solving. Conversely, the Shetland sheepdog showed consistent performance across nearly all tests.
The study found that the Belgian Malinois emerged as the smartest breed, scoring 35 out of a possible 39 points. Following closely were Border collies with 26 points and Hovawarts with 25 points. The top ten smartest breeds are as follows:
1. Belgian Malinois
2. Australian kelpie
3. Labrador retriever
4. Border collie
5. Golden retriever
6. Hovawart
7. Spanish water dog
8. Shetland sheepdog
9. English cocker spaniel
10. Australian shepherd
11. Mixed-breed dogs
12. German shepherd
13. Finnish Lapphund
In contrast, Professor Stanley Coren's analysis in his book, The Intelligence of Dogs, identifies the Afghan hound as the least intelligent breed, requiring over 80 repetitions to learn new commands and obeying the first command less than 25% of the time. The ranking of the least intelligent breeds includes:
1. Afghan hound
2. Basenji
3. Bulldog
4. Chow Chow
5. Borzoi
6. Hunting dog
7. Pekingese
8. Beagle
9. Mastiff
10. Basset Hound
11. Shih Tzu
These findings underscore the varying cognitive capabilities among dog breeds.