Dog intelligence is the ability to learn, think, and solve problems. A dog’s intelligence depends primarily on his breed and on the training he receives. Based on the combination of these two factors, we can distinguish three types of dog intelligence:
• instinctive - what the dog is bred to do
• adaptive - the problems the dog learns to solve from living in the environment
• obedience and working - the equivalent of 'school learning'.
I will focus on the third type of intelligence because it is the only measurable one. In fact, experts have developed standard tests to quantify the mental ability of dogs to perform specific actions/works on request. They measure how quickly the dogs learn and how accurately they perform the requested task. As a result, they estimate an I.Q. value that is approximate. Many variables can affect the result: the timing, the environment, the treat, and mainly, the ability of the trainer.
To see dogs taking I.Q. tests, click on this hyperlink:
Ultimately, the dog’s I.Q. is a reflection of the trainer’s intelligence and ability to communicate with the dog. Following these tests and based on an AVERAGE performance by a group of dogs of the same breed, canine researchers attempted a list of the “Brightest Dogs” – I think it would be more correct to speak about “Brightest Breeds”.
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