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The majority of obedience champions, agility stars, flyball wizards and sheepdog herding winners are Border Collies. Their intelligence, enthusiasm and willingness to work has seen them awarded the top spot in canine psychologist Stanley Coren's intelligence rankings, so they deserve their place at the top of a list of smartest dog breeds.
You may recognise this breed of dog as looking like a miniature version of Lassie! The hardworking Shetland Sheepdog is one of the smartest dog breeds and they are incredible at obedience and agility competitions.
Reading Time: 6 mins, 4 secs. A dog’s intelligence is present in a variety of forms, and trainability is a sign of cleverness. Overall, attentiveness, the ability to absorb information quickly, and regular routines maintain a dog’s behavior. Some breeds of dog are motivated by their strong desire to please, while other dog breeds are smart from instinct and their natural abilities. An intelligent dog is the result of pet parents putting in the time and effort to properly train their dog. After all, a well-adjusted dog is just smarter. How Can I Adopt a Smart Dog?
Because intelligence can be measured in many ways, this list focuses on dogs who understand commands in less than five repetitions and obeyed them 95% of the time or better. Check out the top ten smartest dog breeds. 1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd Dog
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog
Smartest Dog FAQsQUESTION: What is the top dog breed? ANSWER: For the past 26 years, the trust-worthy Labrador retriever has been the most popular breed. QUESTION: What is the smartest, most intelligent dog breed of all? ANSWER: While this answer is entirely subjective, the Border Collie is one of the smartest dog breeds. Pet parents can increase intelligence in their dogs by following tips on correctly training their pets.
QUESTION: Which are the smartest dog breeds by size? ANSWER: That’s a lot of great dog breeds to choose from. Here’s a quick breakdown of smartest dog breeds relative to their size.
QUESTION: What is a dog’s working intelligence? ANSWER: Stanley Coren, a University of British Columbia, Psychology professor, wrote a book on The Intelligence of Dogs. He compiled tiers of dog intelligence after reviewing a survey from 200 training judges who scored 110 dog breeds on obedience tests. In each intelligence tier, Coren discovered how many times a dog hears a command before they respond, and how often they obey. The top level of dog intelligence picked up a command in less than five repetitions, and they followed 95% of the time or better. |