For those of us familiar with different types of dog breeds, there's little doubt that some are smarter than others. Within each breed, of course, there are exceptions to the rule that some species are more intelligent than others. However, certain dog breeds have genetic makeups and mental capacities that overshadow others.
If you're thinking about buying or adopting a new dog and want to purchase one smart and easy to train, you've come to the right place. This article will discuss the smartest dog breeds and how we know they're the smartest.
The exact reason some dog breeds are smarter than others isn't entirely known. Although we don't fully understand why some breeds are more intelligent than others, there are three different types of dog intelligence and definite ways of measuring them.
This type of intelligence refers to your dog's instincts and what it's been bred to do throughout the years. Instinctive intelligence is why some dogs are better hunters or protectors than others.
Adaptive intelligence determines your dog's ability to adapt to its surroundings and learn from life experiences. This type of intelligence is similar to how we as humans learn to adapt to new surroundings without any formal teaching or instruction.
Working and obedience is the intelligence type that sets certain breeds apart from the rest. It's a measurement of how hard your dog is willing to work to learn tricks and commands to please you. The higher your dog breeds working and obedience intelligence, the easier it will be to train.
Now that you have a better understanding of the criteria that determine the intelligence of a dog breed, let's look at what the most intelligent dog breeds are.
No matter who you ask or what intelligence score you use, border collies are often considered the smartest dog breed in the world. They're most well-known for being sheepherders, hard workers, and even movie stars, in the case of Lassie. While the average number of words that most dogs can comprehend is around 250, some border collies can learn between 750 and 1,000 words.
Border collies are herding dogs and workaholics best described as smart, energetic, easy-to-teach, and affectionate. A big part of why they're so bright is that they're desperate to make their owners happy. This, in turn, means that border collies are fiercely loyal and loving to their owners.
Although poodles often have a reputation of being fancy and high-maintenance, they're also right behind border collies in terms of intelligence. This French dog breed really is the total package with looks, athleticism, and intelligence, and they're also hypoallergenic. Each of these traits is a big reason why poodles are cross-breed with many other breeds.
Not only are german shepherds one of the most intelligent and most loyal dog breeds in the world, but they're also one of the most intimidating. German shepherds are routinely used by police and military personnel worldwide because of how smart, athletic, and tough they are. However, they're also preferred for home protection because, although they're fierce towards intruders, german shepherds are loving and affectionate towards their owners and family members.
For decades, the golden retriever has been the poster child of the perfect dog for a family. All you have to do is watch the Air-Bud movies to realize how smart and playful they are. They're natural hunting and retrieving dogs, and they're commonly used as service animals because of their calming nature.
Retrievers are also one of the preferred dogs to cross-breed with a poodle, which gives you a Goldendoodle. Goldendoodles, like Charlie of GoodCharlie Energy, have the smarts and looks of a poodle and the personality and playfulness of a Golden Retriever. Essentially, they're the best of both worlds.
Belgian Malinois are right up there with German Shepherds in terms of their use and personality. Malinois, like shepherds, are used by police and military personnel around the world because of their working and obedience, intelligence, and fierce loyalty. However, because of their genetic makeup, a Belgian malinois needs tons of training and attention from an early age. Otherwise, they'll be extremely high energy but won’t know where to focus their energy.
With the proper training, however, the Belgian malinois makes the perfect home protection and family dog.
If you want a dog that looks elegant, fierce, and also happens to be one of the smartest breeds on the planet, the Doberman Pinscher is for you. The Doberman was originally bred in Germany specifically for guarding and protection purposes. However, anyone who has ever owned a Doberman knows that there's more to them than their gruff exterior. When properly trained, a Doberman will look and act tough when they need to, but be a loving teddy bear when they're not protecting you.
As their name indicates, Australian cattle dogs were bred in Australia for herding cattle. They're quick to learn commands and are highly motivated to do their job and please their masters. However, you should be forewarned that Australian cattle dogs are extremely energetic and need ample space to run off their energy. As such, they're very smart dogs but not ideal if you live in an apartment or the city.
Aside from these breeds, rottweilers, labrador retrievers, and papillons round out the top 10 smartest dog breeds in the world.
Even if your dog doesn't fall into one of the breeding categories listed above, it doesn't mean that they're not smart. With enough training and attention, any dog has the mental capacity to learn tricks and commands. You might have to find different ways to entice your dog and other training methods, but every dog is trainable regardless of its breed.
Dogs are loyal and loving animals and have the innate desire to please their masters. They're also a big part of our mission at GoodCharlie Energy which is why we're partnered with Houston Pets Alive and Dallas Pets Alive. Together, we're striving to make Texas the best state for a dog to live in.