The age-old saying that “dogs are man’s best friends” has never been truer.

They are cuddly, loyal, and often funny, but do they have intelligence beyond their undying devotion? As the most popular domesticated animal worldwide, dogs have always served a crucial role in homes. From the sniffer dogs that work with law enforcement officers to pets that help ease anxiety to the hunting dog in the countryside, dogs have become invaluable members of households.

It’s fascinating to think that dogs have continuously brainwashed the human race into thinking they are intelligent creatures worthy of their love and attention.

What is intelligence in dogs?

Intelligence in dogs refers to their capacity to understand and learn new skills, to their problem-solving abilities, and to how they differ between breeds.

It’s not just limited to tasks like responding to a series of commands or performing tricks but also refers to how they adapt to various environments. Many behavioral scientists believe that assessing intelligence in dogs entails five important areas: working and obedience intelligence; instinctive intelligence; emotional intelligence; adaptive intelligence, and memory intelligence.

These skills reflect a dog’s ability to remember, perform tasks, and react accordingly to different situations they encounter.

Working and Obedience Intelligence

Working and obedience intelligence refers to an individual dog’s ability to learn commands and tasks quickly. Consider military dogs or police dogs who receive specialized training to perform specific jobs.

The best working dogs have exceptional obedience intelligence, enabling them to follow orders accurately and remain amped up to complete tasks even under duress.

Instinctive Intelligence

Instinctive intelligence comes more naturally to dogs, and it relates to their inherent ability to perform a job/role due to the traits and characteristics that have been bred into them over time.

A good example would be sheepdogs that herd sheep without much human guidance. Their innate ability to herd comes primarily from their instinctive intelligence.

Adaptive Intelligence

Studies show that dogs’ adaptability correlates with their intelligence. Adaptive intelligence is the dog’s ability to solve problems independently when faced with novel situations.

A smart dog that’s adaptive has an easier time in unfamiliar environments, adapts accordingly to different living conditions, and will adjust more rapidly if there’s a change in their diet, routine, or people they’re living with.

Memory Intelligence

A dog’s memory is essential to their overall intelligence. It’s their ability to remember learned behaviors, problem-solving tactics, and training commands for an extended period.

Memory is different from obedience intelligence because it refers to determining how long a dog can remember what they’ve learned. A well-trained dog must remember simple commands even when there are no treats or rewards presented.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is a dog’s capacity to recognize, understand, and react to human emotions appropriate to their current situation. Dogs have this incredible ability to understand our moods and to comfort us when we’re upset or depressed.

Studies show that dogs are naturally empathetic animals that can recognize when a person is sad, anxious, or happy, and then know how to react accordingly. Their overall level of emotional intelligence is crucial as it determines how well they bond with their owners and comprehend their social and emotional cues.

Do Breeds Matter When It Comes to Intelligence?

While intelligence varies from dog to dog, breed plays a large role in determining the base level of dog intelligence.

Each breed has a distinct set of traits and characteristics that can put them ahead of other breeds in specific areas of intelligence, while falling behind in other areas. Breeds that have been bred to have narrow specializations, such as sporting dogs or working dogs, are bound to have higher intelligence in those areas.

The Smartest Dog Breeds

Here are some of the smartest dog breeds based on the five areas of intelligence:.

1. Border Collie

The Border Collie is among the most intelligent dog breeds. They are highly trainable, acrobatic, and work well under pressure. Their instinctive intelligence allows them to herd livestock without much human guidance.

2. Poodle

Poodles have always been bred to be larger companions and hunters, but today they are considered one of the world’s smartest breeds. They’re very trainable and known for their unrivaled obedience intelligence.

3. German Shepherd

German Shepherds are one of the most loved and adulated breeds across the world. They are regularly used as working police dogs and perform search and rescue, military/law enforcement work.

Their easy adaptability, high levels of obedience intelligence, and loyalty make them an easy breed for training. German Shepherds also excel in emotional intelligence, making them well-suited to service dogs.

4. Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers are calm, loyal, and sociable. Golden Retrievers rank high in memory and adaptive intelligence, helping with tasks such as reading human emotions.

5. Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog is highly regarded for their working intelligence and their singularity of focus. They are used as working dogs in livestock herding environments.

The Importance of Dog Intelligence

Dog intelligence has a massive impact on how they respond accurately to different situations, their behavior around humans, their social ability to form bonds, and their ability to adapt to different environments.

It’s important to recognize these various areas of intelligence and to recognize that it’s not just obedience that matters. Certain breeds have high levels of different areas of intelligence, allowing them to function more effectively in specific situations.

When choosing to bring a new dog into your home, it’s crucial to do your research to ensure that breed meets both your personality and intelligence requirements.