Specialists in animal cognition note this: from one dog to another, the speed of learning, memory or understanding of an order vary greatly. And behind these very concrete measures lies a question that intrigues researchers and owners alike: are some dogs smarter than others?
Guides for the visually impaired, drug or explosive sniffers for the police, sea or high mountain rescuers, disease and epileptic seizure detectors, or quite simply shepherds… It is not for nothing that dogs are man’s best friends. In addition to their adorable appearance and their gift for awakening in us a feeling of unconditional love, they are above all capable of all kinds of impressive feats, which we mechanically associate with a form of intelligence. However, as with humans, all animals are not equal: some dogs are smarter than others. Much research has established that the average intelligence of a dog is comparable to that of a two and a half year old child.
Of course, each breed is different: some will be better at remembering orders, others at solving spatial problems, and still others will have better visual memory. For example, several studies have shown that Border Collies can retain up to 1,000 words from our vocabulary, compared to 165 to 250 words on average for others. But it is the Malinois that takes the prize of intelligence among our four-legged friends. So what about the least smart dog of all? Stanley Coren, a specialist in canine psychology at the University of British Columbia, looked into the question in his book The intelligence of dogs. By becoming interested in the insight of man’s best friend, he was, by extension, also interested… in their stupidity.
As reported GEOthe researcher studied 130 different breeds and interviewed more than 200 dog obedience judges across the United States and Canada, which allowed him to establish a ranking. Despite its innate elegance and ability to run, one dog stands out as the least intelligent of all: the Afghan Hound. You would have to repeat a new order to him more than 80 times for him to finally learn it. Moreover, the dogs tested obeyed the first command (albeit already learned) in less than 25% of cases. Although it surpasses the others in the ranking, the Afghan Hound is not the only one to take time to understand things… In order, we then find the Basenji, the Bulldog, the Chow Chow, the Borzoi (or Russian Hound), the Pekingese, the Beagle, the Mastiff, the Basset Hound and finally the Shih Tzu.
Of course, each doggie is different and it is possible to strengthen his cognitive abilities with exercises, in the same way as early learning activities for our little ones: introducing him to new places, boosting his social interactions or offering him interactive games with rewards, such as a puzzle or a game of hide and seek for example. But of course, whether he’s the canine Einstein or the dunce of the pack, all dog owners will agree: their little ball of fur is the best, whatever the scientists think!
