They understand quickly, adapt without difficulty and solve much more complex problems than you think. According to a scientific study conducted on more than 1000 dogs, certain breeds stand out clearly by their intelligence.
Dog intelligence has long been fascinating ethologists and owners. If some dogs quickly learn orders, others seem capable of anticipating behavior, solving simple problems or feeling the emotions of their master. To better understand these cognitive faculties, a team of researchers from the University of Helsinki, Finland, conducted a vast comparative study on several dozen breeds. Published in 2022 in the journal Scientific Reports, she ranks the most intelligent dogs, based on more than 1000 individuals and a battery of ten cognitive tests.
Among the best classified breeds, first of all, the Golden Retriever, often perceived as an affectionate and docile dog, which has distinguished itself by its capacities to cooperate with humans and interpret their signals. Like the Labrador, it is less gifted to resolve complicated puzzles, but these two dog breeds know better than anyone understand a look, capture the attention of their master or even follow a finger pointed on an object. The Malinois Belgian Shepherd, widely used in the police, has shone in short -term memory and problem solving exercises. Border Collie, long considered the most intelligent dog in the world according to the ranking of Dr Stanley Coren, remains among the best: it excels in verbal understanding and learning complex orders. These dogs are able to associate a word with an action with an impressive assimilation speed.
Among those who have also succeeded in highly hand tests, the researchers cite the shepherd of Shetland. During a test consisting in recycling a treat placed in a transparent tube, the majority of dogs tried to access it directly, colliding with the wall. The shepherd of Shetland took the time to observe before acting, bypassing the obstacle with method. He knew how to slow down his impulse and adapt his behavior to the situation, proof of good self -control and a fine analytical capacity.
If the intelligence of a dog depends in part on its race, it is also based on the environment, mental stimulation and the quality of the link with its master. All dogs need games, challenges, attention and learning to flourish. Even a breed deemed “less efficient” in the study can show amazing skills if it is well accompanied. Rather than choosing a dog for its ranking, it is better to be interested in its needs, its temperament … and its ability to become a real life of life.
