The Border
The dog breed with the highest IQ is the Border Collie, followed by other smart pups like the Belgian Malinois, Poodle, and German Shepherd. Dogs showcase several types of intelligence including instinctual intelligence, obedience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to problem-solve.
But according to psychologist J. Paul Scott, the average canine can understand approximately 200 spoken human words. Some trainers even claim they've taught dogs up to nearly 350 words. This means you can compare the average pooch to your typical two-year-old human kid's language ability.
The study finds that common commands are among the most likely words a dog will know. These include “sit,” “come,” “down,” “stay,” “wait,” “no,” “OK,” and “leave it.” However, researchers note that dogs most frequently respond to their own names.
So while dogs do not understand what kisses really mean, they can eventually learn to realize they are positive messages. Signs your pooch may display include wagging their tail, looking alert, licking your hand or face, excited behavior and racing around.
Dogs, it turns out, have about twice the number of neurons in their cerebral cortexes than what cats have, which suggests they could be about twice as intelligent. This finding was provisionally accepted for publication and will soon publish in the journal Frontiers in Neuroanatomy.
The list of the world's smartest dog breeds, according to a survey of 122 veterinary professionals conducted by Vetstreet, probably comes as no surprise. Border collies, German shepherds, poodles, Australian shepherds and golden retrievers all have a reputation for being intelligent dogs.
According to Coren's standards, the Australian Shepherd ranked (drumroll, please) 42nd among 138 breeds. This ranking may feel lower than expected if you know Australian Shepherds well. However, their intelligence remains above average for dog breeds as a whole.
Australian Cattle Dog
Australian cattle dogs are one of the smartest dog breeds. They are a true working dog, bred to herd cattle on outback farms. Their hard work has led to the growth of the Australian livestock industries. Pet Australian cattle dogs are eager to please their owners and do well at agility.
Border collie
“It's not a surprise that this hard-working, herding breed comes in first on our list,” say Caitie Steffen, veterinarian and geneticist Dr Angela Hughes. Border Collies are always eager to learn and please their owners, which earns them the top spot in this smartest dogs ranking.
At the end of the day, there simply isn't a clear winner. Cats and dogs are each uniquely intelligent in their own way, and there's no inherent superiority between them. Each animal should be assessed according to its unique abilities.
Horses and Dogs are both intelligent animals, but they have different cognitive strengths. Horses excel in areas like navigational intelligence while dogs do better with social intelligence. Neither animal is smarter than the other, that's just what makes them unique!
The journal Scientific Reports found that dogs do, indeed, have a definite sense of self-awareness. But it's not as strong as humans. For sure, both research and anecdotal evidence show that dogs are aware of the size and shape of their bodies. They know if they can fit in a dog bed or on a car seat.
According to Svartberg's data (PDF), a pinscher, a Bernese mountain dog, or an English springer spaniel might be the most disloyal since each ranks very low on playfulness, with moderate sociability.
Dogs score higher in perceived intelligence ratings than cows, for example, yet a study in the 1970s demonstrated that in a test cows could navigate a maze as well as dogs, and only slightly less well than children. The point was made that our perception of an animal's ability is influenced by how we test them.
Previous research by Nawroth and his team has also shown that their intelligence rivals that of dogs, with goats able to see if there was a treat in one cup or not, and discern from that information whether there was a treat in another cup.
According to Professor Stanley Coren, a canine expert at the University of British Columbia in Canada, the Afghan Hound is the least intelligent breed of dog when it comes to understanding and obeying commands.
Scientists have studied both species and their brains to find the answer to this very question. And, scientifically speaking, dogs are likely smarter than cats. The research study looked at the brains of animals in the order Carnivora, a group of mammals containing bears, seals, raccoons as well as cats and dogs.
Dogs can be pretty smart. They learn tricks, obey commands, work alongside humans in serious jobs and even sniff out drugs, bombs and cancer! On the other hand, we've seen enough dogs that have eaten chocolate, golf balls and drawing pins to know they can be pretty silly at times too…
The Kelpie is a breed with an exceptionally high IQ and may get into mischief if left to their own devices. They require plenty of exercise, and may become bored if cooped up for long periods of time. Keep a Kelpie occupied and engaged, and they'll thrive.
Border Collies and Kelpies are much different from each other and both possess unique qualities. It is considered that Kelpies are much better and smarter than Border Collies, which can withstand the rugged outback conditions of Australia.