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Exactly What Determines a Dogs Intelligence?
When I grew up we owned, in succession, 3 dogs, an Australian Cattle Dog, A German Sheppard, and a Doberman. All the dogs were smart and easy to train. But the Doberman was off the charts intelligent. He had excellent breeding papers, we got him from the head of the Doberman association who was nearly in tears because it had been abused by a bikie gang. We took him home and had him checked by our vet who confirmed he found some injuries, cigarette burns etc, but said they would heal. It may have left some psychological damage so best to get him trained. We did - but it was a joke really - he was just so quick at picking it up. The other dogs we had were known intelligent breeds, but not like this. I could give many more examples, not just how easy he was to train, but space does not allow it. I have always wondered what the factor that made him so special was.
4 Answers
- Karen LLv 71 year agoFavorite Answer
Just as with people, no one is sure exactly what makes one more intelligent than another. And also as with people, there is more than one kind of intelligence. There's more to the subject than there is room to say here. I suggest googling 'intelligence of dogs' and reading a bit about it.
- Nekkid Truth!Lv 71 year ago
Well when "experts" try to determine which breeds are the smartest, they factor in multiple things.. Including versatility.
Dobermans do tend to learn things pretty quickly, but border collies tend to be more versatile in what they are capable of learning, or more versatile in the types of jobs they are able to learn/willing to do... Which is one of the reasons why border collies are ranked #1 on intelligence.
An eagerness to obey is another factor used when deciding which dog is smarter.. Which really isnt a fair assessment in some situations. The husky, for example can easily learn how to unlatch gates to escape.. But may ignore you if you ask him to "sit". Obviously, NOT a dumb dog.. Just a more independent nature.
The most intelligent breeds tends to be breeds that were bred to work closely with humans.
- JojoLv 71 year ago
Breeding Lines, Genes and what traits the breed possesses and that are enhanced in the breeding program by the dogs breeder.
There are Thick dogs and the more Intelligent dogs in most breeds, and also upbringing and training when young can influence a dogs brain power as it matures.
There is usually one dog that stands out as extra special when someone has owned a number of dogs over may years.
Source(s): GSD owner for 57 years. - PRLv 71 year ago
Intelligence in dogs often has to do with particular breeds. Border Collies are considered one of the smartest dog breeds. The article below discusses intelligence in dogs and dog breeds.
Many of the smartest dog breeds may also be more difficult to train because they are sometimes a bit more independent. Of course, ease of training will also depend on the individual dog, as well as experience of owner. What one person views as a stubborn or stupid dog, may be taught numerous things by an experienced handler, or even considered quite intelligent.
