Top 7 Smartest Dog Breeds

Smartest Dog Breeds

Dogs aren’t just a man’s best friend or companion. Aside from their natural ability to connects with human beings and understand their moods and feelings, dogs are surprisingly clever.

Concerning the animal kingdom, dogs are considered one of the smartest animals out there, along with parrots, pigs, chimpanzees, and dolphins.

According to several research studies and behavioral measures, a dog’s mental abilities are equivalent to a 2 years old human child. They are also capable of learning several words as well as comprehending complex activities.

Border Collie

The smartest dog breed is the Border Collie, a type of herding dog that originated in the United Kingdom.

It has an average life span of 12 years. This kind of breed is mainly trained for herding livestock. It is proven that dogs can interact and work with other animals.

Mental stimulation, physical workout, and exercise are typically required on Border Collie compared to other dog breeds. Besides, Border Collie often exudes an intense gaze or herding eye.

That’s excellent to command and heard other livestock such as sheep, cattle, and ducks. Furthermore, this kind of breed has high endurance, energy, and athleticism.

More about Collie here: The Collie Dog: Breed Of Lassie
 

Poodle

Another breed of dog with high intellect is the Poodle. Poodle, also known as Pudelhund or Caniche, was historically originated from France and Germany.

There are three varieties of this breed, namely Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle, and Toy Poodle. Standard Poodles were used as working dogs for hunting operations in the military during World War II.

They can easily follow specific instructions, learn swimming skills, and even solve various problems independently. The Poodle is known to be versatile and has the eagerness to be challenged; otherwise, they get bored quickly.

Also, Poodle is considered as one of the dog breeds with a high level of adaptability.

More about Poodles Here: Poodles Infographic: The World’s Second Most Intelligent Breed

German Shepherd

Landing on the third spot is the famous German Shepherd, commonly known as Alsatian Wolf Dog or Berger Allemand. Based on its name alone, the dog came from Germany. German Shepherd is also classed as a working dog trained primarily for herding sheep.

This kind of breed typically has a natural working relationship with humans. Their mental intuition was wired for protection and detection purposes as they are historically used as a police dogs.

German Shepherd depicts high obedience and adaptive intelligence. Concurrently, this kind of breed is one of the best therapy dogs due to its innate intelligence and affectionate character.

Golden Retriever

With its Scottish and British origin, Golden Retriever landed the fourth-ranked as one of the smartest breeds of dogs. They are also known as the friendliest and the most affectionate dog breed.

Golden Retrievers are athletic, lively, and easy to train. They are bred originally for hunting, tracking, and search and rescue missions.

Aside from being the friendliest breed out there, their retrieving ability is top-notch. Obviously, it says on its name alone because of their high instinctive and adaptive intelligence. 

Plus, they love getting on an adventure with their human friends.
 

 

Doberman

Fifth on the lists is Doberman Pinscher or simply Doberman, another German-based dog generally known for being a guard dog. Doberman is often perceived as aggressive because of their muscular built, long tail and neck, and unique pointed and erect ears.

Aside from their looks, Doberman is considered a fast learner. They can adapt easily and follow commands faster than the other dogs since they were used as war dogs during the Second World War.

This breed is also called the “ultimate guardian or protector” because they always take an alpha or a pack leader’s role.

Sheepdog

Our Scottish friend Shetland Sheepdog landed the sixth spot of the smartest breed of dogs. Commonly known as Sheltie, this breed is usually small with two layers of fur or a double coat.

They are also used for livestock herding and therapy dogs. At the same time, Shelties are also very playful, friendly, and affectionate.

Because of these abilities, they are usually participating and excelling in performance events or dog shows. Due to their playful personality, Shelties needs a lot of mental and physical training; otherwise, they get stubborn and bored.

Newfoundland

And finally, historically originated on the island of Newfoundland in Canada, Labrador Retriever or simply Lab earned the seventh spot on the most intelligent dog breed lists out there.

Aside from being one of the most popular dogs, Labrador exudes high intellect and physical abilities. They are used as a service, police, military, rescue, and detection gods.

This breed also shows high energy level and playfulness. Labrador is one of the easiest breeds to train. With the help of their strong sense of smell and athletic built, they specifically excel in retrieving activities and search and rescue operations.

Furthermore, Labrador can be an excellent therapy companion because of their friendly and affectionate demeanor.

Other dog breeds with high intellect include Papillon, a French-Belgian dog known for their famous butterfly wing-like ears. Next is the Bloodhound, a dog breed with a heightened sense of smell and tracking abilities. And lastly, Rottweiler, a German descent dog, is commonly used as working dogs and police dogs.
 

 

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Author

Anne Cara

I am a graduate of Business Administration. I am currently working as an analyst in Ortigas. I’m also a first-year law student. I love reading comics, manga, and novels.