Brainy Breeds

Question: Certain dog breeds seem to be smarter than others, so I purposely chose a Border collie in part because of the breed’s reputation for brains. I didn’t want to fuss with a less-intelligent breed when it came to teaching basic obedience. I don’t have the patience to keep trying and trying to teach a dog to sit or to stay. So far, I’ve been really happy with Einstein’s response to training, but I’m curious: How can I figure out just how smart he is?

Answer: In the canine classroom, your aptly named Einstein rates as the tail-wagging valedictorian. Other top students include poodles, German shepherds, and golden retrievers. Breeds who might need some after-school tutoring include Afghan hounds, basenjis, and bulldogs. Before owners of these dogs bark at me in protest, please keep in mind that exceptions — both bright and not so bright — exist in every breed.

Sizing up a dog’s brainpower can be tricky, because they don’t think the way that we do. Dogs are not begging to enroll in the canine version of Mensa or stealing the newspaper to do the crossword puzzle. Because certain breeds were created to excel at certain tasks, your Border collie can run circles around a Japanese chin when it comes to herding sheep because he possesses the genes to shepherd a flock. But I’d put my money on a beagle sniffing out a rabbit faster than a Border collie, since the almighty nose is a bragging right among hound breeds.

But almost any dog can learn a wide variety of obedience cues if taught with patience. Some can acquire an astonishing array of behaviors. Service dogs are an amazing example of the canine brain in action. These highly trained dogs are encouraged to exercise “intelligent disobedience” when confronting a situation that could harm their human charges. A guide dog, for example, knows not to budge forward when facing a hole or other hazard, despite his blind owner’s insistence.

Developing a foolproof method of testing canine intelligence remains an ongoing challenge for dog trainers, breeders, and animal behaviorists. One pioneer in this field is Stanley Coren, a renowned Canadian psychologist and exceptional dog trainer. In The Intelligence of Dogs, Dr. Coren ranks 133 breeds from smart as a whip to dumb as a brick, pointing out there are variations and exceptions in every breed. He devised a canine IQ test that strives to identify several levels of intelligence: adaptive, obedient, and instinctive.

Breeds ranking in the top 10 smartest can grasp new commands in fewer than five repetitions and obey a known cue the first time it is given 95 percent of the time. The Border collie heads this elite class and is joined by poodles, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Doberman pinschers, Shetland sheepdogs, Labrador retrievers, papillons, Rottweilers, and Australian cattle dogs.

Breeds in the bottom 10 often require up to 100 repetitions to understand a new command and will obey a known cue the first time it is given only 25 percent of the time. Even if they know how to sit, they may need to hear the word four or five times before they plop their rear ends down. This list, which is definitely subject to debate, includes the Shih Tzu, basset hound, mastiff, beagle, Pekingese, bloodhound, borzoi, chow chow, bulldog, basenji, and Afghan hound.

Here are a few fun ways to figure out how smart your own dog is:

•  THE TOWEL TEST: When your dog is lying down, drape a large bath towel over his head and time how long it takes for him to lose the towel. Smart dogs master this in less than 15 seconds while slow learners can take more than 30 seconds.
•  THE BUCKET TEST: Line up three buckets (size is not important, but use ones made of lightweight material like plastic). Show your dog his favorite treat or toy and let him watch you place it under one of these upside-down buckets. Divert his attention away from the buckets for a few seconds and then ask him to find the hidden prize. A smart dog makes a beeline to the correct bucket while slower learners may knock over the other two buckets before finally finding the prize under the bucket.
•  THE LEASH TEST: Pick a time that you do not customarily walk your dog — say mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Without saying anything, pick up the leash and your house keys in full view of your dog. A smart dog associates the leash and keys with a walk and becomes excited at the prospect of going out. A not-quite-so-bright dog won’t make the connection and may need to hear “Want to go for a walk?” before jumping for joy. (Of course, some more phlegmatic dogs may just not be in the mood for a walk!)

Remember that canine IQ tests have limitations, one of which is that the results are subjective and evaluated by people, not other dogs. So a dog who may seem dumb to us could be the leader of the pack in the eyes of other dogs. Whatever the test results, the important thing is to value the love your dog gives you more than the number of brain cells he maximizes.