It's fun to look at the list of the smartest dogs to see if a pet of yours is considered the Einstein of the animal kingdom. This list has been relatively unchanged for the last several years.
Link to top 10 smartest dog breeds
That being said, there will be, no doubt, a surge of homeless Border Collies, Poodles, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Dobermans in shelters. Anytime a dog gets highlighted for intelligence, popularity, or fame, there is an increase in demand for those breeds. Within 6 months, shelters and rescue groups start to see an increase in those breeds as well, because owners did not do the required research on the dog they were getting.
The sad reality is, most people think Border Collies are smart, and therefore, easy to train, which they are. But they don't realize that Borders need a minimum of 3 hours of intense exercise daily, walks don't cut it with this dog. They are very cerebral, have a high likelihood of developing OCD tendencies if their needs aren't met. Additionally, they will herd children, cats, dogs, airplanes - anything that can move if they don't have a job to do. These are not a dog for someone as a first time dog owner. Many of these dogs also have what I like to call, a big personal space bubble. Special attention should go into socializing these dogs with other dogs, long after the 6 month socialization period is over.
Poodles are also super-intelligent, but they are high maintenance! Be prepared to spend $65-$100 every 6-8 weeks for grooming this dog! They don't shed, which makes them less likely to trigger allergies, but their coats still need attention. Additionally, they are another high-energy breed, even the toy and miniature poodles! They all need a minimum of 2-3 hours of intense exercise daily to be satisfied. Smaller doesn't mean less energy, which is why a lot of mini-poodles end up in shelters.
If you or someone you know are looking to get a pup, make sure the dog meets the lifestyle, and isn't an impulse buy because they are cute and smart- because I promise, they will outsmart you along the way!
Hmmm, don't know about the doggie eugenics. I read that list, as well as the 10 least intelligent dogs, and given howtenuous th validity is of evaluating human IQs, i suspect someauthor biases might have affected the results. This is not to say the traits bread into somevarieties of dog, and cats aren't there, but to equate behaviors and trainability with intelligence, is maybe pushing it. I know some dogs seem a bit dumber than others, individually, but truthfully, an easily trained, obsessive dog may be likean ideotsavant, who is brilliant at piano but not much else. my old part border collie, part beagle, partgolden, part ??, was incredibly intelligent. When someone would throw a stick he wold ignore it, with that 'You throw it, you get it. I don't do tricks" look. I never trained him to do anything, but one day he watched a dog get a cookie for sitting, so he walked up to the person and sat down. an obsessivedog, like my Claudie might still be intelligent, but i don't think the two traits follow suit, nor are exclusive of each other. The mellow dog who may not realize the owner is gone till they return, so called, might indeed be aware of it, and either existential, or in a state of perpetual grace. My 2¢ anyway. Love you, Janet
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