Smartest and Dumbest Dog Breeds
June 23, 2008 by Heather R.
Filed under Pets
The Early Show on CBS did a segment last week on the smartest and dumbest dog breeds. I’ve heard of some breeds not being as bright as others, I’m not sure what their criteria was.
Anyway, they say the dumbest breeds are:
1. Afghan Hound
2. Basenji
3. Bulldog
4. Chow Chow
5. Borzois
6. Bloodhound
7. Pekingese
8. Mastiff
9. Beagle
10. Basset hound
and the smartest are:
1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog
Like I said, I’m not sure what they’re basing their rankings on exactly. I’ve known a pretty smart beagle and a dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks poodle so it’s a safe bet that it’s all relative anyway!
What do you think of the lists?
[image: flickr]
Border Collies rock! They’ve been my favorite breed since I was growing up. The one we have now (Emily) is super smart, she learns in a snap, she loves to do tricks, and picked up obedience commands like she’d been doing it all her life.
If she just didn’t have a totally unreasonable fear of thunderstorms and anything that goes boom…
Linette: Our little Honey is afraid of thunder and firecrackers too! She also doesn’t like water. I wish we knew what had happened to her before she came to us, but we can deal with it and as I’ve told my husband if that’s her only imperfection then she’s pretty perfect to me!
I have two issues with this list. The biggest of which is that Corgis didn’t make the top ten list! Corgis are way smarter than some of the other breeds on that list. I’m indignant.
Second, I agree with you Heather, I’ve met some smart beagles too. I always understood that beagles were easily distracted by smells, not that they’re dumb. That’s not a very nice way to put “not as obedient or smart as other breeds” is it?
The list makes sense to me. If you know a lot about dog breeds, you notice the majority of the dogs in the smartest list are either Herding or Working Group dogs. These dogs were bred by nature to obey and work with humans.
The breeds on the dumbest list, on the other hand, are mostly from the Hound group. These dogs were bred to be independent of handlers and refer to following their sight or nose to get around.
Hi Courtney! That’s a very good point, re: if the dogs “listen” to us then they’re smart. There were quite a few on the “dumb” list that really surprised me.
I have owned a Basset Hound and I currently own a Mastiff. I have to say that Bassets are not the smartest dogs out there, but a Mastiff is much smarter than a Basset.
I have a basset hound named riley and he is super super SMART i dont find the basset hound dumb at all they are good and my dog can find anything if he has a trace of it first!
I currently have a male basenji and he is EXTREMELY bright, as are most of the basenjis i have personally met…..i agree with courtney’s comment i think people are confusing the fact that the dog does whatever u want, means they are smart. just becuase the dog takes more time to train, dosen’t make them dumb….actually i would figure the opposite….basenjis want to know whats in it for them.
I have a female welsh corgi and she can practically do math. Corgis are very smart she talks and get us do do most everything how smart is that..
Rottweilers are probably the smartest on the list!
They constantly want to learn and get bored if the brain is not stimulated enough.You notice Pit bulls are not on the list! LOL
I am stumped on how they came up with this list. I have a chow chow and he is extremely smart-a bit stubborn but that’s it. He was potty trained in less then a week when we got him and he learned to sit and lay after only a few sessions working with him. I think people assume dogs are dumb just because they are stubborn and ignores their owners sometimes. Interesting list, thanks for sharing it.
Hey! I resemble that remark! Seriously, our beloved Peke, Leo, is smart as a whip, sensitive, BUT stubborn!
When he falls asleep, he snores deeply, often forgetting to pull in his little pink tongue which eventually dries up from the air and looks furled and funny! You couldn’t ask for a sweeter breed to lover for a family. I REALLY wish the Obama family would consider a rescue Pekingese!
My beagle, LuLu, is neurotic but also quite intelligent. She was potty trained in four days at the age of eight months, meaning she beat my neighbor’s grandson who still has problems at the age of three. In general, the most intelligent dogs I’ve known have been mutts. My dog, Sadie, a whippet-terrier mix, may not be able to translate ancient Greek, but I’ve got an idea she could join the canine version of MENSA.
I take exception to this list, too. My Sheltie, Rowdy, is definitely on the “challenged” list. He tries hard, but not too smart. Kind of looks at me like “what?” whenever he does something bone-headed. Maybe he is a surfer-sheltie….dude….
Basenji’s are listed as second to last dumbest dog but they are actually VERY intelligent… just not obedient. I have a dog now who’s a beagle basenji mix and he is very intelligent and learns extremely fast. However, if he doesn’t feel like listening… he does whatever it is he wants to do.
My beagle, Barkley, is a physicist amongst dogs. He outsmarted every dog he played with at NYC dog runs and “pretended” to pee (crouched and faked it) to get treats when he was being paper trained. He easily has a one hundred word vocabulary (understands, not speaks!) as well. Beagles are very intelligent, indeed.
We must remember, however that certain dog breeds are dubbed “dumb” because they are not easily trained.
Beagles are notoriously hard to potty train. But as Theresa stated, her Beagle had no problem whatsoever with that field. Breed Intelligence statements are genearal with some dogs straying from their stereotype.
I too have a beagle, Chief, who was potty trained from the moment i got him. Oddly enough, the breeder never had the pup inside he is just smart enough to recognize that outside is where he is supposed to use the restroom. I can also hide his toy anywhere in the house and he’ll hunt it on scent alone. I failed to mention, he’s only three months old and super intelligent.
Our Bassett Mr. Grumpy is so smart ,if we spell some things out he knows what we are doing and he will follow us to the door ready to go!!!!
I know that most of us might be offended if our little furry friend ends up on the “dumb” list (not the nicest way to put it…LOL); however, we must understand that this is all generally based on the majority. As some stated before me, there are those who stray from the normalities of the breed. My mother-in-law has a Papillon which is not necessarily bright, mostly due to lack of training, while I own two poodles, both of which are extremely intelligent. We whelped the new puppies here, who were doing the following at 4 weeks: Sit, Stay, Come, Down, Crawl. By 6 weeks they were dancing. By 7 and 8 weeks they were pros at walking at your side, leash or not, and potty trained (mind you their bladders are still small and as such, they can only hold it so long so one must be attentive). Now, at 12 weeks of age and a whopping 2.7 pounds, our little puppy is quite smart. Most of what she has learned has happened in a day or less. Again, all of what is listed above is based on general standard. Do not forget, there will be “dumb” poodles out there, as there might even be a really smart bulldog! You just never know…
Once again, people are confusing the fact and difference between smart, and obidient. I have a German Shepherd, and they are smart. They can handle multiple responsibilities. Police work, eye seeing dog, etc.. I also have a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I am surprised why they are not on the top. Althought hey may not look it, they are intelligent and always willing to learn.
The lists don’t consider actual brain power or reasoning ability and seem to be quite the opposite. Sure my golden retriever will do anything and everything I ask but he has no idea why just that it pleases me and he has been bred to do so, it’s not like any long division is going on in there. I also have a rhodesian ridgeback and they are strong willed, independent, and very intelligent and inquisitive but they would be considered dumb on this list because they want to know why they should do something instead of blind obedience.
obedience lists I would agree…smartest/dumbest not even close
I beg to be heard! My Borsoi was out with the four of us last Friday night and actually placed an order at the drive-thru–in English! He ordered a fish sandwich at Frisch’s and requested that the tartar sauce not be to generous lest it overflow the sides of the bun. How’s that for smart?
Borsois are extremely intelligent.
I understand the whole obedient vs smart, but what I can’t figure out is who decided which breeds would be tested. I’ve looked at this list on a few different sites and I can’t seem to find the Jack Russel (or Parson Russell) terrier anywhere.
I have a female chow chow. She is very smart. Potty trained at 9 weeks, and learned to sit, stay , “belly rub” in basically a day. She knows the difference between going bye bye in the car and for a walk…..she is only 12 weeks. I think these lists are not based on individual breed intelligence but something more subjective. There are many intelligent dogs not on this list.
I agree totally. I loved my Chow Chow, Bandit, so much and she was so smart even as a puppy, and not a mean bone in her body. She died of old age last year, and I will always miss her.
I’ve had a border collie all my life and my beloved Molly(who died a little while ago) was the smartest dog I have ever known, and Bandit, who is a border collie puppy that is just a few months old, is so incredibly smart that she even knows how to open a door!!! When a border collie is full grown it has the brain development of a 12 year old kid!!! Above all the border collie is just incredible, not to forget it’s agility, Molly could jump 5 feet in the air and Bandit is up to 3 feet! They are lovable and make great friends, just as long as you have the energy to put up with them.
Shetland Sheepdogs are a very smart breed as well, I’ve lived with one my whole life as well. They’re a little more mellow than a border collie though.
Well, I have had one in each list. My Chow Chow just died at age 13 and I thought she was really smart, loyal, and not a mean bone in her body. I also have a Golden Retreiver/German Sheperd mix, and I have to admit that she is the smartest dog I have ever known. It is almost like she understands what you are saying and picks up on what you want her to do after the first time. So, I think that there can be some individual smart dogs even in the Dumb List. Love dogs anyway.
Chows are one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever met. They know enough not to bark at stupid things, not to listen to stupid commands like “sit”. Instead of sitting they ask “why, I’m fine standing”. They don’t eat themselves to death, they know when to stop. They don’t chase after everything that moves. They don’t jump all over couches. They are the most laid back, intelligent dog. I would change your list to the “10 most untrainable breeds” rather than dumb. Your list is like saying someone is smart for jumping off a bridge because he was commanded to.
Hi Chowlover, thanks for stopping by. It’s not actually my list — CBS is cited as the source, but thanks for your feedback.
We had a Basset, and he could go get the paper, speak when asked and get you to follow him. He was also smart enough to get ham three times a day. Rufus was smart enough to tell you when he wanted the heater turned on to sleep in front of it, or stand in front of the fan to tell you he was hot and wanted it trun on as well.
I agree about Labs – we had one that actually looked both ways before crossing the street. Another one would only drink fresh cold water from the bath tub ( no potty water for him), and would take his mouth and try to turn the faucet on to get it! He never could, but he would watch as you turned it – actually watching to learn how to turn it himself!
Most of us want a dog to love and be loved in return – in that ALL dogs are smart!
Where was the pug on the “stupid” list? I own one, and let’s just say she’s not the brightest crayon in the box.
what about pugs lol
I have a Siberian Husky all the research that i have done the experts says this breed is one of the smartest and oldest breeds in the world. Well my husky is one of the most loveable, but i will swear the dumbest to.
My dad had an Afgahn he said it was the dumbest dog ever. He just fell in love with the border collie breed.