Over the past seven articles in this series, we have learned about the breeds listed as the smartest by a well-known canine psychologist, Stanley Coren. His book, which goes into great detail on how he derived his findings, is entitled The Intelligence of Dogs.
How Did Coren Determine The Canine IQ Score For Each Breed?
Coren timed how long it took each breed to learn new commands. Further, he also observed the percentage of time the breed would obey the given commands. The results of these two components determined a breed’s score.
The Results
There was a direct and clear relationship between the variables tested and the IQ score earned by each breed. The length of time it took for a breed to learn a command and the percentage of time they obeyed the command correlated to their IQ score.
The last seven articles in this series listed the most intelligent breeds with the exception of the most intelligent breed of all. I call this breed the Canine Einstein to acknowledge its position as #1 on Coren’s list of the smartest dog breeds.
Each of the breeds previously mentioned in the prior articles scored high enough to rank in one of the highest categories of performance. This final breed had to beat all of those breeds and some of them performed up to the 95th percentile.
Drum Roll, Please, For The World’s Smartest Dog Breed Revealed
#1 The Border Collie
Experts often rank this breed as the most intelligent of dog breeds around the globe. The Border Collie’s degree of intelligence has even been compared to that of a human. child. When you need to be smarter than the dog you are training, this might make it a challenge. This breed learns commands and is quick to follow them.
Border Collies are highly skilled sheep-herders and often win competitions doing so. They move gracefully and tirelessly, with strength and stealth. Their agility is remarkable and they can switch direction and alter their speed without notice.
They possess a temperament that makes them highly desirable as a working dog and a member of the family. This breed is known for its intelligence and its tendency to remain eager, alert, and full of interest at all times.
Other Traits of The World’s Smartest Dog Breed
These dogs are a bundle of physical and mental energy and if not sufficiently exercised daily, can develop compulsive and destructive habits. However, given plenty of exercise and a daily task to accomplish, they are loyal and dependable canine companions.
Be aware of their tendency to stare intently at you and other animals. This can be unnerving to some. Border Collies love to chase animals and will also chase your children and automobiles if the opportunity arises. They are protective by nature and are often reserved with people they do not know well. Just like some of the smartest people, these very smart dogs seem to have a bit of a personality quirk that sets them apart from the average breeds.
In closing
I hope you have enjoyed this series of articles on the smartest dog breeds as determined by Stanley Coren and his research. There was a wide range of personalities and talents among all of these very intelligent dog breeds.
Surely, there is one of these breeds that would fit into your family quite nicely. Maybe one of the already is a member of your family. If so, please share with us which one and if you think they fit the description listed in the article. There will always be some who do not fit, just like people. If there is a trait you think should be added to their breed description, please share that as well.
Links to other articles in the series
https://happymutt.org/the-worlds-smartest-dog-breeds-revealed/
https://happymutt.org/worlds-smartest-dog-breeds-part-2/
https://happymutt.org/worlds-smartest-dog-breeds-part-3/
https://happymutt.org/worlds-smartest-dog-breeds-part-4/
https://happymutt.org/worlds-smartest-dog-breeds-list-part-5/
https://happymutt.org/worlds-smartest-dog-breeds-part-6/
https://happymutt.org/1913-2-worlds-smartest-dog-breeds-list-part-7/
Last photo courtesy of Pixabay, others thanks to https://www.bedtimez.com/