And I also wonder if the test was really set up to fairly evaluate the hounds. They aren't known for being particularly good at things like obedience tests, but they do know their noses and how to follow a track, an equally difficult and useful skill, different part of the brain that has been bred for and developed over the years.
And now for this important DOGGIEPING Announcement!
I've lost my list! I did a deep clean of my computer and I guess inadvertently deleted the folder I kept the ping list in.
If you were previously on my ping list and would still like to be on the list now, please let me know... I am re-building the list from scratch!
now that’s a fun ping! thanks
It's almost entirely obedience based. Very little problem solving or other activities.
So a breed like an Afghan that is bred as a sighthound is going to have little if any proficiency in obedience. While the Border Collie, that is bred to obey complex commands for herding, is going to star. And gundogs are not tested for retrieving and scenting, the skills in which they are absolutely the tops.
My personal opinion is, it's a list that's pretty good on the edges but fuzzy in the middle. In other words, yeah, Afghan Hounds really ARE dumb, and Border Collies really ARE smart.
Here is a ranking site;
http://petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html
My Yorkie is listed #27 out of 79 breeds. He is smart and listens well.
My last dog, “Potlatch”, was a Peke-a-Poo, half Pekinese and half Poodle and he was very smart. Looked like a tiny Shish Tsu.
Strange how a few of the smartest are ones likely to attack people, lol. I did not look at the rating of Pit Bulls, or Staffordshires.
I know a bunch that were, except when it came to finding food or something that passes for food. They had great noses, that's for sure. One neighbor's Golden found a gutted deer that someone hunted. The deer's stomach was brought back as a showoff. I was there. I was gone soon after.
Wasn’t on the list before, but would like to be on it now. Hope you can compile a good list again soon.
Please put me back on your ping list. Thanks.