5 most and least intelligent dogs

These are the most intelligent and least intelligent dogs, according to The Intelligence of Dogs by Stanley Coren.

“Over 200 professional dog obedience judges, ranked 110 dog breeds on the basis of their intelligence.”

Coren is a dog expert and a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. Here are his top and bottom choices.

The border collie is energetic, intelligent, keen, alert and responsive. An intense worker of great tractability, it is affectionate toward friends but may be sensibly reserved toward strangers. When approached, the border collie stands its ground.

A very active, happy, gay, intelligent, smart and elegant-looking dog, squarely built, well proportioned, carrying itself proudly. Properly clipped and carefully groomed, the poodle has about him an air of distinction and dignity peculiar to himself. It is known for its intelligence, his lively, mischievous sense of humour and his willingness to please.

The German shepherd Dog is hailed as the world’s leading police, guard and military dog; but there is more to this dependable breed is more than its 9-to-5 job. Consistently one of the United States’ most popular breeds, according to AKC Registration Statistics, tThe German shepherd is also a loving family companion, herder and show competitor. The breed It is approachable, direct and fearless, with a strong, muscular body.

The golden retriever is intelligence and possesses an eager to please attitude. The working ability that has made the golden retriever such a useful hunting companion also makes it an ideal guide, assistance, and search-and-rescue dog. The golden-coloured coat is the hallmark of this versatile breed gold.

A square, medium-sized dog, the Doberman pinscher is muscular and possesses great endurance and speed. The Doberman is He is elegant in appearance and reflects great nobility and temperament. The properly bred and trained Doberman is a friend and guardian. Police and military want the Doberman on their forces because of its , and his intelligence and ability to absorb and retain training have brought him into demand as a police and war dog.

Although many refer to the Afghan as the "king of dogs", but its low obedience level is well known among dog breeders and trainers.The Afghan is an excellent hound (hunting by sight), and it remains popular as a show dog.

The Basenji is known as the "barkless dog" because it makes a sound like a yodel.It also acts like a cat, grooming itself and staring out the window for hours! The Basenji can be temperamental and hard to train.

The bulldog is loose-jointed with a shuffling gate and massive, short-faced head. A medium-sized dog, it is not your typical lap dog, but would like to be. The bulldog is popular due to its lovable and gentle disposition and adorable wrinkles.

The chow chow is extremely loyal to its family, but can be jealous of visitors and very stubborn. It requires a strong-willed owner and firm hand, or it will quickly take charge of the household!

The Borzoi is surprisingly cat-like in its free thinking and independent nature.It wants to keep itself clean and isn't as driven to please its master as most dogs.This makes it harder to train.

Poodles? Some of the dumbest dogs I’ve ever known have been Poodles.

Odd, the most intelligent dog our family ever had was a poodle. She was a clean house dog, never messed in the house unless you just made her. She was mama to all the pets we had as kids, she raised everything from kittens to ducks and they all considered her their mom. When traveling she would be excited for a few miles, then sit down by mom as she drove and when she had to pee, she would put one paw on mom's leg. She did numerous tricks with ease, she was a great guard dog too. Coliet was a great swimmer, went to the river with us every time. I never knew a dog half in Coliet's league, not even close.

I had a Golden Retriever (Sanford) when my wife and I first married, in 1986. At 6 months old I took him out hunting, not expecting him to do much. Boy, was I wrong. He fetched his first two pheasant the first time I had him out and wasn't afraid of the shotgun blasts going over his head at all. Unfortunately he died at 8 years old due to epilepsy. From the day I got him at 3 months old to the day he died, I never needed to have him on a leash. He stuck by my side like glue. Had him house trained in 3 days.

A month after he died, we picked up a 10 month old German Shepherd (Jerry) from a local rescue. He needed alot of TLC when we first got him, but boy did he turn out to be a great dog. It took awhile to get his trust, but once we did and he bonded with us, he went EVERYWHERE with us. We had him a few years before the wife and I had kids and we weren't sure how he was going to react to little ones in the house, but as our good fortune would have it he turned out to be the kids best friend and protector. The day we brought our first son home from the hospital, he slept in his room right next to his crib. Did the same thing with our second son. When they started walking, he'd stop them from going up or down stairs so they wouldn't hurt themselves. And he did this all naturally, we never had to train him. He's been gone 4 years now, but I still miss him. He was "my dog" as my wife would tell it.

Our current dog (don't laugh) is a black labradoodle. We got him at 10 months old from a Labradoodle Rescue in Indiana. Now, I'm not a poodle fan by any stretch of the imagination, but this dog I'm telling you is S M A R T. He picks up everything naturally. He's about the height of a standard poodle, has the head and chest of a Lab, but the back end of a standard poodle with black, wavy hair. Protective of the kids (even though they're 12 and 10 now) travels everywhere with us, and is a great addition to our family. The only issue with him is you just can't yell at him, otherwise "stupid mode" kicks on. As long as we talk nice to him, he does everything we ask him to. My favorite thing is when I come home he jumps up to greet me. Wife says he waits for me by the window, knows what time I'm supposed to be home, and goes banana's when he sees me pull into the driveway. When I say to him "You are poodle!" he smiles and wags his tail. He knows he's half poodle, dammit.

Each one of my dogs has been so special in their own ways. The trick is always to find out what makes them special and exploit the heck out of that. It makes you and them happy. Sanford, Jerry and now Teddy have been real blessings in our family's lives. I wouldn't trade a minute with any of them for nothing, and I'd give everything to have just 5 more minutes with Sanford and Jerry.

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