GabyA team of researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland conducted an extensive study to determine which dog breeds are the smartest. From 2016 to 2022, animal behavior specialists tested the intelligence of 1,002 dogs from 13 different breeds. Among the breeds included in the study were German Shepherds, Shetland Sheepdogs, Hovawarts, English Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies, Belgian Malinois, Golden Retrievers, Australian Kelpies, Finnish Lapphunds, Spanish Water Dogs, and mixed breeds. The series of ten tests, known as smartDOG, was developed by one of the study’s authors, Katriina Tiira. These tests assessed various traits, including exploratory behavior, impulsivity, inhibitory control, social cognition, spatial problem-solving, logical reasoning, and short-term memory. The researchers anticipated that the breeds would differ significantly across most criteria, and their expectations were met.
Who tops the list of smart dogs? Based on the results of all the tests, the top three breeds were the Belgian Malinois (35 points out of a possible 39), Border Collies (26), and Hovawarts (25). It was somewhat surprising to observe that memory and logical reasoning did not depend on breed, Tiira told Newsweek. These characteristics may be more influenced by the dog’s training history and life experiences. As noted by lead author Saara Huntila, the study had one significant limitation: the team did not have access to information about the training history of the dogs they tested. While the vast majority of these animals likely participated actively in dog sports or competitions throughout their lives, previous research suggests that extensive training and competition could have impacted the test results.
The final article detailing the testing was published in Nature Scientific Reports. It stated that the research provided a more comprehensive picture of the behavior of specific breeds. In the future, this could help in selecting the right breeds for the right tasks.
Expert Opinion Among the best performers in the testing were Border Collies. This aligns with previous research by Stanley Coren, author of the book The Intelligence of Dogs and a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia’s psychology department in Canada. Commenting on the results of the Finnish testing, Professor Coren rehabilitated some breeds that did not make it to the top of the rankings. For instance, in this study, Labrador Retrievers scored the lowest in tests related to spatial problem-solving and inhibitory control. However, Coren argues that this does not mean Labradors are unintelligent. In his view, all the breeds that participated in the study are quite smart. He cautioned against misleading people by claiming that “Labradors are the dumbest breed.” This is akin to taking a sample of ten Nobel laureates, comparing their intelligence, placing Marie Curie at the bottom of the list, and declaring her very unintelligent. By drawing this parallel, Professor Coren emphasized that the results of these tests also depended on the individual qualities of each dog, not just their IQ.
