Which Dog Is the Smartest?
A leading canine researcher says dogs understand more than 150 words and can count up to four or five. He has compiled a list of the world’s smartest dogs. See if your pooch cracks his Top 7.
By: Miller-McCune Staff | December 22, 2009 | 05:00 AM (PDT) | 
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Canine researcher Stanley Coren says dogs are as smart as 2-year-old kids and can comprehend more than 150 words. (Brit / Flickr)
The American Psychological Association’s 117th annual convention featured psychologist and leading canine researcher Stanley Coren, widely published author from the University of British Columbia. The subject of his talk: “How Dogs Think.”
The good news: Dogs are as smart as 2-year-old kids, can comprehend more than 150 words (although “super dogs” can understand 250), and can count up to four or five. The bad news: They are “consciously deceptive” and trick people into giving them what they want. “And they are nearly as successful in deceiving humans as humans are in deceiving dogs,” Coren said. But you knew that.
To settle the Mother of All Dog Park Arguments, Coren studied data from 208 dog-obedience judges in the United States and 
Canada to determine the differences in working and obedience intelligence across different dog breeds. And the results of the smartest pooch competition are in:
No. 1: Border collies.
No. 2: Poodles (in what has to be called an upset, surely).
No. 3: German shepherds.
No. 4: Golden retrievers (sorry, folks, still not convinced).
No. 5: Dobermans.
No. 6: Shetland sheepdogs (this one’s for you, MacDuff*).
No. 7: Labrador retrievers.
* The Napkin’s boyhood dog
The Cocktail Napkin appears at the back page of each issue of Miller-McCune magazine, highlighting current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.
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Comments
My first Border Collie had a vocabulary of at least 250 words and phrases by the time she was 3-years-old. I have a Golden Retriever and although wonderful in his own way, he is not in her class at all and yet he grew up with her and my teachings.Sorry, I wouldn't have expected poodles to be in the running at all.
My border collie cross is 15 now, -- I have always found her totally amazing, -- she has a very good memory, especially for people or situations she doesn't like, -- she also has a good sense of humour, -- when eating, she covers the end of her nose in food, then comes to show me how silly she looks, - she knows this gives me the chuckles.When I tell her I love her, she yawns, -- I keep telling her anyway, she is a wonderful companion, - but can also have her awkward moments when she will do just as she pleases.She is very vain, and looks at herself in reflections in doors round the house. I have bought her a toy sheep as a companion--she has lots of toys. Her way of helping me is to get right by the side of me supervising, and her timing is spot on when it's food time she will stand staring at her empty bowl, or lying acroos the kitchen door entrance so I then will see her with her nose pointing to her food bowl.She has also learned her kerb drill, -- looking left, right and straight ahead, then all clear before going onto a road..She has learned lots of commands, and sees fit to ignore others if it suits her.
Border Collies, my a**. My Golden Retriever was as smart as me, maybe smarter. I could train her to do anything: as soon as I conveyed to her what I wanted her to do, she would do it. Paw, fetch, roll over (both directions), lie down, sit, the whole portfolio of tricks. She even had human emotions: once she chased a bird onto our pool cover, and as she slowly sink into the middle of the pool, I swear she had an embarrased look on her face.
That is for sure. A couple of months ago, a little puppy grabbed one of my slippers and dumped it about 20 metres away on the grass and then lost interest and departed. My 3/4 Alsatian, 1/4 New Zealand sheep dog was sitting beside me on the outdoor sofa. I have never trained her to do anything and certainly not to fetch but I said "Sheba, get my slipper" and pointed where it was. She jumped off the sofa, walked over and picked it up and brought it back, dumping it on the top step and waited to go into the house. I sat there for a minute flabergasted and then opened the door for her. Dogs are ridiculously clever. And devious. Neither of our dogs will ever touch any food while we are in the room but just leave them alone in the kitchen while there is something they like on the table and it is gone.
We had a black lab / cocker spaniel cross that was very smart, loving, loyal, and protective. Although both of his lines are water dogs, he couldn't swim very far before he started sinking and go into a panic. I made him a life jacket, and he loved it. He was 15 years old when he passed away last year.
what about the Bouvier des Flandres??
I have owned many, many dogs over the years. They can all be special and obviously intelligent. I believe many mentioned in this article rate high [Poodles, Labs, Sheppards, etc.] I had a Japanese Spitz that was a little too smart for her own good, a Lab-Pointer mix that was perhaps even smarter, and now a Rottie-Wolfhound who is so sensitive and in tune to what is going on - it is scary. In conclusion though - what about plain ol' MUTTS?
We have a boxer and I am not sure how smart he might be but I do know that he is the most lovable and best family dog I have ever known.
We have a boxer and I am not sure how smart he might be but I do know that he is the most lovable and best family dog I have ever known.
That is for sure. A couple of months ago
Written By:Miller-McCune Staff
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