Top 10 most intelligent dogs
- 10. Australian Cattle Dog
- 9. Rottweiler
- 8. Continental Toy Spaniel
- 7. Labrador Retriever
- 6. Shetland Sheepdog
- 5. Dobermann
- 4. Golden retriever
- 3. German Shepherd
- 2. Poodle
- 1. Border collie
In addition to being great companions, dogs are also animals capable of learning complex commands and adapting to complicated situations, which demonstrates a developed form of intelligence.
Since most people will prefer to choose their dog's breed based on its intelligence, here are the top 10 most intelligent dog breeds, starting from the last to the first.
10. Australian Cattle Dog
As its name suggests, this breed is of Australian origin. Mainly used for herding, these dogs excel in this field.
They are the offspring of crosses between dingoes (a breed of wild dogs) and herding dogs of English origin. The result is a dog with a loyal but also hyperactive character, which needs to be constantly on the alert with a very present master.
Physically, this dog has a coat of blue speckled or red trusted color, it measures from 40 to 53cm to the withers for a weight of approximately 15kg.
9. Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a dog whose reputation is unfortunately due to its misuse, especially as a fighting dog, so much so that it is now classified as a category 2 dog.
In reality, this dog is absolutely not aggressive, despite its imposing physique. On the contrary, he is very loyal and protective, especially with children whom he adores, which makes him a guard dog par excellence, sometimes wary of strangers. It will simply be necessary to educate him well to avoid that his protective nature does not take the top.
The Rottweiler also has a very good sense of smell, which is why it is often used as a search dog or to protect territory.
This breed is very impressive physically, as it has a black and tan coat, measures between 55 and 70cm at the withers for a weight of about fifty kilos, so much so that it is a beautiful animal.
8. Continental Toy Spaniel
This small dog from southern Europe is also called "butterfly spaniel" because of its long, floppy ears, which resemble butterfly wings.
It is said that small dogs are often less intelligent than large ones, but this is not the case with this one, since it has an extraordinary learning capacity. Indeed, he can learn all kinds of tricks, as long as they are taught to him by positive education, because, with its small size, the butterfly spaniel can be very fearful at the slightest sign of aggressiveness.
This breed of dog is also used as a therapy dog, it would reassure patients in addiction treatment centers (among others), and would keep the elderly company perfectly well.
Physically, the butterfly spaniel is far from being a predator, since it measures only 28cm at the withers on average, for a weight going from 1,5 to 5kg for the biggest males. Its coat is predominantly white, with spots of varying color.
7. Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever has been growing in popularity for years, and not without reason. The Labrador Retriever is a perfect family dog, with its playful, loyal, and happy nature. Beware, however, that the Labrador may not be aware of its size and strength as an adult, which sometimes leads to small accidents when playing with children.
In addition to this, the Labrador Retriever has a great capacity to learn, so much so that it is often used as an assistance dog for the disabled, visually impaired, or hearing impaired.
The physique of this brave animal is well known: a coat of very variable color, which can go from white to black through beige or chocolate. It measures between 53 and 60cm at the withers for about thirty kilos.
6. Shetland Sheepdog
The Shetland Sheepdog originated, as its name suggests, from the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It was mainly used as a sheepdog, a task it performed perfectly.
Today, this dog adapts very well to family life, since it is a faithful dog and very gentle with children, although wary of strangers. Its instincts as a herdsman require however that its intelligence be solicited daily through physical activities, and this is very appropriate since it is capable of learning a multitude of tricks.
Physically, the Shetland Sheepdog has long, bi-colored hair with varying colors (black and white, black and tan, and many others). It measures on average 36cm at the withers for an average of 8kg.
5. Dobermann
Just like the Rottweiler, the Dobermann is a victim of its bad reputation, dating back to the Second World War when the German forces used it as a war dog because it was the only breed that was not afraid of fire from flamethrowers.
However, even if it is not a breed of dog that we would recommend to a beginner, the Dobermann can be a great dog, very loyal, protective, and close to his masters, in addition to being an excellent guard dog.
However, it will be necessary to be vigilant during its education, and especially not to use violence against it (which should be normality, but it is always good to specify it), without which it risks becoming distrustful itself. He will also need sporty masters to expand himself and to blossom daily.
Today, this breed of dog is still used in the police or the army, as a guard dog or territory protection.
The physique of the Dobermann will impress many with its predator-like appearance, it is tall on legs (between 60 and 75cm) and very thin (an average of 40kg). Its coat is similar to that of the rottweiler, namely black and tan.
4. Golden retriever
The golden retriever is a dog of British origin that was originally used for hunting, as a retriever.
Since the 1990s, this dog has been extremely popular with families, as it is very gentle with children, in addition to being very playful and intelligent. Its great intelligence has made it the most used dog as a guide dog for the blind, even before the Labrador.
Physically, the golden retriever resembles the labrador (they are therefore often confused), with the difference that its hair is long.
His coat is creamy-white to dark golden (hence his name), and he measures 50 to 56cm at the withers for a weight of about 30kg.
3. German Shepherd
As its name suggests, the German Shepherd is a dog originating from Germany. It is the most well-known police dog, because of its versatility and intelligence which allow it to learn new commands quickly.
Thus, it is used as a guard dog, a search dog, or even as an assistance dog for disabled people. It can also acclimatize very well in a family since it is very gentle with children and very loyal to its master. Be careful however, this dog does not like boredom, so it will be necessary to stimulate it regularly so that it can blossom.
The German Shepherd has a wolf-like physique, except for its black coat with brown spots. It measures 55 to 65cm at the withers for a weight going from 20 to 40kg.
2. Poodle
Formerly a hunting dog for water animals such as ducks, the poodle is now known to be a dog capable of learning all sorts of complicated tricks. It excels in circus acts, during which it can give great performances.
The poodle is also a very good dog to live in a family, but it will however need a lot of attention, since it is extremely close to its master, so much so that it can sometimes get depressing when too frequent or too prolonged absences.
The physique of the poodle is famous, its hair is curly or curly and of very variable color. It measures between 35 and 40cm at the withers for about ten kilos (we speak here about the average poodle).
1. Border collie
Considered everywhere as the most intelligent dog in the world, the border collie is known to be able to perform very complex tricks in record time. He is also the star of agility competitions, as he finishes first in the vast majority of competitions.
At home, it is a dog that must be stimulated and occupied very often to be really fulfilled, since it does not support boredom, a character that certainly comes from its origins of herding dog.
The border collie has long black and white hair, measures about 50cm at the withers and weighs between 15 and 25kg.