Smartest Dog Breeds In The World, Ranked

By Mike Clark

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Is your pup among the smartest dogs in the world? Certain dog breeds are prized for their intelligence. The smartest dog breeds in the world were bred to be brainy so they could help people accomplish specific tasks. But canine intelligence, like human intelligence, can be hard to define. There are many different kinds of intelligence, like the ability to adapt, having good instincts, being able to read emotions, and mastering control of one’s body. Studies are being conducted to examine these different types of intelligence in dogs, but one type that has been studied thoroughly is working intelligence–the ability to learn and follow commands. Psychologist Stanley Coren surveyed 199 dog obedience judges to find out which dog breeds are the smartest when it comes to working intelligence for his book The Intelligence of Dogs. Though there are exceptions within breeds and a lot comes down to training, results were fairly consistent. Here’s a gallery of the top 50 dog breeds ranked in order of intelligence: Dogs in the top ten can learn commands in five seconds and obey 95% of the time. Dogs ranked 11 to 32 can learn commands in five to fifteen repetitions and obey 85% of the time. Dogs in the 33rd to 63rd rank are average and can learn commands in 15 to 25 repetitions, obeying 70% of the time. Dogs ranked below that can take 25 to 100 or more repetitions to learn commands and obey 50 to 30% of the time. Here are the breeds, in order, that ranked below the top 50: 51. Tied between American Eskimo Dog, Cairn Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, and Irish Setter 55. Norwegian Elkhound 56. Tied between Affenpinscher, Silky Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, English Setter, Pharaoh Hound, and Clumber Spaniel 62. Norwich Terrier 63. Dalmatian 64. Tied between Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, and Smooth-haired Fox Terrier 67. Tied between Curly-Coated Retriever and Irish Wolfhound 69. Tied between Kuvasz and Australian Shepherd 71. Tied between Saluki, Finnish Spitz, and Pointer 74. Tied between Cavalier King Charles spaniel, German Wirehaired Pointer, Black and Tan Coonhound, and American Water Spaniel 78. Tied between Siberian Husky, Bichon Frise, and English Toy Spaniel 81. Tied between Tibetan Spaniel, English Foxhound, Otterhound, American Foxhound, Greyhound, Harrier, Parson Russel Terrier, and Wirehaired Pointing Griffon 89. Tied between West Highland White Terrier, Havanese, and Scottish Deerhound 92. Tied between Boxer and Great Dane 94. Tied between Dachshund, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and Shiba Inu 97. Malamute 98. Tied between Whippet, Chinese Shar-Pei, and Wirehaired Fox Terrier 101. Rhodesian Ridgeback 102. Tied between Ibizan Hound, Welsh Terrier, and Irish Terrier 105. Tied between Boston Terrier and Akita 107. Skye Terrier 108. Tied between Norfolk Terrier and Sealyham Terrier 110. Pug 111. French Bulldog 112. Tied between Brussels Griffon and Maltese Terrier 114. Italian Greyhound 115. Chinese Crested 116. Tied between Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Vendeen, Tibetan Terrier, Japanese Chin, and Lakeland Terrier 121. Old English Sheepdog 122. Great Pyrenees 123. Tied between Scottish Terrier and Saint Bernard, 125. Tied between Bull Terrier and Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen 128. Chihuahua 129. Lhasa apso 130. Bullmastiff 131. Shih Tzu 132. Basset hound 133. Tied between Mastiff and Beagle 135. Pekingese 136. Bloodhound 137. Borzoi 138. Chow chow 139. Bulldog 140. Basenji 141. Afghan hound Where does your dog’s breed stack up in working intelligence? Do you agree with these rankings? Let us know in the comments below!

Smartest Dog Breeds

Mike Clark
Mike Clark

Head Editor at DogTime.com and CatTime.com. Has a side hustle as a joke writer. Former professional dog walker and pet sitter at Windy City Paws.

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