All dog breeds are capable of learning all the basic obedience commands quite easily, but some will learn them faster than others. And the ability to learn new things fast and easy is important to evaluate dogs intelligence, at least, according to dog canine psychologist Stanley Coren, the author of famous book The Intelligence of Dogs.
He ranked dog breeds registered by the AKC by their intelligence and i will show you his 100 most intelligent dog breeds in a moment. But first, lets say, what where his criterias for dog intelligence. First, he meassured the number of repetitions a dog needed to learn a new command or trick. The fewer repetitions were needed, the more points the dog breed got. The second most important criteria was how succesfully was the dog obeying the command on the first attempt. For example, if your dog would obeys a learned trick 9 out of 10 times on the first try, he would get more points than a dog that would obey it only 7 out of 10 times. You could argue, and you wouldn't be alone, that these are not the only aspects of intelligence. Some dog breeds, such as Siberian Husky, are without questions excellent problem solvers and very intelligent dogs, but when it comes to classic obedience training, they dont do so well, especially because of their independent mind. It is because many working breeds, either hunting, sledding or livestock protecting breeds have high instinctive intelligence, which is a reason why they are amazing at their job, but they might not be so easily trainable, which is why they will rank lower in Stanley Corens list. There is also a so called adaptive intelligence. It is basically how a dog can naturally adapt to his envirnoment and if he could survive in it. This is again not reflected in this list, because this list is made by the dogs ability to positively respond to human to dog training and it does not reflect what a dog can teach itself to survive. The best adaptive intelligence could be found in semi-wild dogs, such as, for example Indian Pariah Dog or New Guinea Singing Dog. In conclusion, no list that is ranking dogs intelligence will be perfect, because there are many ways how to meassure the intelligence, but this list definitely have some value as it is showing you which dog breed using its intelligence in classic obedience training the most and which one is best at it. 100 (tie): Ibizan Hound 100 (tie): Welsh Terrier 100 (tie): Irish Terrier 100 (tie): Boston Terrier 99: Rhodesian Ridgeback 98: Wire Fox Terrier 97: Chinese Shar Pei 96: Whippet 95: Alaskan Malamute 94: Staffordshire Bull Terrier 93: Shiba Inu 92: Dachshund 91: Great Dane 90: Boxer 89: Scottish Deerhound 88: West Highland White Terrier 87: Wirehaired Pointing Griffon 86: Greyhound 85: American Foxhound 84: Jack Russell Terrier 83: Otterhound 82: English Foxhound 81: Tibetan Spaniel 80: English Toy Spaniel 79: Havanese 78: Bichon Frise 77: Siberian Husky 76: American Water Spaniel 75: Black and Tan Coonhound 74: German Wirehaired Pointer 73: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 72: Pointer 71: Finnish Spitz 70: Saluki 69: Miniature American Shepherd 68: Kuvasz 67: Irish Wolfhound 66: Curly Coated Retriever 65: Smooth Fox Terrier 64: Bedlington Terrier 63: Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier 62: Dalmatian 61: Norwich Terrier 60: Clumber Spaniel 59: Pharaoh Hound 58: English Setter 57: Miniature Pinscher 56: Australian Silky Terrier 55: Affenpinscher 54: Norwegian Elkhound 53: Irish Setter 52: Kerry Blue Terrier 51: Cairn Terrier 50: Bearded Collie 49: Gordon Setter 48: American Staffordshire Terrier 47: Australian Terrier 46: Newfoundland 45: Field Spaniel 44: Samoyed 43: Manchester Terrier 42: Australian Shepherd 41: Welsh Springer Spaniel 40: Briard 39: Border Terrier 38: Bouvier des Flandres 37: Airedale Terrier 36: Portuguese Water Dog 35: Giant Schnauzer 34: Yorkshire Terrier 33: Puli 32: Chesapeake Bay Retriever 31: Cardigan Welsh Corgi 30: Vizsla 29: Irish Water Spaniel 28: Pomeranian 27: Bernese Mountain Dog 26: Belgian Malinois 25: Weimaraner 24: American Cocker Spaniel 23: Brittany 22: Standard Schnauzer 21: English Cocker Spaniel 20: Flat Coated Retriever 19: German Shorthaired Pointer 18: Keeshond 17: Collie 16: Belgian Sheepdog 15: Schipperke 14: Belgian Tervuren 13: English Springer Spaniel 12: Miniature Schnauzer 11: Pembroke Welsh Corgi 10: Australian Cattle Dog 9: Rottweiler 8: Papillon 7: Labrador Retriever 6: Shetland Sheepdog 5: Doberman Pinscher 4: Golden Retriever 3: German Shepherd 2: Poodle 1: Border Collie Here you have it! List of 100 smartest dogs in the world. And do not forget, the intelligence is not the main and only characteristic to consider when getting a dog! I would say there are much more important characteristics, such as exercise needs, size, grooming and maintenance needs, temperamental traits such as protectivness, playfulness, alertness and friendliness.. There are much more to a dog, than the intelligence and as i mentioned in the beginning of the video, all the dog breeds are capable of learning all the basic obedience commands quite easily!
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1) Origin
The history and ancestry of the Sabueso Español is surrounded by mystery. It is very old dog breed and the first mentions about this breed are from late Middle Ages, when King Alphonse XI described these dogs in his hunting book during the 14th century. One of the theory about the origin of these dogs claim, that the ancestors of Sabueso Espanol got into Iberian Peninsula with Celtic Tribes and that they might be related to Celtic scenthounds. But it is only a theory, that cant be 100% verified. 2) Hunting Most of the Sabueso Espanol dogs are still used for what they are best at, which is, of course, the hunting. It is very adaptable hunting dog breed. They can hunt wild boars in the mountains of Northern Spain, but they can also hunt hare in Southern Spain. In the past, they were even used to hunt brown bears. This is very brave and determined hunter, with one of the best noses in the dog world. They have a so called cold nose, which means that they can piece together a "cold" trail, left behind the game that has been gone for a few hours. It is also extremely independent and smart hunter, which is loyal to the owner and absolutely passionate about the hunt. They just love it. 3) Howling One of the most distinctive feature of this dog breed is its loud and booming howl. It is a great way how the dog communicate with the hunter and they change the howling style based on the hunt phase. The howl changes from long and loud baying to choppy short barks, which is indicating that they found the quarry. 4) Companions Even though most of the Sabueso Espanol dogs are used for hunting, it does not mean that they are not great companion dogs. This breed is known for being very calm, relaxed, affectionate and loyal dog breed. They can easily live with other dogs in the family, as this breed is typically used to hunt in packs, but of course, other household pets might be a problem, due to the high prey drive of Sabueso Espanol. This breed is known to be quite gentle with kids as well, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a young child unsupervised. These dogs are not agressive, quite the opposite. They are high spirited, always ready for any kind of adventure and it is absolutely loving and devoted dog breed. 5) Exercise As you can expect from a hunting dog breed, this is not a coach potatoe. On the other hand, it is not completely hyperactive dog breed neither, but they will be happiest to live with active owners in rural area. They are extremely endurant on the hunt and they can walk for hours without tiring, but when they are at home, their activity level is average. They love to sleep, cuddle and snooze. But of course, these dogs do need daily proper physical and mental activity to stay in good shape. It can be done by daily long walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime or fun training session. Without enough exercise, they might develop some unwanted behaviour, such as excessive barking. 6) Shelters Sadly, there are many many Sabueso Espanol dogs in Spanish shelters and most of them have minimal chance to get adopted. It is because people do not trust hunting dogs and even though the Sabueso Espanol has the sweetest temperament and it can adapt to companionship lifestyle extremely fast, most of them stay in the shelters for long long time. So if you would be interested in this dog, consider adoption from some of the Spanish shelters first, rather than buying a new puppy. 7) Size This is a medium sized dog breed with elongated body, well developed chest, long floppy ears, and strong legs. The average height is between 48-57 cm, which is 18-22 lbs. 8) Coat and color The Sabueso Espanol has a short, dense and smooth coat. The coat, ideally, has a white base in combination with irregular patches of orange color. The orange color can wary from almost russet brown to lemon color. They should not have any ticking. 9) Grooming Speaking of coat, lets mention the maintenance and grooming as well. And luckily, this is low maintenance dog breed, that can keep its coat in great condition by itself. You can brush the coat from time to time to remove any dirt, loose hair and to redistribute oils all over the coat. No other grooming is required. You should take proper care about the ears and keep them clean and dry, as they are prone to develop ear infections. Just like with all dogs, you should also take care of the dogs eyes, nails and teeth if needed. 10) Health The Sabueso Espanol should be rather healthy and hardy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 years. They can suffer from the typical doggy health problems, such as some joint problems like hip dysplasia, bloating, already mentioned ear infections or some allergies, but none of these problems should occur commonly in this breed. 1) Origin
Hunting with scenthounds have a long tradition in France. There are many different hunting breeds that were developed in this European country. One of them is the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, which is the main ancestor of the Petit. The Petit Bleu de Gascogne was developed several hundreads years ago, possibly around 1500s, by voluntary reduction in size of the Grand Bleu de Gascogne. Hunters wanted slightly smaller scenthound than the Grand, which would be able to efficiently hunt smaller game, such as hare, so they decided to select the smallest individuals of the breed in the attempt to develop a new breed, the Petit Bleu de Gascogne. And after few generations, they were succesfull. 2) Not a small dog Even though they are named Petit and they were developed by reducing size of another breed, the Petit Bleu de Gascogne is definitely not a small dog. And even the word „petit“ in their name is not only reffering to the fact, that they are smaller version of the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, as it may also reffer to the French expression for hounds used for smaller game. And what is the average size of these dogs? Well, the height is typically between 20-23 inch, which is 50-58 cm, and weight between 40-50 lbs, which is 18-23 kg. 3) Name Overall, the breeds name is very descriptive. You already know, why they are named Petit, but what about the rest of their name. Bleu is reffering to the blue like coat color and de Gascogne is reffering to the geographical region of the breeds origin, which is Gascogny in France. So the breeds name can be literally translated as Blue colored small game hunter from Gascogny region. BTW, there are three other hunting breeds from this region, the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, Griffon Bleu de Gascogne and Basset Blue de Gascogne. 4) Hunting The one main utilization of the Petit Bleu de Gascogne is hunting. And they are excellent hunters. It is a skilled gun dog, but they can also be used for coursing. They truly love the hunt, they are absolutely passionate about it and they are happiest if they can do it. Their main weapons on the hunt are their excellent sense of smell, high chasing instinct, great endurance, speed and agility, loud voice and intelligence. They are mainly used to hunt hare in packs, but they can adapt to hunt other, even larger game, as well. 5) Companions Of course, the Petit Bleu de Gascogne is not only a hunter, but also loving and loyal family companion. It is a lively breed that will be happiest with an active owner. They are very affectionate, always ready for any adventure, friendly with strangers or other dogs. It is a pack animal so they typically have no problem with other dogs in the family, but of course, other household pets like hamsters or rabbits might be a problem due to the high prey drive of this breed. The Petit Bleu de Gascogne can also live with kids in the family, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. This is highly intelligent, but also strong willed dog breed, which means they are not total pushovers to train, but they are capable of easily learn all the basic obedience commands. 6) Exercise As you can probably expect, the Petit Bleu de Gascogne is pretty energetic dog breed, especially if they are not used for hunting. They will need daily longer walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions to stay healthy and happy. If they are provided with enough exercise, than they are typically quite relaxed and calm indoors. On the other hand, without proper exercise, they might develop some unwanted behaviour, such as excessive barking. 7) Coat and color The Petit Bleu de Gascogne has a short, semi-thick and dense and profuse coat in blue color. Well, it is not actually blue, the colour is white mottled with black, giving a slate blue overall appearance. There are typically black patches on the head and they can have black patches on the body as well. It is also very typical for this breed to have tan markings above the eyes, which is creating the eyebrows look. 8) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, lets mention the grooming and maintenance as well. And luckily, this is low maintenance breed. They do shed, slightly more during the shedding seasons and you should brush these dogs regularly in order to remove the dead and loose hair and to redistribute natural oils all over the coat. No other grooming is required. Just like with all dog breeds, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 9) Rarity If you are not living in France, there is a big possibility, that you never heard about this breed before. It is because they are pretty rare. Just like with all French dogs, the numbers of the breed rapidly declined during the two world wars and these dogs were never exported to other countries in large numbers. They are recognized by the FCI and UKC since the 1990s, but they are not recognized by the AKC to this day. And as you could expect, most of these dogs live in their home country, in France and its neighboring countries, like Spain. Overall, this is very very rare dog breed. 10) Health There are no unusual health problems related to the Petit Bleu de Gascogne. The life expectancy is somewhere around 13 years. Of course, just like all medium or large sized dog breeds, they might have some problems with joints, like hip dysplasia, they can have some eye problems like entropion and they can suffer from various infections and allergies, but none of these health problems should not be very common in this breed and the Petit Bleu de Gascogne is generally healthy and hardy breed. We all know Dachshunds, Basset Hounds and Corgis. These lovable dogs share one main distinctive characteristic, and that is their long body and short legs. Such dogs are also known as Chondrodystrophic dog breeds. Today, i will show you a list of 10 different short-legged dog breeds.
1) Welsh Corgi (Cardigan and Pembroke) Lets start with possibly the most famous shortlegged breed, the Welsh Corgi. It is important to say, that it is not only a one breed, as there is the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Even though they both share the same cute body type, there are slight differences between them, mainly in their size, tail and temperament. 2) Swedish Vallhund A close relative to the Corgi, and most likely one of its ancestors, is the Swedish Vallhund. This breed looks extremely similar to Corgi, but it most often comes in wolf grey color, which is why they are sometimes nicknamed as „Wolf Corgi“. 3) Lancashire Heeler Another Corgi relative, the Lancashire Heeler, is believed to be a descendant of the Welsh Corgi and Manchester Terrier and you can see some similarities with the Corgi on the first sight. Originally it was a versatile farmdog capabale of ratting and herding the cattle. It is a very lively, playful and curious breed. 4) Shortlegged terriers (Scottish, Dandie Dinmont, Skye, West Highland White, Cairn) Many terriers were also bred to have short legs, which would make it easier for them to go under the ground when they are chasing the prey. Especially the terriers from Scotland are known to have relatively long body and short legs. The list include the Scottish, Dandie Dinmont, Skye, West Highland White and Cairn Terrier. 5) Dachshund Not surprisingly, the Dachshund also makes it to our list of short legged breeds. It is superb hunting dogs and next to their excellent hound personality traits, it is the low body, long back and short legs that makes them superb hunters. 6) Alpine Dachsbracke Most likely the rarest of all dogs you will see today is the Alpine Dachsbracke. These medium sized dogs have a slight resemblance to a Dachshund, which is not a coincidence. The Alpine Dachsbracke was most likely developed in 19th century by downsizing larger hunting dog breeds by crossing them with the Dachshund. 7) Basset Hound The Basset Hound is a dog breed with extremely large ears, super small legs and extraordinary sense of smell. Definitely one of the best scenthounds in the world. They were originally bred to hunt hare, but today, they are most often living the life of spoiled companion pets. Their name, Basset, is derived from French and it is literally meaning „low“, reffering to their short legs and low body. 8) Basset Griffon Vendéen And the Basset Hound is not the only Basset we have. There are 6 different Basset breeds and here you can see the Petit and Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen. They share similar body type with the Basset Hound, even though they are little bit more athletic and they have the distinctive shaggy and rough coat. 9) Entlebucher Mountain dog The smallest of the four Swiss Mountain Dogs is the Entlebucher Mountain dog and even though still relatively large dog, they have on the first sight pretty short legs and long torso. Especially the front legs are short. It is a versatile working dog breed, most often used as livestock guardian. 10) Tibetan Spaniel The last dog in our list is the Tibetan Spaniel. It is a small companion dog with fluffy coat, curled tail and, well, short legs. Many other companion dogs, such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, or French Bulldog have short legs as well. Most of the short legged dog breeds get their distinctive appearance due to a cartilage development abnormality called chondrodysplasia and it is important to mention, that the short legs and long spine can be a cause to some specific and serious health issues, such as Intervertebral disc disease and Limb deformities. The best way how to prevent these problems is to buy the puppy from reputable breeder and keep the dog in healthy shape. Slim body will be much lesser load on their back and limbs and it will help prevent these problems. 1) Origin
The Blue Bay Shepherd development began in 1990s in Southern Breeze Ranche kennel in Florida by Vicky Spencer, who wanted to create a new breed with the natural beauty of a wolf, but with the loving personality, willingness to please and loyal nature of a dog. She knew, that these characteristics could be found in German Shepherds, and indeed, the first Blue Bay Shepherds were developed by crossing blue variations of German Shepherds with wolfdog hybrids with blue coats. 2) Name The Blue Bay Shepherd was first bred in Palm Bay, Florida, hence the word „bay“ in their name. The rest of their name is descriptive, as it is describing their beautiful blue coat and shepherd ancestry. 3) Not a wolfdog The Blue Bay Shepherd is sometimes called as a wolfdog, but it is better to say, that it is a dog with wolf heritage. The wolf in Blue Bay Shepherd is overpowered by all the other breeds used in the breeding process, which means you dont need to be worry about any agressive, uncontrolled and wild wolf-like behaviour from this dog, quite the opposite! 4) Companion The Blue Bay Shepherd is not bred as a working dog breed. The one main purpose of breeding was to create the best possible companion pet. These dogs should have stable, sweet and affectionate temperament, they should never show any sign of agression, they should not be timid around people, even around strangers and they should be very intelligent and eager to please, which makes them easily trainable. But i would still not recommend these dogs to novice dog owners, as some of them might show a little bit more independent and stubborn temperament which will be harder to train. And it is still a very strong dog breed and with the wrong owner, they might turn problematic. The Blue Bay Shepherd can live with other dogs in the family, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood and it can make good gentle partner for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed, with a very young child, unsupervised. 5) Energy level As you would probably expect, this is not a coach potatoe. The Blue Bay Shepherd is an active breed, that will need daily longer walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime, fun training sessions.. Just anything that will keep their body and mind occupied. If they are provided with enough exercise, than they will be very calm and relaxed indoors, but without enough exercise, they might develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction. 6) Size This is a lean, muscular and strong dog breed with average height around 30 inch, which is 76 cm and weight between 70-105 lbs, which is 30-50 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Coat and color The breed is famous for its beautiful bluish gray colored coat. Sometimes, the Blue Bay Shepherd can also have different coat color, such as white, grey or red, but the blue color is by far most common. The breed posses a very dense doublecoat, which si protecting the breed from all kinds of weather. Next to the coat color, the eye color is also very distinctive, as these dogs usually have very pale eyes, ranging from green to hazel. 8) Maintenance Speaking of coat, lets mention the grooming needs as well. These dogs do shed quite a lot. It is important to regularly brush their coats to remove all the dead and loose hair and minimize the shedding. Regular brushing will also help to redistribute natural oils all over the coat. No other grooming is required. Just like with all the dogs, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 9) Rarity The Blue Bay Shepherd is still extremely rare breed. There is only one kennel that is breeding these dogs, and that is the Southern Breeze Ranch. Only the founder – Vicky Spencer – is breeding real pure Blue Bay Shepherds and it is still considered as a breed in development, rather than a purebred dog breed. 10) Health This should usually be rather healthy and hardy breed, but there are no real scientific studies published about the breeds health yet. Just like the German Shepherd, even the Blue Bay Shepherd could potentionally have problems with hip dysplasia, but this problem should not be that prevalent as with the GSD. All large sized and deep chested breeds can also have problems with bloating. Other than that, every dog can suffer from the typical doggy issues, such as allergies and infections. 1) Designer dog breed
The Dorgi is not purebred breed and it is not recognized by any major kennel clubs. It is a so called designer dog breed, which is just another term for a crossbreed, in this case the Welsh Corgi and Dachshund. 2) Royal history Most crossbreeds have unknown history and no one really knows who started the intentional breeding. That is not the case with the Dorgi. The breed started on the British royal court, when one of the Queen Elizabeths Corgi mated with a one of the Dachshunds of Princess Margaret. Over the time, there were many more Dorgis developed by the royal family and over the years, Queen Elizabeth has had at least 10 different Dorgis. Of course, no one knows on 100% if it was really Queen Elizabeth who was first to bred Corgis and Dachshunds intentionally, but it is the first documented breeding. 3) Companion Even though an ancestor of a hunting and herding dog breeds, the Dorgi is typically not used for any real work and they almost exlusively live as a typical companion pets. On average they are lively and playful companions who like kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Dorgis can also live with other dogs without problems, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. These dogs love to be in centre of attention, they are loyal, affectionate, curious and alert. They love chasing things on the yard, but also good nap in your lap. Overall, the Dorgi is amazing companion pet. 4) Exercise Do not be fooled by the Dorgis appearance, this is not a coach potatoe. It is true, that they are not hyperactive dogs neither, but they definitely need daily longer walks, some playtime or fun training session to stay healthy and happy. For their small size, they do require relatively high amount of exercise, so do not be surprised with that, when considering Dorgi as your future pet! 5) Training The Dorgi is capable of learning almost all the commands you can imagine, but it is not a total pushover to train. It is because they are, on one hand, very bright and intelligent, but on the other, quite stubborn and independent. This means that they will understand the command quickly, but they will not always obey them. It is important to be very consistent and patient during the training, do not be harsh on the dog, but be firm and kind. Use positive reinforecement during the training and give the dog big praises and favourite treats for doing good job. 6) Size The Dorgi is, just like its parents, small sized dog breed, with average height between 10-12 inch, which is 25-31 cm and weight between 18-26 lbs, which is 8-12 kg. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males. 7) Coat The coat of Dorgi can wary quite a bit and it depends a lot what is the coat type of the parent Dachshund, since they can have either short, rough or long silky coat. The Dorgi can also have all kinds of coats, but the most typical is medium long, dense and slightly wiry coat. But keep in mind, that this is a crossbreed and there is no guarantee when it comes to their appearance and coat type. 8) Color Just like the coat type, even the color can wary a lot and the Dorgi comes in huge variations of colors. The most common colors include brown, black, chocolate, red, and white and combinations of those. 9) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the grooming as well and luckily the Dorgi is typically not a heavy shedder. They do require some brushing from time to time, but that is all you need to know, other than brushing, there is no other grooming needs associated with the Dorgi. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed. 10) Health The Dorgi is predisposed to the same health issues as its parent breeds, the Corgi and Dachshund and those health problems are mainly related with their long spine and short legs. These health problems include spine problems, patellar luxation, hip dysplasia or Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. The average lifespan of the Dorgi is between 12-15 years. |