Every dog owner has the best pup, the smartest pup, and the sweetest pup, right?! Of course. But if you’re busy swearing your pet is the smartest dog on the block, you may need to fact-check yourself. According to dog psychologist Stanley Coren, author of Intelligence of Dogs: Canine Consciousness and Capabilities (not to mention a slew of other canine-related titles), while all pups possess intelligence, there are some breeds that are genetically more genius than others, as reported by People. Sure, we’ve seen “smartest dog” lists before, but this one is different: It categorizes each breed as to how quickly it can learn a new skill (e.g., exactly how many times!).
The Border Collie topped Coren’s list, followed by the Poodle and then the German Shepherd for the first three spots, with breeds including the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever appearing in the top ten. According to the psychologist, this group of dogs can “learn a new command in less than five exposures and obey at least 95 percent of the time,” which is frankly, probably more than I could say for my own human self.
What’s more, though, is that these dogs aren’t of a one-track mind, rather, explains Coren, they have a variety of smarts including adaptive intelligence (like figuring stuff out), working intelligence (such as taking commands), and instinctive intelligence (innate skills). They also have strong interpersonal smarts, making them particularly great pups to have at home with a family.
Check out the top 80 (yes, 80!) smartest breeds here to find out exactly where your pup lands—at least, that way, you’ll know if teaching him or her that new trick is totally out of the question or not.
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