[todseyah]

The GSD has been ranked as the 3rd smartest dog breed in the world. Beating him out for number 2 and 1? The Poodle and the Border Collie.

http://wjz.com/slideshows/Smartest.Dumbest.Dog.20.707779.html?rid=21

 

[drkcloud4u]

what about huskies? they are pretty smart...

oh & is it just me or did they pick all the wrinkled/droopy faced dogs as the dumbest?

 

[Leadchange]

I believe that the dog rate most difficult to train and work with is the Afghan Hound.

 

[tracyc]

I've also heard it said that while GSD's aren't "best" any anything--they are second-best at EVERYthing. And no other breed can come close to that!

 

[DianaM]

Or does that make the Afghan smarter than the other breeds? "Sit? Down? Yeah right, like I'm going to fall for that routine. Now be a good little human and go get my dinner and we'll just pretend this little discussion never happened."

 

[DianaM]

Also, I want to know HOW they rate intelligence- quickness in obeying commands? Quickness in learning commands? Independent thinking and the ability to function independent of a human's instructions or completely obeying the handler? Is it blind obedience and following directions without thinking twice or thinking "wait, no... why do you want me to sit?" or "No, trust me, something is not right here, I know you want me to stop barking but please listen and be careful."

 

[doggiedad]

Originally Posted By: Luca_stlI've also heard it said that while GSD's aren't "best" any anything--they are second-best at EVERYthing. And no other breed can come close to that!

i'll take that second best at everything. "everything".

 

[tracyc]

Quote:Also, I want to know HOW they rate intelligence- quickness in obeying commands? Quickness in learning commands?

I think I've read that it's based on the number of repetitions before the dog "knows" a new command. At the top end of the "intelligence" list, breeds can know a command after as few as 6-10 reps. At the bottom, it might take ten times that long.

So, yes, it's part smarts, but even moreso a desire to focus and willingness to interact with humans--bidability.

 

[DHau]

Must be a typographical error.

German Shepherds come lower compared to a poodle? I have had both in my lifetime. Poodles pfft. lol.

 

[Guest]

They mean Standard Poodles - not those little ankle biters. Standard Poodles are indeed quite smart. They were the hunting dogs of the French aristocracy.

 

[Brightelf]

I think the Charlie Manson intensity of the BC in full hyper-caffienated, just-drank-9-expressos-mode, total in OCD-overdrive "Whatchadoin?Whatchadoin?Whatchadoin?CanIdothat?CanIdothat?Huh?Huh?Huh????" may get them to score faster because as they flip out through the range of possibilities in a frantic, desperate, freak-out kinda way... they WILL just hit on the right answer faster. "Omigod-isthisright?no?howaboutthis?no?letmetrythis?orthis?howaboutthis??" Don't wanna have THAT in my livingroom, even if I had a herd of sheep to move daily.

 

[Guest]

Originally Posted By: doggiedad

Originally Posted By: Luca_stlI've also heard it said that while GSD's aren't "best" any anything--they are second-best at EVERYthing. And no other breed can come close to that!

i'll take that second best at everything. "everything".

Indeed, I asked a senior K-9 trainer once why he thought that GSDs were used more than any other breed in law enforcement, search and rescue, and military work. He said, "There are dogs that are more powerful than GSDs and can bite harder, there are dogs that are smarter than they are and learn special tasks, there are dogs that can track better, and dogs that can do many other things better, but no other dog can put all that together in one package so well as a GSD let alone combine it with the heart and spirit that men could aspire to."

 

[scannergirl]

There was a Bassett in our puppy class. Let's just say he didn't have the highest GPA.

Lucy was the quickest to learn, (by a lot, her owner says proudly)followed by Darla, who was Lucy's puppy buddy- she's a Sheltie pup, and then a couple of labs. Then the Bassett, bringing up the rear. I noticed that they had great difficulty teaching him the down. Personally I'm not convinced it was his lack of smarts but rather his short legs- he did not need to go down to get the treat!

 

[scannergirl]

Originally Posted By: BrightelfI think the Charlie Manson intensity of the BC in full hyper-caffienated, just-drank-9-expressos-mode, total in OCD-overdrive "Whatchadoin?Whatchadoin?Whatchadoin?CanIdothat?CanIdothat?Huh?Huh?Huh????" may get them to score faster because as they flip out through the range of possibilities in a frantic, desperate, freak-out kinda way... they WILL just hit on the right answer faster. "Omigod-isthisright?no?howaboutthis?no?letmetrythis?orthis?howaboutthis??" Don't wanna have THAT in my livingroom, even if I had a herd of sheep to move daily.

 

[IloveGSDs]

There was a bassett hound in one of my obedience classes and they dropped out after the 3rd class or so. I was reading about bassetts and they apparently are very stubborn...or are they like the afghan...I'll do it when I want to do it!!!!!!!

 

[Butchsdad]

I have to say that I'm surprised about the poodle and border collie beation out the lab and the golden retrievers. Where did they fall?

 

[BowWowMeow]

Golden was 4th and lab was 7th, I think. Standard poodles are very trainable. I dog sat one for a summer and he was just amazing. And their smart/dumb ratings are all about trainability. The Basenji and the Chow are in the top 10 dumbest and those two breeds are dumb as a cat...meaning they are very independent and difficult to train but certainly NOT stupid.

 

[Strongheart]

I don't care what they say. The GSD is the smartest breed. There were some folks who decided the African Grey is the smartest parrot but the real bird people all know that the cockatoos are the smartest by FAR. The cockatoos are also the most 'troubled' and from what I've learned of GSDs so far since owning them and studying them, they are like cockatoos in that they tend to be the most 'troubled' when they do have problems and that is always a sign of superior intelligence. The smartest kid in the class is the one who is not challenged and starts trouble but everyone just thinks he's a punk.

GSDs are the smartest. I grew up with poodles and they are very, very smart but they don't have a driving curiosity like my GSD kids. There are different kinds of intelligence and you have to look at all of them. I think that is what GSDad was getting at. The whole package is just Einstein in a saddle coat.

I do admit to my bias. But I chose my bias carefully!

 

[onyx'girl]

I think the African grey is smarter than the cockatoo-domestic breds- and have owned both. The cockatoos emotions show more, and they are more affectionate, but I think the greys are smarter. Look at Alex http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Alex+the+parrot+dies&btnG=Google+Search http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/science/10cnd-parrot.html Some cockatoos are really high strung and hyper. I bred the Moluccans and absolutely love them, but the grey gives me more satisfaction in a pet, because of the intelligence level. I have a 19 yr. Congo and he makes still all the noises of every bird I have had, except my male singer canary( But he does whistle and warble, this is including the cockatoo dinner scream. He still on occasion calls Stomper, who has been gone for 13 years, and I am amazed at the words he uses at the appropriate time. My mom has his clutch-mate, and her grey has just as much smarts as mine, maybe more...
GSD's though are my choice over a poodle or a border for a pet any day, even if they are #3!

 

[Strongheart]

Yea yea I know Alex very well and he died on my wedding anniversary. He is incredible.

I have 2 Moluccans (have had 5). They are the true geniuses of the bird world. You have to padlock them in their cages like Houdini because they can pick locks, you can't use a combination lock, it has to be a key lock. My two talk in complete sentences, recognize visitors by name, etc. All my birds are smart, actually my B&G is pretty much of a genius too, but the M2s, they blow them all away. They are not good pets and I don't think they should be kept as pets, mine have had multiple homes (1 had 10 homes in 10 years) because they need so much mental stimulation.

My M2 heard some classical music and then after that he would compose little sonatas in the afternoon, not copying what heard, improvising and inventing and using correct structure, stuff I had to study in college. That's pretty smart but not in a conventional way.

My Jessie is brilliant too and she is a troubled dog, that's why she has problems, because her mind is so incredible. As a problem solver, she is always three steps ahead of me.

I've known border collies and I do think they're very smart, poodles are really smart too but GSDs are INTELLECTUALS