Is Your Dog Intelligent or Is Your Dog Smart?

I just finish reading “The intelligence of Dogs” from Stanley Coren which I highly recommend.  As many of you know, I have a German Shepherd cross and a mixed breed dog. Not sure what the breeds are but definitely some Greyhound  and Lab.

Timba has been with me since she was a little pup and Bear joined the family a year ago.

According to Dr Coren scale of intelligence, Bear is at the bottom of the scale in terms of learning. She looks and acts a lot like a hound.  It is true that Timba is a lot more eager and interested in learning new things and tricks.

Bear does not show the most remote interest in learning new things I would like to teach her. However I have watched her blossom and opened up other the last six month she has been with me. More than anything I realized how much she learned on her own and how smart she is.
Did I mentioned that Bear turned 11years old in January?

Here are some of the things she learned on her own:

• Barking in a very special way so I know she wants to come inside. ( no other dogs in the house do that. They knock on the sliding doors)
• 6pm is dinner time – It does not matter what I am doing. She comes to get me and do a little “dance” to get my attention. She will not leave me alone until I give up. She has me well trained.
• There are dogs couches and non dogs couches in the house. Which ones she can go on and which ones are off limit – She learned that by watching the other dogs.
• If no doors are open upstairs, chances are one is open downstairs and she can get out. (The other dogs in the house German Shepherd and Rottweiler will wait in front of the door until a human opens it). Both behaviors are very smart. Just a different way of thinking.

We can measure the intelligence of dogs with how much they learn and retain what we  to teach them. After all in the history of dog training, dogs became our best friends by working with us and learning about what we want. Not all breeds are interested in learning from us.Some are more independent and  still enjoy our company and love to be with their humans but on their own terms.

Hounds, Malamutes, Huskies and some Terriers have less interest in “serving humans” than German Shepherds, Labradors or Golden Retrievers for example. As long as the training or activity goes along with their inner needs: hunting, pulling, digging or chasing, they are eager participants. And then there is always the exception.

If you find your dog’s breed at the bottom of the “intelligence” list, no worries your dog is not dump. There are different type of intelligence. Street smart, independent or head strong it does not really matter. What really matter is that you love the dog you have, have fun together and enjoy each other company.