When it comes to intelligence, dogs are easily on the list of very smart animals. There are lots of Super smart dogs, but some are more popular than others.
Generally speaking, any dog that can perform well as a service animal or a working dog is considered very intelligent.
In this post, we will be looking at ten common breeds of canines that are easily considered the smartest and most intelligent.
What makes a dog smart?
People’s opinions regarding the signs of intelligence in dogs vary. Some have argued that the smartest dogs are the very stubborn ones that are often too difficult to train.
Such dogs most likely train their owners more than their owners may ever be able to train them.
However, many other people and I will argue that the smartest dogs are those easy to train.
Such dogs are incredibly fast learners and can do amazing things with the right motivation.
Intelligent dogs can learn more human words than unintelligent ones, making it easier to respond to more commands.
The smartest dogs usually pay undivided attention to their environment and find out very easy to pick up on subtle cues.
Many intelligent dogs can tell the difference between actions and objects. Some may be smart enough to identify their toys by their real names.
It has been discovered that the most intelligent dogs are hard-working and high-energy dog breeds.
There is a chance that these dogs can learn quickly because they have the right amount of motivation to perform in that capacity and not necessarily because of their brain capacity.
Living with an intelligent dog
The breed of a dog is not the only determinant of canine intelligence.
Various intelligent dogs are mixed-breed, and some other dogs may be more intelligent than their breed’s reputation or even less intelligent in some cases.
The level of interaction with it reveals, most of the time, a dog’s intelligence. Dogs learn the best when they have excess energy to use up or are motivated by rewards from their owners or trainers.
The best way to help your dog explore its intelligence is to keep it engaged for a long time every day.
Create time to bond with your dog, provide regular training and frequent practice, allow your dog to participate in dog-friendly activities like dog sports and other fun games.
If you already have one of the smartest breeds of dogs in your possession, if you wish to get one soon, make sure that you are willing to put in some effort to take care of your dog.
Although it is a fact that all dogs have needs, the smartest dogs require more exercise, training to keep them both physically and mentally stimulated, and also plenty of attention.
To understand intelligent dogs better, think of those gifted kids in schools and how they easily get bored when they are not motivated or challenged.
A lot of Shay dogs benefit a lot from dog sports and even a type of job. If you get an intelligent dog to live with you, make sure you keep it engaged at all times so that it never gets boring.
Smartest Dog In The World
As aforementioned, every dog has unique abilities that make them special.
But today, we have listed the top 10 smartest and most intelligent dog breeds in the world.
1. Border Collie
Considered the smartest of all canines, the border collie is number one on this list.
Most intelligent dogs are said to have the intelligence of a two your old kid, but the border collie arguably has the intelligence of a four or five-year-old child.
Extremely driven, energetic, and athletic, it looks like the border collie is always in the mood to learn something new, almost like the Australian Shepherd.
This dog is so interesting that even if you are too busy to keep your border collie busy, it will find a way to keep itself busy.
We Love Border Collies because they can perform almost any job you give to them.
However, these guys prefer the kind of work that will keep them using their brains, adding moving simultaneously the same way they have been prepared to work by their sheepdog history.
Looking for the overachiever of the canine world? The Border collies have claimed that spot for itself long ago as it excels in almost anything, including canine sports.
2. Australian Shepherd
Known as one of the world’s most intelligent breeds of dog, the Australian shepherd claims the number two shot on the top ten smartest dogs on the planet.
The Australian shepherd is a very friendly, intelligent, and active dog.
This dog has a background as a sheepdog which has conditioned it to seek activities that will keep it mentally and physically active.
The Australian shepherd will amaze you with how fast it can learn and its willingness to move to the next activity immediately after the first one is done.
If you do not want your Australian shepherd to be noted and frustrated, then you have to provide it with plenty of work to do.
Dog sports are perfect for Australian shepherds, especially the kind that engages their natural athletic ability.
3. Poodle
Do not be fooled by this canine’s prissy or fancy appearance; it will deserve third place on the list of intelligent dogs in the world.
Whether your poodle is toy size, medium, or standard size, this canine has one of the highest brainpower in the world of dogs.
The poodle started as a hunting dog, but it became man’s trusty companion and a very diligent worker with time.
Most people see poodles (especially the smaller ones) as show or performing animals because it is ready to teach them to jump through a loop, stand on a ball, or perform a wide range of actions.
4. Australian Cattle Dog
Claiming the number two spot on this list is one canine that always establishes a close bond with its owner, is always focused and driven, and looks very cute.
Let’s meet the Australian cattle dog. Because the Australian cattle dog was created to help with herding cattle, this canine lives its life to work.
Like many other intelligent dogs, the best way to keep an Australian cattle dog happy is to give it plenty of work to do.
If you don’t give your Australian cattle dog work to do, it might give itself some work, and you won’t find it funny because your stuff might get destroyed.
If you treat your Australian cattle dog nice enough, it will always stay by you and make sure you are doing fine because these dogs are good at reading people and know when something isn’t right.
5. German Shepherd
You sure won’t be surprised that the German shepherd dog made this list, especially because most people already know how intelligent a dog is.
Most owners will agree that this dog breed can sometimes be too smart for its own good.
The German shepherd dog can sometimes act anxious or high-strung because it is too intelligent, loyal, protective, and energetic.
The German shepherd dog is always happy when there is an important job for it to do.
They live to play protectors and supervisors, so if you have kids and you are too busy to watch them play in the backyard, your dog will gladly assist.
However, the German shepherd dog needs plenty of mental stimulation and exercise to live its life to the fullest.
Many German shepherd dogs are happy to take up a career working with the military or the police force.
These canines can learn almost any action in just a few steps and perform tasks very fast with the expectation of another task waiting to be attended to.
6. Shetland Sheepdog
At first glance, you may want to assume that the Shetland sheepdog isn’t such an intelligent canine.
Most people sometimes misjudge this dog because it can be calm and graceful, and there are periods when it can be energetic and playful.
This breed of dog pays keen attention to its environment and waits for you to give it whatever signal is necessary.
The Shetland sheepdog is a professional in reading people, and it is swift to tunes into the personalities of the people it meets. The Shelties are willing to learn and do anything to please their owners.
Like some other intelligent dogs with sheepdog roots, the Shelties are driven and attentive, and responsive to their environment.
They are very loving and loyal to their owners, making them a wonderful breed of aged people.
7. Papillon
The first time you see a Papillon, the only thing that may come to your mind is, “this is such a cute dog,” but there’s more to this fine breed of dog than its beauty.
Most people who own papillons use them only as lapdogs, but they are arguably the smartest of all toy size dogs.
The Papillon is a friendly lapdog, but after spending a few minutes on your laps, all that runs through its mind is his to go about looking for one thing or another to keep it busy.
Many small-sized dogs are sometimes stubborn, but if you make your papillon enjoy training by giving it rewards, you might have yourself a tiny genius.
They learn quickly and can perform a variety of tricks with the right training.
8. Rottweiler
Talk about being very good at reading people, and the Rottweiler is right there.
The Rottweiler shows different sides of its personality based on how much trust it feels a person deserves, which is why most Rottweiler owners trust them to provide security.
A Rottweiler can be a very friendly and playful dog when it’s around trusted friends and family. Still, when it comes to strangers, it takes time to study them and behaves according to the judgment of the stranger’s personality.
The Rottweiler is one dog that isn’t scared to tell you what it feels you are trying to do and attack you if it feels like you are a threat to the humans it loves.
It isn’t easy to find people who can pull a fast one on this dog breed because of how intelligent Rottweilers are.
Once you get a Rottweiler and meet your family, it can quickly develop a strong bond with you and your loved ones.
Also, once your Rottweiler learns to trust you and gets past the headstrong character unique to its breed, you can easily train it to perform some useful actions.
Just know that everyone will be safe as long as the Rottweiler is close, whether you teach it to play fetch or not.
9. Jack Russell Terrier
Many intelligent dog breed lists seem to leave out the Jack Russell terrier, which is far from fair, maybe because the Jack Russell terrier moves too fast to be noticed by some people.
If you are looking for a smart, stubborn, fearless, and energetic dog, then the Jack Russell terrier and its cousin, the Parson Russell terrier, are the perfect dogs.
There is almost no way you can fool this breed of dog or even stop it from getting what it wants. The Jack Russell terrier is one dog breed that excels at dog sports such as barn hunts.
Because these dogs love to be on the move at all times, it might be challenging to get them trained, but once you can train them, you will be glad you did.
10. Golden Retriever
One of the popular dog breeds in the world and one of the friendliest dogs to have is the golden retriever. Just looking at a golden retriever, you might conclude it is nothing but a goofy dog.
However, the golden retriever can do almost anything once it is taught to do it. This dog breed is intelligent and has so much love for people, making it a good service dog.
When it comes to dog sports, you can count your golden retriever in, and it is also a good companion no matter the kind of household.
As you make up your mind on which of these dogs to get, ensure that you are willing to be committed to giving them the right mental and physical activities that would keep them both healthy, alert, and intelligent.
