Lately at Casa de Emma we have been doing a lot of contemplating on the subject of dog intelligence. What exactly makes up a smart dog? Is it a dog that can pick up toys, a dog that can sit and stay for like two days, a dog that can find a duck its human shot down? With my little sister Bailie possibly flunking out of Obedience 1, yet excelling in Nose Work we are delving into this subject.
Let’s start with the breeds in our house.
- Human – Mom, very independent type, stubborn, hated school, said it was boring, skipped as much as she could but managed to get good grades, caused her mom lots of stress growing up because of her independent nature
- Kuvasz – Katie, large dog, bred to work independent of humans, guard dog, extremely stubborn, caused Mom lots of stress when she was a puppy refusing to do what Mom wanted her to do
- GBGV – Bailie and I, very stubborn, independent thinkers, excellent hunters, clown like behavior, not as frustrating as a Kuvasz, but still bring Mom to the edge now and then
What do we see here as common threads? Stubborn and independent seem to stick out which is why we all get along so well. We understand each other quite well. Mom says she really wouldn’t want a super obedient dog because it would bore her, although there are days where she does rethink that statement. None of us are super obedient but we know when Mom says a command and means it, we better do it.
Everyone says dogs that can do all those tricks and obedience moves are just so smart, but are they smarter than other dogs? Is following commands the only way to show intelligence? If you open the back door, I smell a wabbit, run out to the other side of the yard, catch it, kill it, and bring it back to Mom in less than a minute, is that smart? Katie can guard anything she chooses to without being told, is that intelligence? Learning commands is something dogs that have the strong instinct to please their human excel at, is that intelligence or instinct? The three of us love to see Mom happy, but we are all very independent and prefer to consider our options before just obeying a command. I can’t imagine a day where making Mom happy would come before catching a squirrel.
Last week at nose work, Bailie showed off some of her intelligence. We were kenneled as usual waiting our turns. It was my turn, so I went to the course with Mom and left Bailie locked in the kennel. This time, we did not hear Bailie crying. We did hear lot of commotion. Guess what? Within thirty seconds of Mom and I leaving the kennel, Bailie went to the end by the door, grabbed it with her mouth, opened it and walked out. One of the dog dads saw her do it and said it was like she had been doing it her whole life. Keep in mind this was her first time ever in this kennel and she had been in and out of it for less than an hour. Now, does that make her intelligent? Mom still can’t believe it because she had a heck of a time opening and closing the door with her two hands!
We hear so much these days about these “super intelligent” breeds that can do a million things on command, but don’t forget that almost every dog is smart in their own way. It would be like saying only humans with PhD’s are intelligent. There are plenty of super intelligent humans that have never even gotten a college degree. On that thought, we are just going to hope that Bailie can manage to pass her class on Feb. 3, but if not, she will excel at being a class clown, an escape artist and a nose work hound! We will still love her to death and that will be the end of Obedience class for her either way! Mom is sick of Obedience School as well and we want to concentrate on more fun classes. What do you think defines intelligence in dogs?
Today I’m joining the brand new Thursday Barks and Bytes Blog Hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like a Dog! Don’t be shy, join in and share in the fun!
great post with lots to think about. Dakota also HATED obedience classes and never made it past the first one, but I think he is a super bright dog. He can understand 100s of words and complete sentences. He will perform a task when asked in a full sentence and hears it for the first time (if the sentence contains a word he already knows)….I agree, even though so many of us have college degrees there are many who do not that are brilliant…the same with dogs. Also, remember there are “educated fools” and “those who can’t do, teach.”
Love the educated fools! We don’t think that school is everything in the world.
Great post – and such a compliment to our Dognition post today. I agree, I don’t think obeying commands is necessarily ‘intelligence’, I think there’s lots of things that define it, not just ‘book learning’. I think a dog that can make it’s own assessment and decisions is smarter than a dog who just follows orders.
Exactly my pawpoint. There is something to be said for independent thinking.
Like doxies!
Yep!
Oh my goodness, there was never a doubt in my mind, y’all are some of the smartest woofies around!
Awww…thank you…but I’m sure you cats are really the quiet intelligent ones!
Great post. I think intelligence is defined by doing things that make you and other members of your family happy..so a hug, a lick, a snuggle is makes Katie smart. What makes me smart is I love her cuddles and hugs.
True! Just because you are deemed smart doesn’t make you happy and being happy is the most important of all!
I agree with slimdoggy – I consider dogs that can figure stuff out and draw conclusions intelligent. Being smart and able to learn commands can go hand in hand, of course, but only if it’s a dog is willing to work that way. My smartest dog was a Border Collie. Learning commands bored him, but he understood almost every word I said, and he had an eerie fascination with technology.
Forgot to say, you all look awesome with your glasses and hats. Poor Bailie being the joker, LOL. Katie is clearly a professor in dogology. =D
Believe me, Bailie is a joker and she is proud of it too!
Did he work with computers? Border Collies are always said to be the smartest, but they are also totally focused on pleasing their human, I doubt they would stray for a squirrel!
All my BCs have been independent, but it might be because that’s what I expect. The guy on the Deidre’s K9 stuff thought obedience was overrated. He’d look like, “Mom, you want me to sit for a piece of bacon/cookie/sausage? Really? It’s just not worth my effort. I’ll herd something for you, but do tricks? Undignified.” LOL!
Sounds a bit like Bailie’s attitude about school so far 🙂
I was asleep in my (the mom’s) warm bed and I heard her laughing so I had to come see what was so funny. It was Bailie in the jester hat! She said all the hats and glasses re so cute! I like it when the mom laughs and smiles. I did not go to school, but I know how to love and kiss the mom….and escape out the front door (I used to follow Maggie when she dug out under the fence!) I have no street smarts which worries the mom when I push my way out the door, BUT I know HER car and will only enter HER car when she comes searching for me. XOXO Panda the Boston (I am a smarty pants)
I did finish top in my puppy class, but doesn’t make me smart or more lovable. Mom prefers to see me follow a scent or hunt. Hope you aren’t still running away from home! That is a bad thing to do, and dangerous! Glad you were able to start the day with a laugh 😉
I think you are right Emma. There is no definitive answer to defining what makes a dog intelligent. Delilah is super smart in terms of finding sources of food and learning new tricks (although sometimes too enthusiastically for my fingers 😉 but struggles with staying and recalls. (I know that makes absolutely no sense, but in the house she hates her sit/down stays but outside she’s runner. ) Sampson on the other paw doesn’t care much for tricks but knows how to get exactly what he wants. Does that make one more intelligent than the other? No.
Just like some people shine in one subject, so it goes for dogs. It’s just finding out what that area is so the dog/person can let their light shine.
Thanks for joining the new hop, we really appreciate your support.
You are right Jodi, intelligence can be measured in so many ways besides just obedience titles.
What Bailie did shows more intelligence than memorizing commands. Independent thought and the ability to act on that proves that. Tell your mom to watch out, she could be a real handful. BOL
That is one problem with three independent thinking dogs, we are always working on ways to outsmart her and sometimes we succeed!
Great post and food for thought. I am a right smarty pants as I know how to get what I want and when I want it LOL. Have a tremendous Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
Getting your human wrapped around your paws is the smartest move a dog can make!
A most excellent post Emma. All excellent points and I am smart but totally have always done what I want to do.
I know what I am supposed to do, it is just whether I feel like doing it or not 😉
I definitely think there are different kinds of intelligence – just like people. Some people take to science, some to arts. Similarly, one dog might be good for a sport, where another one is good at obedience. Obviously dogs have been bred for natural inclination, but there’s always deviation within a breed.
And there’s more ‘learned’ vs. ‘intuitive’ intelligence (I’m making this up as I go). Learned, I would consider to be like someone who went to school and has a PhD, or like a dog with years of obedience or agility training. Intuitive is the more common sense/natural ability/’street smarts’ – the dog who can quickly figure out how to escape a crate on the first try, for example 😉
Hmmm…I wonder if there was a reference to Bailie in that comment? I agree with you completely!
You are so right, Emma. We are all smart in our own ways. I didn’t pass my Canine Good Citizen test because I love humans so much I always want to greet them (even when I wasn’t supposed to). That doesn’t mean I’m not a good citizen, because I am!!
Oh boy, that is what might cause Bailie to fail her Obedience class. She just can’t sit there and stay when someone wants to meet her, but Mom is working really hard with her on that, so we will see.
I get outsmarted by Eko on a regular basis, so I know all to well how clever our pups can be. Eko is stubborn as well and he will push his limits when he thinks he can get away with it. Sounds like he would fit right in with your crew!
Wonder how he would like to be with three cute girls? We like stubborn and independent 😉
I have to agree that intelligence cannot be measured by just one stick…or trick! Terriers are pretty independent; I can sniff out all kinds of vermin, chase it, catch it and kill it without being commanded to do so…and I know what I am doing. I do listen to commands but then again…I think some “commands” may just be suggestions or options, so I choose for myself. I think every dog is smart in its own right…not one being smarter than the other.
Oz
I think you are on the right track. Humans seem to get sidetracked with the commands thing.
Bailie is one smart pup! That is pretty impressive!
We were pretty impressed for sure!
You girls are all so very smart! Woooooowooooooooooo!
Woof! Arrrooooo!!!
Hi Y’all!
You “hit the nail on the head” so to speak. It depends on our “genes”. Just like with Humans we excel at different things.
Y’all, I’ve even heard it said that dogs that “think for themselves”, often called stubborn by humans, are really the smartest dogs of all!
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
That is what we like to think at my house, who knows. Main thing is that we are all happy!
Mr. N has also let himself out of a crate on multiple occassions. But he also likes doing tricks and is good at learning them. He has a stubborn streak but is very biddable for a terrier. Onyxx is good at finding food. Anywhere. That’s a talent right?
We aren’t normally crated unless we are puppies and Mom is gone. It was amazing since Bailie isn’t in her crate at home much at all, and it is a totally different kind of crate than what is at class. We were impressed by her skills!
That was a very wise quote: every dog is smart in their own way. Many thanks for a great post, Emma, Bailie, Katie&Mom.
You welcome! Thanks for sniffin’ by 🙂
What a fabulous post. Thanks so much for joining Barks and Bytes.
Bailie sounds a lot like Freighter. He is great at escaping…lol. In my experience, many of the super obedient dogs are a bit soft of temperament and have been stripped of their drive. I know mostly the retriever breeds so that may not be true with other breeds. I don’t think that makes them any more intelligent than the free thinkers (like our crazy Chessies). Doesn’t mean they are dumber either, just different.
Good luck with your obedience class. I am sure Bailie will be great. It reminds me of the time I took an obedience class leading up to a CGC test with Storm. She has always been a pain in obedience class. I was so nervous, I don’t think I slept for days before hand. Well she passed with flying colors. I was happy, but relieved….lol.
Mom’s plan was to pass obedience 1, then in the fall take the CGC class and have Bailie be her first dog to do that, but right now that seems doubtful. Bailie and Mom are really working hard, so if she doesn’t pass, it is not due to lack of effort! We will know on Feb. 3. Mom appreciates our free spirit and thinking but just wished Bailie could put it aside for a short time to pass her class.
Been there. Sometimes you have to let those independent types grow up. None of our Chessies like to do down. Hubby is just now tackling that with Freighter. I think they don’t like to give up control. They will sit all day, but down…no. Good luck. You know we will be cheering you on. 🙂
Thanks. Oddly, Bailie doesn’t mind down…I think she likes being lazy 😉
What a fun post with fab photos. You always take such stellar images! We never did formal obedience training and feel we have raised a well-mannered canine good citizen. He does have his CGC. Good luck with the obedience class, too! <3
Thank you 🙂 With us cute pups as models, it is hard for the photographer to get a bad shot – LOL! Mom wants Bailie to get her CGC in the fall, but I don’t know if the two of them could survive another class and test. First things first, so we will see about obedience one in about 11 days.
Bailie, don’t fret about school because some of the most successful humans were considered the class clown! Einstein’s teacher told him that he would never amount to much so you just enjoy your class and keep your nose to the ground! Bentley proves that he is smart by training me instead of the other way around! You gals can rock some glasses!!
Thank you! Mom just wants Bailie to have her basis so she can do more things if she wants too…like a human and graduating from high school. We will see soon if she can pass or not, but it if she fails, they both sure spent lots of time training, so they did their best.
Mom pretty much believes that the smarter the dog the harder to train & less obedient! a.k.a. me! and her! She would love to learn more about nose work as that is my strength point hahaha! Check out my #ThrowbackThursday blog hop and join too! Love Dolly
Thanks Dolly. You would love nose work too…sort of a nose like ours I would say! So many blog hops these days. We try to rotate around, but we also try to post 3-5 times a week, so we don’t always do Thursdays. We will definitely keep it in mind 🙂
You girls are so smart!! Love you tons
Thanks my friend! I wish I was a vet so I could help you!
I think all of you are sooo intelligent. Have a nice day from Laika.
Thank you!
LOL! So clever, Bailie. There are different types of intelligence. Maya and Pierson are intelligent enough to learn tricks pretty easily, but to another dog that might be just plain dumb. Why do tricks for treats when just being cute is enough to get some treats? Now that’s some smart thinking. 😉
Now that is a very good point! I will have to keep that in mind!
Emma, you and Baillie need to come stay at my house for a week and catch all the wabbits. We have tons and tons of them in the back yard. I don’t care what you do with them. Just leave me a few pelts to tan, will ya?
I just run out, grab them, break their neck and bring them back to Mom, who, by the way, is very unappreciative of my efforts!
I think you are right, Emma, there are many different ways to show intelligence. I’ve often said that my Beagles are very smart, but they are far from obedient some of the time. They are independent and stubborn also. But they learn what they want to….they know exactly where the treats are kept, and they know every occasion that means getting a treat. Luke has also caught on to that very quickly….we’ll have yet to see where his intelligence lies, just like you’re learning with Bailie!
Well, I know if I get locked up somewhere at least she can get me out! LOL!
Over here in Doodleville, we love “pawsonality” the most. Harley is an obedience grad, and Leo is not, in fact Leo flunked Agility, but they each have super pawsonalities and huge hearts. With that combo, in my book, they’re stars. But if they would occasionally put away a toy or two, I’d boast about it – HA!
I was top puppy in my obedience class and Bailie is failing out…we are both smart, but she just is more determined to do what she wants than I was. Being happy and healthy is the main thing.
Yikes Bailie is super bright 🙂 Loved the post Emma and the photo’s xxxoxxxx
Mollie and Alfie
Thanks guys! If you ever get stuck in jail, I would suggest calling Bailie to break you out!
Your mum is very wise! Well done Bailie on the great escape!
It was mighty impressive!
Luna agrees about squirrels. They are a number one priority!
Squirrels and wabbits always come first no matter what.
Love this post and completely agree that all types of dogs and humans are intelligent, Your mom sounds a but like me back in school, mostly my senior year 🙂 And Shiner is oh-so stubborn!! I think it is her middle name.
We are a bunch of stubborn, independent females that love to have fun and snuggle! Mom loved school until about fifth grade, then she disliked it more and more each year. Even chose her college major because it allowed her to get her degree the quickest!
Lexie is an independent thinker, she will look and work things out. We did obedience and she passed all (a struggle at first) but she loves treats. The first time we took her to the water at 4 mths she just got in and swam. Yes that’s the breed but they still need a little work. She did great at water rescue class. At 4 mths she had figured out how to unzip her soft zipper crate and then open the latch on her metal crate. While Lexie is trying to out think me, Mica thinks its smarter to get love and treats. Yes she understands everything I tell her and does follow commands but she prefers to be good and get hugs.
I love the nose work you and Bailie are doing:)
Bailie had a soft crate for one day. We left her i it at Gramma’s house and within a short time, she ripped the stitching around the zipper out and broke free. She only wanted to lie on the floor with Katie and I and wait for Mom and Gramma to come back, but boy was Mom surprised to be greeted at the door by Bailie! Kennel went right in the trash, irreparable. We like to make Mom happy, but we don’t want to be too obedient, we have to keep her on her toes! Newfs are awesome and honestly, the real big dogs tend to be more mellow and a bit better at behaving!
I found this a very interesting post. I think the lists of the most intelligent breeds are the breeds that are keen to obey humans and so are, generally, easier to train to do a variety of tasks. There are other types of intelligence. I think that Bailie showed intelligence by opening the door of the kennel.
Exactly, us dogs that can think on our own! Katie is the same way.
Yes, and some of the dogs that like learning new tricks all the time aren’t easy to live with, as they need entertaining all the time. You’re happy to keep watch for intruders for a few hours while your bipeds get on with other stuff. I’m also happy to just keep an eye on things when they’re busy.
Yes, and some of the dogs that enjoy learning tricks are not easy to live with, as they need entertaining all the time. You’re happy to watch out for intruders for a few hours while your biped is busy. I’m happy to find a good spot and keep an eye on things while mine are busy.
My sisters and I are happy to just hang out. Not the nervous need to be busy types at all. We like it that way.