06/03/2025
A new study has put the cognitive abilities of dogs to the test, revealing significant differences in how various breeds process information and solve problems.
So, which breed is the smartest?
Unsurprisingly, it's complicated. Border collies have long been believed to be the smartest breed. However, the study shows various breeds actually excel in different areas of intelligence.
Researchers at the University of Helsinki evaluated around 1,000 dogs from 16 breeds using the smartDOG cognition test, which measured problem-solving, impulse control, memory, and human communication skills.
The results showed that while each breed had its own strengths and weaknesses, certain cognitive traits appeared to be hereditary.
For example, Labrador Retrievers excelled at reading human gestures but struggled with spatial problem-solving, while Shetland Sheepdogs performed consistently across all tests. One standout breed was the Belgian Malinois, a popular working dog, which demonstrated strong problem-solving skills and responsiveness—key traits for security and police work.
However, the study also highlighted some surprising findings. Despite being highly intelligent working dogs, Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds struggled with the cylinder test, which measures impulse control. This could be linked to their high responsiveness, a trait essential for their roles in law enforcement and security.
The research suggests that a breed’s historical function influences cognitive traits, yet some results, such as the Finnish Lapphund’s unexpected difficulty with human-directed tasks, indicate that additional factors may be at play.
learn morehttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-26991-5
