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Permalink Reply by Jessie Topaz on April 25, 2010 at 5:17pm

Oh no!!! My chow chow was listed as the fourth least intelligent breed. :(

Permalink Reply by Erin on April 25, 2010 at 5:36pm

So, I guess that makes my maniac mutt who is half beagle (#9 dumbest) and half lab (#7 smartest) slightly more dumb than smart...shocking (she says sarcastically :). He definitely got the lion's share of beagle in the brains deal. You will be able to see this on display at some point over the summer when he breaks free and we frantically chase him block to block unable to catch him.

PioneerPermalink Reply by Yasmeen on April 25, 2010 at 7:33pm

I would have thought the Jack Russell would have been in the top ten smartest.

Our poodle mix is quite smart so I would agree with his ranking. We got him when he was about 3-4 years old and I have been able to train him to do quite a few tricks. He'll do anything for food and/or love.

Your HostPermalink Reply by Becca on April 25, 2010 at 8:03pm

Ours can't do tricks (because we never trained her) but when we put on our jackets, she runs up the stairs to the room with her crate, hops inside and sits down. She'd close the door to the crate if she had thumbs!

On the flip side, she doesn't get the whole fetching thing. She'll pick things up, but she doesn't get that she's supposed to bring them back to us. I think that's the shih-tzu in her.

Yasmeen said:

I would have thought the Jack Russell would have been in the top ten smartest.

Our poodle mix is quite smart so I would agree with his ranking. We got him when he was about 3-4 years old and I have been able to train him to do quite a few tricks. He'll do anything for food and/or love.

Permalink Reply by Robin on April 25, 2010 at 8:14pm

Well growing up over the years we had a Rottweiler, Lab and a sheltie. All three were very smart in their own right but the sheltie was probably the smartest. Not easily fooled at all! Must add Rotts are great dogs and I'd get another one in a heartbeat. They are marvelous with kids!

Permalink Reply by Abbi T on April 25, 2010 at 8:17pm

I think lists like this are so strange. What is the measuring stick for smart/stupid? I think it's just like humans-- many types of intelligences. Would we say an English teacher is smarter than a mechanic? Maybe school smarts but can they take apart an engine and figure out how to put it back together?? A Jack Russell might be "smart" by some standards but could you train them to pull a sled as well as an Akita? I guarantee no poodle can rival my basset hound's nose, either! We've taught him lots of tricks despite his apparently unfortunate IQ. He does look very dopey, I admit but he's got some talents too!

PioneerPermalink Reply by Russ M on April 25, 2010 at 9:47pm

I have owned a couple of breeds/mixes on the list and this is my opinion:

1) Rottweiler: Pure genius. Very easy to train. Looked intimidating but was really just a big baby. Next to Brownie, my Rottie, Bogart was my homeboy.

2) Boxer: My boxer was dumb as a sack rocks. Loved Ike, but he definitely only had two brain cells and they were fighting each other.

3) Pitbull: Very smart. Easy to train.

4) Chow/Shetland Sheepdog Mix: Not so bright, but had potential. Maybe Cesar Milan could help.

5) Cocker Spaniel/Mutt Mix: Super smart. Dog would wander off for weeks at a time and then just show up at the house like he wasn't gone.

6) Poodle/Shih Tzu (Shipoo): Our most recent dog and she is definitely pretty smart. Low maintenance, easy to train, and seemingly magical personality. If you don't like Brownie, you have no soul and are evil.

Permalink Reply by Bill McClung on June 25, 2010 at 6:30am

Look up "extreme sheepherding" and you find things like this : http://vimeo.com/8837827 - This is why Border Collies are right up there...