Smartest Dogs: 9 of the Smartest Dog Breeds

Professor and researcher Stanley Coren notes in The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of Our Canine Companions that there are three factors tha make a dog “smart.” They are:

1. 1. Adaptive intelligence: The lessons that a dog learns from its environment and its ability to use that information to solve problems fall under the category of adaptive intelligence. This factor often differs between animals of the same breed; for example, in a group of ten Labrador retrievers, one or two animals may not learn new commands as quickly as the others.
2. 2. Instinctive intelligence: Any natural ability a dog possesses because of its breed is an example of its instinctive intelligence. Herding dogs, such as Australian cattle dogs or Belgian Malinois, are born with instinctive intelligence in regard to herding livestock, while German shorthaired pointers are born hunting dogs.
3. 3. Working intelligence: Also known as obedience intelligence, working intelligence measures a dog’s ability to learn and understand commands. Dogs with high working intelligence include breeds that are frequently used as police dogs (such as German shepherds), or service dogs (like golden retrievers), or therapy dogs (like beagles or poodles).

The following popular dog breeds are also among the smartest dog breeds, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC):

1. 1. Belgian sheepdog: A highly trainable working dog, Belgian sheepdogs are medium-sized herders that often serve as police dogs. Their extreme loyalty to and affection for owners makes them popular breeds for family dogs, too.
2. 2. Belgian Tervuren: The medium-sized Belgian Teruven emerged in the nineteenth century as one of the country’s best dog breeds for herding. They’re also one of the most intelligent dog breeds when it comes to learning new tasks, which often brings out what the AKC notes as a mischievous sense of humor when they accomplish their goals.
3. 3. Border collie: The border collie is a herding dog bred to corral sheep in England and Scotland. Border collies are still popular choice for herding, but their physical agility, intelligence, and high energy levels also make them desirable as family pets.
4. 4. Doberman pinscher: Believed to be a mixture of several breeds, including the rottweiler and German pinscher, Doberman pinschers are fast and powerfully built animals, which makes them an ideal choice as guard dogs. They’re also fast learners and highly protective of their owners.
5. 5. German shepherd: No task is too challenging for German shepherd dogs. They’re prized as police dogs, watchdogs, search and rescue dogs, and drug detection dogs. The German shepherd isn’t a “best friend” type of dog—don’t expect to cuddle with one—but it’s also extremely loyal to its families.
6. 6. Papillon: Pert, wing-shaped ears give this toy dog its name. (“Papillion” is French for “butterfly”). This playful, friendly breed also excels at agility competitions.
7. 7. Poodle: Breeders and trainers consider all varieties of poodle—standard, miniature, and toy—smart dogs. They learn new tricks quickly, handle most tasks with ease, and are affectionate family pets.
8. 8. Rottweiler: The rottweiler’s formidable power and territorial nature often hide its playful nature. Early dog training often smooths out any personality issues and makes rottweilers dedicated companions.
9. 9. Shetland sheepdog: Bred by farmers in the Shetland Islands to protect gardens, Shelties are relatives of collies and share their obedient nature. They’re also sensitive dogs that aim to please their owners with their empathetic nature.

Stanley Coren’s book also lists the following dog breeds in the second and third tiers of smart dogs: Pembroke Welsh corgi, miniature schnauzer, English springer spaniel, schipperke, Keeshond collie, and Newfoundland.

There are many pros to training a smart dog. These include:

• Friendly dogs are easier to train. Many smart dogs work hard to please their owners, and as a result, they make wonderful family pets. That ability to engage with people improves their trainability over dogs that do not engage.
• Instinctive intelligence equals easy to train. Dogs with instinctive abilities—hunting, herding, retrieving—are typically more attuned to work as part of their daily lives. These dogs are easier to train, especially if the command or trick requires their physical and mental strength.
• Smart dogs learn the basics faster. Smart dogs learn new commands and tricks with fewer repetitions than other dogs. This includes agility training, basic obedience, and many tricks.

Smart dogs also pose training challenges. Among them are:

• Smart doesn’t mean trainable. While smart dogs learn commands and tricks faster, their intelligence also poses a challenge to repetition. Smart dogs are generally more inquisitive and easily bored, both of which often lead to deviations from training, mischief, and challenges to boundaries.
• Smart dogs need more attention. Once a smart dog earns praise and affection from its owner for executing a command or trick, it will often continue to push for additional training to continue the cycle of performance and positive reinforcement. As a result, owners of smart dogs should expect training to continue long after their dogs have mastered the basics.
• Training doesn’t always translate into behavior changes. Teaching a smart dog commands is easy. Smart dogs do very well in training classes in competitions, but owners often find that they don’t repeat training actions in the real world.

Your dream of having a dog who understands words like “sit,” “stay,” “down,” and—crucially— “no” is just a MasterClass Annual Membership away. The only things you’ll need to train up a well-behaved pup are your laptop, a big bag of treats, and our exclusive instructional videos from superstar animal trainer Brandon McMillan.