Dogs can’t think, correct? WRONG. You always knew it, but now there is proof. Psychologist Stanley Coren has been researching dogs and their behavior, concluding that they are capable of learning words. One hundred and sixty five, as a matter of fact!
Coren tested dogs with a modified version of a test used to measure language abilities in children. Not surprisingly, he found the most intelligent breed to be the Border Collie, who can understand up to 250 words and hand signals. Lowest on the intelligence list? Older breeds such as the Afghan Hound, Basenji, Bull Dog, Chow Chow and Borzoi.
Dog intelligence has increased as breeding has become more selective. As an example, Coren states that if you point, a dog will usually look to where you are pointing. A wolf that has been raised by humans will simply look at your pointing hand.
Stanley Coren also reports that dogs dream about “day to day dog activities” just as people dream about daily life. Smaller dogs are said to dream more than larger dogs.
The Top Ten Smartest Dogs are as follows:
- Border Collie
- Poodle
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
- Doberman Pincher
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Labrador Retriever
- Papillon
- Rottwieler
- Australian Cattle Dog
The Pomeranian came from Pomerania in Eastern Germany. It was a larger dog until the 19th century, when the dog was bred to it’s current size, from 8 to 11 inches tall. The foxy look of this dog, along with its pointy ears, gives this dog an endearing face. The most common colors are red, cream, orange, black, sable and black and tan.
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