1. STUDIES ON DOG
INTELLIGENCE
ADAM CROMAN

2. Stereotypes seep into nearly every discussion of canine worth, whether we mean them
or not. What adjectives come to mind when you imagine a border collie? Which words
pop up when you consider a pug? For most people, the answer to the first would be
intelligent, acrobatic, and fun — and the answers to the second probably wouldn’t
coincide with any of the above. But is this split-second determination of intelligence fair
to the dogs who share our homes and hearts? The answer is probably no. Every dog
owner has their ideas about how “smart” or “dumb” their pup is, but it coming to an
unbiased conclusion on the matter can be difficult.

3. A study published in a 2013 issue of
the Journal of Veterinary Behavior
found that 45.7% of surveyed dog
owners believed that their dog’s
cognition equaled that of a 3-5-year-
old human child; however, these
higher intelligence determinations
also seemed to correspond with
owner-dog closeness. In other words,
your positive relationship with your
pup might be clouding your objective
judgment when it comes to
determining how clever the dog
truthfully is.

4. The problem with simplified labels such
as “smart” and “dumb” is that they come
with limitations. As canine cognition
researcher Brian Hare explains, “There’s
still this throwback to a uni-dimensional
version of intelligence, as though there is
only one type of intelligence that you
either have more or less of […] different
dogs are good at different things.” Hare
takes the cognitive approach in his
research by acknowledging that dogs,
much like humans, are a mix of
intellectual strengths and weaknesses and
can’t be shunted into oversimplified
categories.

5. Another canine intelligence researcher, Dr. Stanley Coren, breaks
these multiple intelligences down into three general categories:
instinctive, adaptive, and working. Coren defines the first as an
intelligence the dog possesses as a function of their breed. Herding
dogs, for instance, have an instinctive ability to gather animals and
need little guidance from humans on how to do so.
Adaptive intelligence is more individualized and depends on an
individual dog’s ability to problem-solve and learn from their
experiences and environment.
Lastly, Coren determines working intelligence by assessing what
the dog can do after being taught by humans; this category has a
rough parallel to “school learning” for humans.

6. If we use these three broad categories to assess a dog’s aptitudes, we achieve
a better understanding of their overall strengths, rather than sheer
intelligence. Take two hypothetical border collies as an example; both have
the same instinctive intelligence when it comes to herding, but if one is
better at picking up working cues from their handler while the other tends
more towards independent problem-solving and mischief, their owner
might consider that dog to be “more intelligent” than the second.

7. Some research does point to a general
factor of intelligence in dogs,
regardless of breed or training. In 2016,
researchers put 68 Welsh border
collies, all of whom had similar
backgrounds as herding dogs, through
a series of puzzle tests and cognitive
challenges. They found that dogs who
tended to do well on one test generally
were more likely to do well on others
and that those who performed well
were also more likely to complete
challenges quickly. These findings
indicate that yes, some dogs may be
better-equipped to handle cognitive
hurdles better than others, even
outside of Coren’s three categories.

8. Too often, we take the canine ability to
understand our gestures and respond in a
way that communicates their needs and
wants for granted. Dogs are more than
animals we let into our homes; they’re our
social partners and empathetic
companions. As with humans, canine social
behavior is influenced by the oxytocin
system. When we pet our dogs, their
oxytocin, more commonly known as the
“hug hormone,” levels begin to rise, giving
them a boost in happiness and positivity.
This response influences how a dog
interacts with its owner and unfamiliar
humans and shapes their empathetic
responses towards our behaviors.

9. The importance of empathetic intelligence can’t be understated; it defines the
core of our relationships with our pups and has likely played an evolutionary
role in how dogs came to be such a regular presence in our homes. Brian Hare,
the canine researcher referenced earlier, perhaps put it best: “The pug drooling
on your shoe may not look like the brightest bulb in the box, but she comes
from a long line of successful dogs and is a member of the most successful
mammal species on the planet besides us. Rest assured – she is a genius.”

10. THANK YOU!
adamcroman.com