World Dog Breed IQ Ranking, Where Does Your Dog Rank?

The World Dog Breed IQ Rankings is a study led by Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Canada. He combined the opinions of 208 dog breeders, 63 small animal veterinarians, and 14 experts on guard and protection dogs to conduct in-depth observations and research on a variety of dog breeds, evaluating primarily working obedience and IQ, and ranking them accordingly.

Basis of Ranking

Prof. Coren’s rankings are based on a dog’s working obedience, i.e., a dog’s ability to learn and carry out commands. Dogs with high IQs usually understand new commands faster and remember them after fewer repetitions.

The IQ rankings for dogs are listed and contain the IQ rankings, breeds, and places of origin of some common dog breeds. Here is some key information:

Border Collie: ranked #1, originated in England, and is considered the smartest dog breed.

Poodle: Ranked #2, originated in Germany and is known for its high IQ and ease of training.

German Shepherd: ranked third, originated in Germany, commonly used in police dogs and search and rescue work.

Golden Retriever: Ranked fourth, originated in Scotland and is known for its friendliness and intelligence.

Doberman: ranked fifth, originated in Germany and is commonly used for guard and police dog work.

Other top-ranked dog breeds include the Hilti Shepherd, Labrador, Butterfly and Rottweiler. Each breed has its own unique place of origin and characteristics.

IQ Ranking Classifications

Coren categorizes dog breeds into the following categories:

Top Working Dogs (Top Working Dogs).

These breeds understand new commands in less than 5 repetitions and have an obedience rate of 95% or higher.

Breeds represented: Border Collie, Poodle, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Doberman Pinscher, etc.

Excellent Working Dogs (Excellent Working Dogs)

These breeds need 5-15 repetitions to learn new commands, with an obedience rate of 85% or more.

Breeds represented: Hilti Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Butterfly Dog, Rottweiler, etc.

Medium Working Dogs (Average Working/Obedience Intelligence)

These breeds require 15-25 repetitions to learn new commands and have an obedience rate of 70% or more.

Representative breeds: English Bulldog, West Highland White Terrier, Beagle, Shiba Inu, etc.

General Working Dogs (Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence)

These breeds need 25-40 repetitions to learn new commands and have an obedience rate of 50% or more.

Breeds represented: Basset Hound, Mastiff, Pekingese, Chow Chow, etc.

Lower Working Dogs (Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence)

These breeds require more than 40 repetitions to understand new commands and have an obedience rate of less than 50%.

Representative breeds: Afghan Hound, Basenji, English Bulldog, etc.

Cautions

IQ ranking does not equal overall ability: IQ ranking is mainly based on obedience and does not represent the overall ability or adaptability of the breed. For example, some independent, stubborn breeds (such as the Afghan Hound) may be ranked low, but they excel in other areas (such as hunting or guarding).

Individual differences: Even within the same breed, there may be differences in IQ and obedience between individuals.

Influence of training and environment: A dog’s performance is also influenced by training methods, environment and the level of patience of the owner.

Summarizing

Coren’s breed IQ rankings provide a reference for dog training and selection, but should not be used as the sole criterion. When choosing a dog, a combination of factors such as the breed’s personality, size, activity needs and the owner’s lifestyle should also be considered.