Demystifying Dogs’ Intelligence Level

Have you ever wondered how smart are man's best friends? We spend a massive amount of time with dogs and most of us consider them as family. Thus, it makes sense for us to invest time to learn more about their intelligence level since it will guide our interactions with them.

​​​​​​​This article will elaborate on the following points:

- What are the broad categories of dog intelligence?

- How intelligent are dogs?

- Why are dogs so clever?

- How can you raise a super fur-baby?

What are the different aspects of dog intelligence?

To begin, we need to break down the term 'intelligence'. There are 3 broad categories of canine intelligence.

- Instinctive intelligence: a dog's natural ability to do certain tasks (e.g hunt, retrieve, guard) because of its breed.

- Adaptive intelligence: how well a dog learns from its environment to solve problems (e.g. skill level in reading facial expressions, recognising frequent visitors, how quickly it figures things out on its own). 

- Working/ obedience intelligence: how well a dog can learn and follow commands (i.e. its trainability). 

How clever are dogs?

Psychologists have discovered that dogs on average have an intelligence level just like human toddlers (2-2.5 year olds). That's why these furbabies are emotionally attuned enough to love us, empathise with us, and understand subtle gestures and social cues, which are fundamental skills that have helped the human-dog relationship to flourish.

Fun fact: some shrewd dogs can even purposely hide the truth from other dogs and people to obtain treats! In addition, dogs are brilliant enough to solve complex problems (e.g solve puzzles) too.

What can explain dogs' intelligence level?

1) Evolutionary adaptation 

Did you know that dogs were the very first domesticated animal? The sweet, symbiotic human-dog friendship all started because of food. In the past, grey wolves (who later evolved to become the dogs we know today)  discovered that it was wise to accompany hunter-gatherers instead of going solo. This is because they could scavenge from the food remains of hunter-gatherers. Humans too, gained from this relationship as wolves' killer speed and powerful sense of smell expanded the amount of food people could gather.

Simply put, this means that dogs evolved to become emotionally intelligent because that was an evolutionarily adaptive move that would maximise their chances of survival.

2) Type of dog breed  

Your dog's breed is also of utmost importance in determining its intelligence level.

Certain dog breeds are exceptionally smart in terms of working/obedience intelligence (e.g Border Collie, Poodle, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Doberman Pinscher, Shetland Sheepdog, Labrador Retriever), whereas some other breeds are less shrewd.

In a similar vein, a dog's breed also affects its intrinsic capability to do certain tasks (instinctive intelligence). For example, guard dogs are typically adept at watching over things, retrievers often do well in fetching, and hounds are usually great at pursuing. In essence, different dog breeds have differing talents.

3) Level of socialisation/ training 

​​​​​​​Well-socialised dogs are typically more emotionally intelligent. To be precise, dogs who are often brought out for walks tend to be more calm and confident than dogs who have experienced little socialisation. The latter group of dogs are often fearful of strangers and other dogs when they are outside.

Additionally, dogs who are more mentally stimulated usually have sharper minds compared to bored canines.

How can you raise a super furbaby?

As a furparent, you definitely want the very best for your furbaby. So, here are some useful tips that will help you to raise a super furkid who is emotionally intelligent as well as cognitively smart!

1) Bring your dog out regularly to socialise 

To raise an emotionally smart dog, you need to give your furbaby plenty of chances to make friends with other canines and humans. We encourage you to start socialising your dog early on when it is a puppy.

If you live in Singapore, bringing your furbaby to our Pet Master Mega Store is an awesome way to promote its social development. Located at East Coast Park's Parkland Green, Pet Master Mega Store is a one-stop pets wonderland where you can have the time of your life with your dog. You can shop till you drop for quality products along our dog-friendly aisles. Besides that, dogs can also befriend other canines at our pet swimming pool (Paws 4 Splash) and the dog run- both located extremely close to our shop.

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2) Provide your dog with a variety of toys 

Dogs are bright creatures who need to be mentally stimulated to bust their boredom. Toys are marvellous resources that will help you to entertain your doggie, keeping it mentally and physically active.

In particular, treat-dispensing toys do an outstanding job in mentally stimulating your dog. Treat-dispensing toys motivate your dog to think hard. It has to learn how to manipulate the toys to get them to release the prize (a.k.a the treats).

Toys that encourage canines to exercise also contribute to a healthy canine brain.

 

Recommended toys: 
-Zolux Samba Round Rope 26cm
-AFP Xtra-R Strong Curved Treat Bone 5" Dog Toys

-Ferplast Carousel Pets Treat Dispensing Toy

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3) Teach your dog tricks 

Teaching furbabies cool tricks (e.g sit, roll-over, paw) will keep them mentally sharp. Because numerous dogs are food-motivated, offering treats directly after they successfully perform a trick is a powerful way to reward them. Other rewards you can provide include praise, petting or a favourite toy.

We advise you to give healthier treats to your dog to reduce its risk of suffering from diseases early on (e.g. obesity, diabetes). Brit Care's superpremium dog snacks are a pawsome choice because they are more nutritious than a lot of other brands of treats on the market. Specifically, they are the real deal because these grain-free, hypoallergenic snacks are made up of fresh meat.

Recommended treats: 

-Brit Care Meaty Jerky

-Brit Care Functional Snacks

-Brit Care Crunchy Cracker Insects

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Visit Pet Master's outlets for more advice

Furparents, we hope you learnt something new from our article. If you need further advice on how to raise a super furbaby, do reach out to our friendly, knowledgeable outlet staff!