Pups are like a child for the majority of the owners. And just like with children, owners want their puppy to be the smartest and cutest among all dogs. There are actual many signs that tells you about dog intelligence. By the end of this article we hope you will know “how to tell if your dog is smart or dumb”.
As much as you might want for your dog to score the maximum of points in a “dog IQ test“, you must know that having an intelligent dog, has its downsides. As a dog trainer says, you need to keep an eye on them all the time, to notice when they are bored and set the adequate environment fitting his needs. Caring for an intelligent dog requires a lot of attention and devotion from your part and at times can be even a little tiring. At least at the beginning, when it is very important to help your intelligent dog make good choices.
But to be realistic, measuring a dogs intelligence is very difficult and so experts prefer to use the term ‘the dog’s cognition’ instead. Cognition it self is explained as the activities of thinking, understanding, learning and remembering.
When on this subject, the question ‘What do you want your dog to do, to be considered an intelligent dog’ pops up. Dogs specialize in different types of ‘smarts’, just like humans. A dog can have an astonishing memory while another can be extremely social. And so when they are put in a certain situation they reaction will differ. Some will look more brilliant than others while on another occasion the less intelligent dog on the first situation will appear brilliant on this one.
Here there are 7 signs of dog intelligence
#1 Some dogs are highly skilled when it comes to resolve a tricky toy or just figuring out what you are trying to say to them really quickly. This is a clear sign that your dog has a higher intelligence level compared to other average dogs.
#2 When your dog tries to communicate with you making an effort, even if it is just to ask for food or the need to go outside, is a sign of higher dog intelligence as well. But keep in mind that you have to pay attention as well in order for you to tell when he tries to communicate.
#3 Turns out that when pups go digging into the trash or even chew something they shouldn’t might be a sign they use to let you know they are bored and need you to direct and help them figure out what can they do instead. Dogs are generally happy, and they get in trouble for doing various things they shouldn’t around the house. Th theory is that they might just be under stimulated. But if you note that your dog is not happy, keep in mind that might be due to some kind of stress he is experiencing and not boredom at all. Try playing hide-and-seek, dog puzzles or other games that will keep them busy.
#4 Dogs love to eat, and when is the case to have some good treats there is nothing they want more. And when this treats are hidden but either way they find the way to get them out of this challenging toys, is a sign of intelligence. Actually there are many treat-dispensing toys that tell you what kind of ‘smart’ your dog is. If your dog is smarter than the average, he will not get frustrated at all, instead, he will take his time and figure out how to solve it. And even if your dog can not solve this kind of toys as quickly as you would want them to, does not mean that he is dumb. They just have different kind of intelligence.
#5 Nowadays there are many products out there that determine how smart your dog is by using the cognition test. One of them is called ‘Dognition’ and focuses more on the idea that all dogs are smart, just different kinds of smart. The idea is this, you play 20 games with your dog, input the data and learn which of the nine Dognition profiles you dog has.
#6 A dog cognition can be tested even with simple games, you can try at home. Some dogs are able to find hidden treats pretty fast while others need more time to figure it out. But even if your dogs seems confused and can not seem to find where the hidden treat is, might just mean that he is not a good observant or perhaps hasn’t understood how the game works.
#7 Dogs that know their way around the house, and even how to open the refrigerators door or get something off of the counter might be seen a a problem to be fixed, but the truth is that it is actually a sign of good problem-solving skill. The best way to deal with this is to redirect the dog to more acceptable behaviors instead of punishing him.
