Posted on 04/28/2008 1:05:46 PM PDT by Clint N. Suhks
The CBS "Early Show" ran a story this week about dogs and their intelligence, or lack thereof. In the story, they shared their list of the top 10 smartest and top 10 dumbest dog breeds. These were their picks.
#10 Dumbest: The Basset Hound may be so sad-eyed because it was ranked the tenth least intelligent dog breed.
2 of 20 : #10 Smartest: The immensely trainable Australian Cattle Dog was called the tenth smartest breed. 
3 of 20 : #9 Dumbest: Don't tell the Westminster Kennel Club, but Uno, the beagle who won their 131st annual dog show, belongs to the ninth least intelligent dog breed. 
4 of 20 : #9 Smartest: The Rottweiler was called the ninth smartest breed. This one looks a tad surprised by the ranking. 
5 of 20 : #8 Dumbest: This Mastiff hangs its head in shame over being ranked the eighth least intelligent dog breed. 
6 of 20 : #8 Smartest: The Papillon, ranked eighth smartest, floats like a butterfly and knows its ABC's. 
7 of 20 : #7 Dumbest: The Pekingese is more famous for its "dustmop" look when groomed correctly. This one must be getting a haircut to avoid being associated with the seventh stupidest dog breed. 
8 of 20 : #7 Smartest: The most popular dog breed in the nation is also the seventh smartest: the Labrador Retriever. 
9 of 20 : #6 Dumbest: We know the Bloodhound has a brain somewhere beneath all those lovable wrinkles, but the "Early Show" rankings had them pulling sixth among the dumbest breeds. 
10 of 20 : #6 Smartest: The Shetland Sheepdog's agility, as shown here, helped it rank sixth smartest. 
11 of 20 : #5 Dumbest: Borzois are considered the fifth least intelligent dogs. 
12 of 20 : #5 Smartest: The Doberman Pinscher's intelligence is on full display here on a rescue mission. 
13 of 20 : #4 Dumbest: This Chow Chow can live with being considered the fourth least intelligent breed, so long as you keep its hair nice and fluffy. 
14 of 20 : #4 Smartest: Golden Retrievers were fourth on the list of smart dogs. 
15 of 20 : #3 Dumbest: The Bulldog was rated the third stupidest dog breed. 
16 of 20 : #3 Smartest: Loyal workhorses, the German Shepherds were ranked as the third smartest breed. 
17 of 20 : #2 Dumbest: The Basenji is considered the second least intelligent dog breed, but hey, it could be worse. 
18 of 20 : #2 Smartest: Love 'em or hate 'em, Poodles were ranked as the second smartest dog breed out there. 
19 of 20 : #1 Dumbest: Stylish and mysteriously ancient, the Afghan Hound nonetheless merits the dubious honor of being ranked the single least intelligent dog breed. 
20 of 20 : #1 Smartest: The Border Collie was ranked the single smartest dog breed. Do you think this one looks just a little bit proud of it? 
From an interview with a German Shepherd: "They're good with ketsup and mustard......"
now that’s a fun ping! thanks
My Chloe did and anyone who ranks Bassett Hounds at number 10 hasn't met her :)
Off topic a little but funny...E-mail I received a few days ago.
The Purina Diet.
-——When someone asks you a dumb question wouldn’t you like to respond like
this?.....
Yesterday I was buying a large bag of Purina dog chow at Wal-Mart for Athena the wonder dog and was about to check out. A woman behind me
asked if I had a dog. What did she think I had, an elephant? So since
I’m retired, with little to do, on impulse, I told her that no, I didn’t
have a dog, and that I was starting the Purina Diet again.
Although I probably shouldn’t, because I’d ended up in the hospital last
time, but that I’d lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care
ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.
I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that
it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply
eat one or two every time you feel hungry and that the food is
nutritionally comple te so I was going to try it again. (I have to
mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled
with my story.)
Horrified , she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog
food poisoned me. I told her no; I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish
Setter’s ass and a car hit us both.
I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack, he was
laughing so hard!
WAL-MART won’t let me shop there anymore.
I wouldn’t recommend a Border Collie unless you have a minimum of five acres, preferably fenced. They like to run themselves ragged, and then run some more.
My English Springer, deceased a long time now, would go nuts at the words “hunt”, Gun”, “shoot”, or almost anything related to hunting.
If he saw any one of us getting our shotguns out he would be at the van in a heartbeat. He would place himself on the porch so he could watch the van and the road down to the woods. If we tried to sneak out the back door and around the neighbors house he could still see us just before we would enter the woods and would be by our side in less than a minute.
I miss him.
Border Collies are smart, but they also have high energy. Probably be shoving a ball in your wife’s lap instead of sitting in it.
The Border Collie and the Standard Poodle are usually ranked one or two, sometimes switching places depending on who made the list.
The Border Collie gets high marks because of it’s tremendous skill as a herder, it’s said the Standard Poodle smarts are more applicable to it’s interactions with humans as it’s uses have always involved human interaction so unless you’re herding things you’re experience will be that the Poodle is smartest.
I’ve also read that all dogs are basically of the same intelligence it’s just that their intelligence as they interact and relate to HUMANS is different. The Afghans are high-strung and independent and don’t necessarily WANT to listen to humans, doesn’t make them idiots. The Poodle LIVES to please humans, hence their history as hunting dogs, circus dogs, etc. Their intelligence as they relate to us is a large step above any dog I’ve owned or known.
This was best put by my old girlfriend originally from Israel who has never quite mastered the nuances of the English language.
I would love to have an Afghan, they’re so beautiful, but did you ever try to talk to one? They’re so stupid! I told her yes, they’re horrible conversationalists.
You can talk to the Poodle, they pick up things very quickly, I taught my dog to sit and give me his paw in literally 5 minutes and never had to teach him again. They can have a huge library of words and phrases they understand, get specific toys, etc.
I’ve owned two and both are exceptionally smart animals. In fact, anytime I meet other dogs I’m always profoundly grateful that my choice was the Golden breed. Of course, good owners usually have a lot to do with the outcome of the animal, too...
Horses train easily but are quite stupid.Easily trained humans are as we call in general terms, sheep. One of the most intelgent dogs not even mentioned is a Jack Russel Terrier IMHO.Chows are very independent, hard to train but have an uncanny ability to reason as a JRT does.Being smart has nothing to do with being submissive.
The pooch has more brains in THAT contest.
I have my 4th golden here. He is dumb as a rock..
.........when he wants to be
The Afghan hound is smarter.
My dachshunds on the other hand, have all been incredibly smart.
The heads are very different (although there's some variation in the breeds). Also, look at the long hair on the chest and the legs. And the Golden puppy fluff on the pup.
They are assessing trainability, not intelligence. My much beloved Chow Chow was the most intelligent animal I have ever known, but quite stubborn. Her understanding of vocabulary, body language, judge of character, and just being able to read my mind were unbelievable. She could do things on a whim, with no training... When I would get home late, she would shake my socks around. One time, under my breath, I commented in an even conversational tone, “Why don’t you do something useful like get my pajamas?” She came back with my pajamas in her mouth. The amazing thing is I could never even train her to fetch a toy.
She made up her mind to just give up after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The cancer had already spread, and after five days she wouldn’t eat or drink anymore. I had a very quiet talk with her, explaining that one of the things I loved and respected most about her was her love of life and indomitable spirit— I asked her to please, just for me, fight this thing to the end since a vaccine for her type of cancer was due out in weeks to months. She understood, gave me this look, like “Okay. I’ll fight it to the end. For you.” She begin to eat and drink moments later, and even to the last day of her life she fought with everything she had. It is coming up on a year now since I lost her, and not a day goes by that I don’t think of how much I loved that little bear, or how much I miss her.
Quite right. My wife wants to add a JR to our menagerie, but I refused. I consider JR's to be the canine equivalent of a velociraptor. Highly intelligent problem solvers. I can't handle a dog like that.
English Mastiff’s aren’t stupid at all. They are lazy. That isn’t the same thing.
My dog knows when my wife gets out of bed he can climb up and sleep with me. (I work shift work.) When she is home he sleeps in his dog bed. He just has little interest in exerting himself for anything other than hanging around me.
I think they forgot what the dogs were designed for.
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