It's almost entirely obedience based. Very little problem solving or other activities.
So a breed like an Afghan that is bred as a sighthound is going to have little if any proficiency in obedience. While the Border Collie, that is bred to obey complex commands for herding, is going to star. And gundogs are not tested for retrieving and scenting, the skills in which they are absolutely the tops.
My personal opinion is, it's a list that's pretty good on the edges but fuzzy in the middle. In other words, yeah, Afghan Hounds really ARE dumb, and Border Collies really ARE smart.
Oh I agree Afghans probably are really stupid. In that case I think it’s not because they’re hounds, but because they’ve been bred by show people entirely for hair for the last 50 years.
I was speaking mostly about the bloodhound and beagle, and perhaps the basset, being potentially unfairly evaluated. They are breeds who are typically not good at obedience, but they aren’t dumb, they’re differently wired.