People misread athleticism as intelligence, Coren says. So they re fascinated that some very simple tasks can t be solved by dogs. Border Collies are highly-rated by obedience judges Coren bases his views in part on a canine IQ test he designed to compare the adaptive intelligence of different breeds. Instinctive intelligence is what the dog is bred to do, Coren says. That can t be compared between breeds.
Adaptive intelligence is what the dog can do for themselves.
The canine IQ test involves 12 separate tests that assess either the learning or problem-solving aspects of adaptive intelligence. The tests include throwing a towel over the dog s head and watching how quickly it can free itself, and seeing whether you can make a dog come to you by smiling at it. The results when Coren administered the test were fascinating. While the highest overall scores went to Dobermans, German Shepherds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Poodles, Pulis and Shetland Sheepdogs, some breeds excelled in problem-solving but not in learning and memory, and vice versa. For instance, several terriers, as wells as Samoyeds, and Chihuahuas were good problem-solvers.