The 10 most intelligent dog breeds, and what "clever" really means

Lists of the "smartest" dog breeds are popular, but most trace back to one source and measure one kind of intelligence. Here is the list, what it really tells you, and what owning one of these breeds involves.

Where the ranking comes from

Most intelligence rankings come from psychologist Stanley Coren's 1994 book, The Intelligence of Dogs. Coren sent questionnaires to obedience trial judges in the United States and Canada and received 199 complete responses. He used them to rank breeds by what he called working and obedience intelligence: how quickly a dog learns from people and how reliably it responds to commands.

That is only one kind of intelligence. Coren also described instinctive intelligence, meaning how well a dog does the job it was bred for, and adaptive intelligence, meaning how well a dog solves problems on its own. A breed that ranks low for obedience may be excellent at following a scent or working independently.

The top 10 breeds for working and obedience intelligence

1. Border Collie

Bred to herd sheep, Border Collies are famously responsive and energetic. They need a lot of exercise and a job to do, such as training, agility or herding games.

2. Poodle

Poodles were originally water retrievers. They are quick learners and come in standard, miniature and toy sizes, which all need regular grooming.

3. German Shepherd

The German Shepherd is a versatile working breed, widely used by police and as an assistance dog. It needs training, exercise and early socialisation.

4. Golden Retriever

A gundog bred to retrieve game, the Golden Retriever is usually eager to please and is popular as an assistance dog and family pet.

5. Dobermann

The Dobermann is athletic, alert and very trainable. It needs experienced handling, plenty of exercise and consistent, reward-based training.

6. Shetland Sheepdog

The Sheltie is a small herding breed that tends to be responsive and sensitive. It can be vocal and may be reserved with strangers.

7. Labrador Retriever

Another gundog, the Labrador has long been one of the most registered pedigree breeds with the Royal Kennel Club. It is usually keen to learn, especially when food is involved, and is widely used as a guide dog.

8. Papillon

The only toy breed in the top ten, the Papillon is lively and quick to learn. It shows that small dogs can be very trainable.

9. Rottweiler

The Rottweiler is a powerful working breed that is confident and trainable. It needs an experienced owner, early socialisation and ongoing training.

10. Australian Cattle Dog

Bred to drive cattle over long distances, this breed is tough, energetic and needs plenty of physical and mental work.

What the science says about breed and behaviour

A 2022 study in the journal Science surveyed the owners of 18,385 dogs and analysed the DNA of 2,155. It found that breed explains only about 9% of the variation in individual dogs' behaviour. Breed was more useful for predicting some traits than others. Biddability, meaning how readily a dog responds to direction and commands, was one of the traits most linked to breed, and the researchers confirmed a genetic link with Border Collie ancestry.

In practice, this means a breed can tell you about tendencies, but not what an individual dog will be like. Two dogs of the same breed can be very different.

What a clever dog needs from you

A dog that learns quickly can also learn unwanted habits quickly. Highly trainable working breeds often need:

• daily physical exercise suited to their age and health
• mental exercise, such as training, scent games and food puzzles
• kind, consistent, reward-based training throughout their life
• company, because many of these breeds were bred to work closely with people

Without enough to do, these dogs can become frustrated and may develop problems such as barking, chewing or chasing.