Is it true that Afghan Hounds are the dumbest and Border Collies are the smartest breeds?
Topics: Dog Breeds | 26 Comments »By admin | March 5, 2010
I’ve heard this a few times and am wondering if this is true. If it’s not, does anyone know which breed is really smartest, and which is the dumbest?
Posted by gnulove2 on 03.05.10 10:29 am
Border Collies are the smartest breed. They are the best work dogs around and can be trained beyond belief…
Posted by Elizabeth M on 03.05.10 11:27 am
There is no such thing as a dumb breed it all depends on the trainer and the dog, I would say that the border collie is smart but it has no difference from a german shepherd lab or andy other breed as long as they have good trainers.
Posted by agilityteen on 03.05.10 12:21 pm
Yes, you are right! Personally I have shown both (and own Border collies) and it is pretty funny how STUPID the afghans are! Half of the ones I showed knew their names, but would stare blankly at you…
Of course, any dog can learn things.
Oh, and I agree with most of the other posters about “trainability”… Some dogs WANT to please and others WANT YOU to please them…
Posted by ~Lysha Boo~ on 03.05.10 1:05 pm
I don’t think Afghans are the dumbest because I know plenty
of stupid breeds.
But yes Golden Retrievers and Border Collies are the Smartest.
That’s why they’re so popular.
Posted by I ♥ Shelter dogs! on 03.05.10 1:14 pm
I don’t necessarily think that you can call ONE certian breed dumb or smart. I think that it really depends on the smartness for the individual dog and the training it goes through. However, I do believe that mutts are extremly smart. They have the smartness of so many breeds in them. Im not saying that Border Collies arent smart and some Afgan Hounds arent stupid, I’m just stating that it really depends on the individual dog and the training it goes through! I hope this answered your question!
Posted by Anna on 03.05.10 1:47 pm
Check out the link below it lists them all by intelligence of highest to lowest, and border collie is listed as the highest with the afghan hound at the lowest just like you mentioned.
Posted by Ty B on 03.05.10 2:34 pm
Its true in the same way that blondes are dumb.
Its all about the individual, not always the breed.
Posted by Jay D on 03.05.10 3:04 pm
I have also heard this. Border collies followed by poodles numbers 1 and 2
Posted by Spookerman on 03.05.10 4:03 pm
Afghan hounds are not dumb, just VERY difficult to train.
Border Collies are very easy to train.
Posted by melissa k on 03.05.10 4:32 pm
No, it’s not true. This came from Stanley Coren’s Dog IQ book. He used a few tests to rate “intelligence.” This was based on his definition of intelligence.
It’s impossible to say what breed is “smartest” and “dumbest.” Different breeds were bred for different things, and all dogs have their own personalities and behavior traits.
Posted by abbyful on 03.05.10 5:32 pm
According to Stanley Coren, these are the ’smartest’ and ‘dumbest’ breeds. That is the origin of the statements you gave.
** Note that his tests tested *trainability*, which isn’t necessarily intelligence. **
1 Border Collie
2 Poodle
3 German Shepherd
4 Golden Retriever
5 Doberman Pinscher
6 Shetland Sheepdog
7 Labrador Retriever
8 Papillon
9 Rottweiler
10 Australian Cattle Dog
70 Shih Tzu
71 Basset Hound
72 Mastiff, Beagle
73 Pekingese
74 Bloodhound
75 Borzoi
76 Chow Chow
77 Bulldog
78 Basenji
79 Afghan Hound
http://petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html
Dogs can have different types of ’smart’. Some have excellent instincts for their various tasks and are independent, but may not always be as keen on taking orders from a human. There are many different kinds of intelligence other than just learning obedience commands.
.
Posted by Lisa on 03.05.10 5:59 pm
Afghans aren’t dumb at all. They can appear aloof at times, but they’re not stupid.
Posted by animal_artwork on 03.05.10 6:44 pm
No.
Supposed “Intelligence” rankings are based upon a dog’s trainability…. which really, has little to do with whether a dog is smart or dumb and has a lot more to do with:
trainer’s skill
dog’s desire to please
dog’s motivation
dog’s instinct
general ease of livability
Posted by Dwarf Hamsters R So Awesome on 03.05.10 7:37 pm
Dear trixie’s_mama,
There is no such thing as a dumbest breed or a smartest breed. An Afghan Hound would be just as likely to win an agility trial as a Border Collie would. In my opinion, no dogs are dumb, and they all are very smart.
Sincerely,
Dwarf Hamsters R So Awesome
Posted by Thorn on 03.05.10 8:35 pm
Afghans are not dumb! LOL
They’re very aloof, and smart enough into tricking you into not training them!
They are well known for opening child saftey locked cupboards, opening ovens, and stealing your roast without singing themselves, and generally doing every naughy and manipulative thing to get themselves out of having to work.
They’re not stupid!
Posted by Boxcar Joe on 03.05.10 9:33 pm
Although different breeds have reputations for being smarter than others, like humans, I think it’s an individual thing. I am sure there are some dumb border collies and smart Afghan hounds. Just cause a dog won’t cooperate and “play ball” with a human doesn’t necessarilly make the dog dumb, lol. Genetics play a big role, so does training. A border collie does have a great repuatation, as do Poodles, Shepards, etc, but some of the most successful and smartest dogs have been mixed breeds from dog pounds and shelters. You never can tell. I think a large part is up to who the trainer is and how much canine psychology and compassion he or she is tuned into.
***Actually, the resistance to be “trained” and psychologically dominated by a human might be interpreted as being very intelligent!
Posted by panache on 03.05.10 9:43 pm
I was once told if I ever saw an afghan in an obedience ring to take note,it wouldn’t happen again in my life time.I do agree that bc are the smartest
Posted by hellohowareyou on 03.05.10 9:47 pm
I dont believe that is there is a smartest or dumbest breed, as all breeds were bred for different tasks.
Like kids, just because one kids is slower than another doesn’t mean they are dumber, in fact they will probably be better because they had to work hard to get there!
One may pick up on things quicker but both have the capabilities to do great things!
Posted by wyntergrace75 on 03.05.10 10:45 pm
Afghans are not stupid and anyone who thinks they are does not know Afghans. They are QUITE willfull but do not mistake pigheadedness for ignorance as they are smart enough to know that if they are blatantly disobedient their owners will get frustrated and leave them alone. I have 7 dogs all have come from inexperienced owners and one of which was a very naughty Afghan. After one good “Mexican Stand-off” when I got her about 3 years ago she now knows that she cannot bully me into getting her way and has been one of the best dogs I have ever had. If ever there was a breed of dog out there that was not for everyone Afghans & Saluki top the list but also so are Border Collies. They are one of my favorite breeds of dog but sadly their intelligence (or need to be mentally stimulated rather)often lands them in shelters.
Border Collies= Smart in a “likes to have a job to do and will excel at that job” way
Afghans= Smart in a “sneaky underhanded comic villan” way.
Posted by bostonterriersamericangentleman on 03.05.10 11:39 pm
Well bred Standard poodles are among the brightest and most responsive breeds. Border Collies have a reputation as the worlds best sheep herding dog which comes from it’s supreme intelligence. Afghans are not dumb. It is very hard to compare dogs when they are bred for different reasons. I personally have ran into very few breeds that I think are “dumb” Badly trained, some over bred, but not really dumb.
Posted by ctea on 03.06.10 12:06 am
I once bought my daughter a Dachshund for her birthday and I swear that dog must have been inbreed. After 6 months I still couldn’t get her do her business outside and I got tired of stepping in dog poo so I finally gave the dog away and got her a Schnauzer. That has been a good dog.
I also owned a Boarder Collieonce upon a time also. Man did I love that dog. She was awesome. Smartest dog I ever owned and protective of the family and even our other pets. She was something else. She lived to be about 12 years old and I still miss her.
Posted by ragapple on 03.06.10 1:04 am
Gee why don’t you tell my friends who had an afghan that opened their bottom freezer compartment and stole the frozen roasts? They put a hook & eye on the freezer – he learned to nose it up. They ended up with a 60 lb weight in front of the freezer – he knew he needed to move the weight to open the freezer (they saw him try) but didn’t quite have the physical strengh. Sam also was a can vampire (bite hole in can, suck its life juices out through hole).
The book was heavly based on obedience prefomance which favors retrievers and dogs bred to work under human direction (IE: herding breeds). Afghans (and many other hounds) were bred to go out & get supper by hook or crook – without help … There is no doubt border collies are bright dogs but don’t sell the others short. Its like basing “intelligence” on ONLY the sat verbal score and ignoring the math.
Posted by IW People on 03.06.10 1:47 am
Border Collies are very smart, as are German Shepherds. I have had both. The smartest? Hands down my female German Shepherd. I had always heard the Irish Setter was one of the dumbest, and the ones I have known did nothing to dispel that rumor. Just like people, generalizations are just that. There are always exceptions. As others have alluded to here, smart is usually equated with easy of training, but I am not sure that is the best way to determine IQ.
Posted by ;) on 03.06.10 2:28 am
That’s what they say. Personally, I think hairless chinese cresteds are dumber than any dog on earth. They are sweeter than sweet, don’t have a mean bone in their whole body, but stupid as a post.
Posted by ANNE S on 03.06.10 2:29 am
Have to say that collies are the smartest as they learn good and bad very quickly, but the afgan hound was usd by the romans many years ago as hunting dog so I would dissagree that they are dumb the afgan is certainly not dumb.
Posted by Justanotherknowitall on 03.06.10 2:32 am
No, not true! There was a book written by a psychologist, not a dog expert, who interviewed professional trainers as to which breeds were most successful in obedience competitions. Afghan Hounds were not popular with these trainers so he branded them dumb. Different breeds have different types of intelligence. Working breeds were selected to follow orders, perfectly. They do well in obedience competitions. Sighthounds, scenthounds and terriers had to think for themselves and make decisions while out of range of man. They learn things quickly, but then question as to why they should do it – they need a reason! There is no right and wrong – each type of intelligence is right for each specific breed. Border collies are great at herding sheep but would not do as well at jobs for which they were not designed. When choosing a breed think of what their ancestors had to do if you want to understand how they think! Oh, and Afghan Hounds can think – they copy what they see, they can open gates, doors, push doorbells when they want to come in – and generally keep life interesting!