13 Most Intelligent Dog Breeds Revealed - Country Living

The most intelligent dog breeds in the world have been revealed — and the results might surprise you.

Scientists at the University of Helsinki tested 1,000 dogs by setting them seven cognitive and three behavioural tasks, including their ability to read human gestures, how dependent they are, whether they were able to access food in a sealed box, and if they could detour around a transparent V-shaped fence to locate a reward.

According to their findings, the Belgian Malinois is the smartest pup, with 35 points out of 39. In second place came Border Collies with 26 points, followed closely by the German breed Hovawart, with 25 points. Other clever dogs include Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies and Golden Retrievers.

the belgian malinois
The Belgian Malinois

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"Most breeds had their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Labrador retriever was very good at reading human gestures, but not so good at spatial problem-solving," Saara Junttila, the study co-author and a PhD researcher in canine cognition at the University of Helsinki, told MailOnline. "Some breeds, such as the Shetland sheepdog, scored quite evenly in almost all tests."

Saara Junttila, the study co-author and a PhD researcher in canine cognition at the University of Helsinki, added: "Most breeds had their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Labrador Retriever was very good at reading human gestures, but not so good at spatial problem-solving. Some breeds, such as the Shetland Sheepdog, scored quite evenly in almost all tests."

australian kelpie
Australian Kelpie

Diana AndersenGetty Images

Wondering if your furry friend made the list? Take a look at the full findings below:

13 most intelligent dog breeds

  1. Belgian Malinois
  2. Australian Kelpie
  3. Labrador Retriever
  4. Border Collie
  5. Golden Retriever
  6. Hovawart
  7. Spanish Water Dog
  8. Shetland Sheepdog
  9. English Cocker Spaniel
  10. Australian Shepherd
  11. Mixed Breed
  12. German Shepherd
  13. Finnish Lapphund

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