Top 5 breeds obedience judges rated smartest
In a survey of 199 obedience-trial judges, these five breeds came out on top for working and obedience intelligence. That's trainability as judges see it, not a full IQ test.
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Border Collie
#1 in the judges' survey.
Gear pickPuzzle feeder (level 2-3)Coming soon - 2
Poodle
#2. Yes, the curls come with brains.
Gear pickSlicker brushComing soon - 3
German Shepherd
#3. Bronze medal of the obedience ring.
Gear pickLong training lineComing soon - 4
Golden Retriever
#4. Smart and a professional retriever.
Gear pickRubber fetch ballComing soon - 5
Doberman Pinscher
#5. Rounds out the top five.
Gear pickTraining clickerComing soon
Sources & fine print
Ranking = Stanley Coren's survey of AKC and CKC obedience judges (199 responses), published in The Intelligence of Dogs (1994). It measures obedience/working intelligence as rated by judges.
Gear picks are our own fun suggestions, not part of the survey.
Where does YOUR dog rank? Tell us in the TikTok comments.