Canines have been our best friends since the very origins of human society. With such a diverse range of sizes, shapes and personalities, there's a dog breed for everyone.
As part of that development into unique breeds, some dogs have taken on extra smarts—and personalities to match their high intelligence. Every dog is uniquely suited for a role in the right loving family, but some dog breeds are both extra sharp and eager to please their human companions—the classic “teacher’s pet.” Here are a few favorites who get high marks.
When it comes to smarts, poodles of all sizes and mixes get good grades across the board. They’re easy to train, and excited to learn and entertain. The American Kennel Club (AKC) ranks poodles as the second smartest breed in terms of obedience and working intelligence. Good at both agility and tricks, they also excel in learning commands and adapting to various tasks.
Size isn’t a factor when it comes to intelligence for poodles. Standard poodles, with their stature and strength, are the best all-around athletes in the poodle family. Their smaller brethren, miniature poodles, are natural showoffs, possibly a holdover from their origins as popular circus performers. Then there’s toy poodles, the smallest of the bunch, who are considered one of the most intelligent dog breeds.
Poodle smarts aren’t limited to purebred pups. All your favorite mixes like Bichpoos, Cavapoos, Cockapoos, Maltipoos and Labradoodles all rank as quick to learn and easy to train. Case in point, take Bunny the talking Sheepadoodle, who gained fame by communicating with buttons on a soundboard.
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Australian shepherds are the smart student in class who really needs someone to keep them focused.
Brainy and intelligent, Aussie shepherds are born with a tireless work drive that implores them to herd anything and everything, from cattle to kiddos. They have impressive memory skills and are quick to pick up on new commands (and obey them too).
However, Australian shepherds can also be too smart for their own good—a fact that gets them in trouble when their energy isn’t adequately channeled into training and enrichment exercises. They’re known to be escape artists and demolition experts when not given enough exercise and attention. As a result, they’re great pets for active people who love to run, bike or explore the great outdoors, and they often thrive in com-pet-itive sports (for example, Doc Pawlliday, one of our Wacky Pet Names champs, uses his boundless energy to excel in the pet sport of dock diving).
While full-sized Australian shepherds require strenuous daily activity to keep their minds and bodies in shape, toy or miniature Australian shepherds offer all the smarts and athleticism in a smaller dog. For pet parents, that often means they’ll do just fine with indoor play and regular long walks—though they’ll still take all the exercise you can offer.
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Papillons are one of the brightest and most athletic toy dog breeds. AKC ranks them in the top 10 smartest dog breeds, and they are known as excellent agility dogs who consistently win at the sport’s highest levels.
When it comes to papillons, looks can be deceiving. Despite their size, they aren’t luxury lap dogs who love to be carted around in handbags—in fact, they’re quite hardy, and prefer to be active and on the go! Because of their size, their exercise levels can usually be managed with good walks and indoor games. This combination of size and smarts makes the papillon a great breed for first-time pet parents. Surprisingly, their silky coat isn’t too difficult to maintain, either.
Papillons are a generally happy, friendly and eager to join in family fun. It’s no surprise that they love to show off and learn all kinds of tricks.
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More of a class clown than a valedictorian, collies excel at problem solving and thrive when surrounded by children. If this all sounds familiar, maybe you’re imagining Lassie, television’s most famous collie and a clever problem solver and devoted family companion if there ever was one.
Lassie was also the first dog in America to sign up for pet insurance—if you ask us, that shows some smarts!
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