Are dogs smart? How smart do you think dogs are? Several studies have recognized the potential of dogs and found ways to help dogs improve their intelligence.
Let’s learn about the intelligence of dogs with DailyPets.net through this article.
Why are dogs smarter than we think?
Until the 1900s, there was no way to understand how the dog’s brain works or what they could understand. In the 20th century, there were several studies, including taking pictures of the brains of different dogs and comparing them. Studies have shown that dogs exhibit many behaviors related to intelligence, such as:
- High memory skills.
- Able to read human body language.
- Respond to hand gestures.
- Follow orders.
- Can feel simple emotions like pain, excitement, love, and anger.
- It is possible to distinguish between other dogs regardless of the appearance or characteristics of other dogs.
- The vocal response regions in the dog’s brain show a similar response pattern to that in humans.
- Dogs can remember, to a certain extent, past events.
- Dogs can learn the names of objects and collect objects from several options.
- The ability to understand the human voice
Dogs have the same ability to acquire language as infants between 12 and 18 months old. Their mental abilities are on par with that of a two-year-old! On average, a dog can learn about 165 words. Above-average dogs are capable of learning up to 250 words.
While giving your dog commands, you can use any language during your training. You can train your dog to perform similar tricks or commands in several languages.
Some intelligent dog breeds in the world
Border Collie dogs
Border Collie dogs can catch sheep and corral them, which requires high intelligence. This is because they have a high IQ and are adaptable. Border Collies can “map as fast” as humans. Rapid mapping is forming a vague hypothesis about a new word after hearing it only once.
Golden Retriever dogs
Golden Retrievers have very keen reading abilities and incredible communication skills. Golden Retrievers are great choices for service and hunting dogs. They are also great for emotional support due to their responsiveness to human emotions. Not all dogs have this ability, but some humans do.
German Shepherd dogs
German Shepherds can learn and retain new skills with remarkable speed and consistency. One outstanding job this dog can train is finding and detecting bombs. Humans need help from this dog. This will also say a lot about how great they are.
How do dogs help humans?
The brains of dogs can change based on various factors such as breed and genetics. How smart are dogs? They are smart enough to assist those in need in their daily lives. For example, a dog can guide a visually impaired person to a store, preventing them from walking into walls or encountering more dangerous things like cars or cliffs.
Furthermore, they have other uses, such as aiding people with Epilepsy. They are trained to help by fetching a phone or pressing a life-alert button.
Another excellent example of dogs’ intelligence is their law enforcement role. Dogs have been used for many years to assist in disaster search and rescue, drug detection, and even apprehending criminals.
Dogs can be trained to detect scents, find a person in distress, and identify the location of hidden objects.
How do dogs develop the best brain?
Besides starting training as soon as possible, spending time with and holding your dog will greatly help.
Puppies should also be offered a diet with DHA in their dog food.
Check with your veterinarian during your puppy’s physical exam to ensure the diet is right for your pet.
How to make dogs smarter?
If you want to improve your dog’s intelligence level, there are a few things you can do:
- Allow them to watch other dogs do the things you want them to learn.
- Keep adding new commands or tricks during the training period.
- Praise for positive reinforcement encourages intelligent behavior.
- Matching toys requires problem-solving skills.
How big is a dog’s brain?
A dog’s brain is about the size of a tangerine. This means their brains have a lot of surface area and don’t have as many folds or tissues as humans. Humans have a brain-to-body ratio 1:40. While dogs have a 1:125 ratio.
