The ten supposedly most intelligent and ten least intelligent breeds of dogs.

Comments

[brian]

Well, maybe given their definition of intelligence as not much more than willing to be obedient, then maybe the least obedient dog believes in "free will", and if it does must be the more intelligent if the dog can ponder that age old quandary :P

[Tom Hanna]

Defining intelligence by obedience to authority? Give me a dog and a kid just as dumb as I am.

[JorgXMcKie]

Anyone who has ever worked with border collies knows that 'obedience to authority' in their case is from "Princess Bride" -- "I don't think that (phrase) means what you think it means." Working with and 'commanding' a border collie is more like giving suggestive directions. Once a border collie understands (in his own mind) what job is to be done, they'll 'consider' your suggestions, but mostly they do what they *know* is right. Not having worked with those other breeds, I can't say much about them.

Border collies are bred to herd things, and, by golly, herd is what they'll do. (I've seen one young one trying, on his own, to herd bugs.) As you 'train' them, they're training you, trust me. One of the best times of my life was when I 'trained' a young female border collie to herd my son (at around a year of age) and keep him in the yard. The dog was completely trustworthy and *never* let my son leave the yard unless an adult took him out. (And was pretty fierce about it being only specific adults, too.) They really, really bonded, even if my son was occasionally pretty outraged by not being able to do what he wanted.

Border collies don't 'obey' so much as they cooperate.