According to a book called “The intelligence of Dogs” written by Stanley Coren, psychologist in the British University of Vancouver (Canada), there are three aspects in dogs’ intelligence:
- Instinctive intelligence: the innate skills, as for example, for shepherding or hunting.
- Adaptive intelligence: dog’s ability to solve problems on his own.
- Working intelligence and obedience: dog’s ability to learn from the human beings.
Keeping in mind this last kind of intelligence, Coren classified the different dogs’ breeds. The method consisted of sending requests of evaluation to the obedience competition’s judges of the American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club, asking them to classify breeds according to their performance.
From 131 evaluated dogs breeds, our dear Pomeranian took 23rd position in the excellent working breeds, that’s to say, those breeds who understand new commands with between 5 and 15 repetitions, and that obey, at least, in 85% of the cases. Is it not bad, is it? (more…)