A researcher from the University of British Columbia has developed a basic canine intelligence test. Want to know how smart your pup really is? Try this quick and easy test.
- With your dog watching, take a treat and place it under a can. Keep track of how long it takes your pet to retrieve the treat! Less than fifteen seconds is considered a very good time! You may have a four-legged smarty on your hands.
- With your dog watching, set up three cans and place a treat underneath one. Take your dog out of the room for a few minutes, then bring him back in. Does he go straight to the cans? Does he find the right one?
- Count up the number of commands, hand signals, and noises your pet recognizes and responds to. If your dog knows more than two hundred commands — like a super genius border collie named Rico — then you have a super pup in the family!
Okay, there isn’t a definitive IQ test for dogs to tell you whether or not your pup is a genius. But if you want some more brain teasers for your dog, try these:
- Ask your pet to bring you a specific toy. My dog Lally can do this — if I ask for the blue bunny or the squeaky ball, she’ll bring it to me. Moose? Not so much.
- Ask your pet to go to a specific person.
- See how long it takes to learn a new trick. Lally figured out how to play fetch after watching another dog chasing balls in the yard. She understood that a person throws the ball, the dog runs to the ball, the dog runs back. After a few more throws, she understood that she was supposed to bring the ball back to the person. I was VERY impressed!
Treat and toy puzzles — like a rolling ball that dispenses treats or a stuffed toy that comes apart — can be fun and challenging for your pet. If you’ve got a smarter-than-average dog in the family, you may need a trickier-than-average toy to keep him or her entertained.