Test Your Dog's Intelligence

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

12 Sep 2007 05:03 PM

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.

1. 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.
2. 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?
3. 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:

1. 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.
2. Ask your pet to go to a specific person.
3. 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.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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Courtney Mroch (9169) 14 Sep 2007 03:22 PM

Your article reminded me of a game Murph and me used to play...hide and seek treats. We played that last night for the first time in a while, and he LOVED it. I swear it was as if he was saying, "I remember this game, Mom! Why haven't we played it in so long?"

Next us is to try the treat-under-the-can game... Sounds fun. New challenge for Murph. He's actually pretty smart. (Does all 3 of the other brain teasers you wrote.) I like looking for new ways to challenge him. Thanks for new tips!!!!