How to Test a Dog’s Intelligence

In the field of animal intelligence, even defining a research topic is difficult. Many fundamental questions remain unanswered, and people are still debating the significance of the results from the tests. ^{[1] X Pearce Research Resources , John M. <i>Animal Learning and Cognition, 3rd edition</i>. New York: Psychpogy Press, 2008.} So remember, even if your dog scores low, you can still believe he’s the smartest in the world!

Table of Contents

Intelligence tests

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Find a stopwatch. You will need a second meter to perform the tests. These tests are used to assess the dog’s ability to solve problems and adapt to the environment.

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Throw a towel over the dog’s head. Give your dog a large bath towel or small blanket. Throw the towel or blanket so that it covers the dog’s head. Set the clock and watch how long it takes the dog to get out of the towel. Record the score:

30 seconds or less: 3 points
From 31–120 seconds: 2 points
Tried but failed for 120 seconds: 1 point — and remember to help the dog get a towel!
Do not try to get out: 0 points
You can practice in advance by tossing the towel on the chair. The towel should fall down with a quick and smooth motion. ^{[2] X Coren Research Source , Stanley. <i>The Intelligence of Dogs</i>. New York: Free Press, 1994.}

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Hide the reward under the towel. Show your dog its favorite food. Place the food on the floor in front of your dog’s eyes. Cover the towel on top. Time it and see how long it takes the dog to get the reward:

30 seconds or less: 3 points
From 31 to 60 seconds: 2 points
Tried but failed for 60 seconds: 1 point
Do not try to find: 0 points

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Carry out the test with a low clearance. For this test, you need a low opening in the ground that the dog can stick his paws through but not his muzzle. You can use a sofa or create your own opening with two books and a wide board. Block heavy objects on top of the board so the dog can’t roll over easily. ^{[2] X Coren Research Source , Stanley. <i>The Intelligence of Dogs</i>. New York: Free Press, 1994.}

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Experiment with quiz games. Place the treat under the board or under the sofa and let the dog see it. Push it so deep that the dog can’t reach it with its muzzle. Encourage your dog to take the reward and time it:

Success in 2 minutes (using feet): 4 points
Success in 3 minutes (using feet): 3 points
Failure within 3 minutes (but using feet): 2 points
Fail and only use the muzzle: 1 point
Not trying: 0 points

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Teach your dog to find rewards. The next test was designed to test the dog’s memory rather than problem-solving skills. To do this test, the dog must understand what is going on. Place a plastic cup over the treat, then ask the dog to find it. Lift the cup so the dog can see the reward. Do this eight or ten times until the dog knows that the treat is under the cup. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Test your dog’s memory. Place 3 plastic buckets or cups on the floor, about 30cm apart. Place the treat underneath a cup and let the dog see it. Lead the dog out of the room for 30 seconds, then bring it back. Encourage your dog to find a reward.

Find the right cup with the first prize: 2 points
Find the reward within 2 minutes: 1 point
Couldn’t find it: 0 points

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Result evaluation. Add up all the dog’s scores and rate:

11–12 points: A genius dog
8–10 points: An excellent student
4–7 points: Your dog is average
1–3 points: I just like to bark, I don’t like to think
0 points: You just tested the broom’s intelligence

Get better results

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Turn the quiz into a game. Don’t just be an impartial judge, the dog school is open! However, if your dog is not interested, he will not be interested in your challenge. Encourage your dog with gestures or smiles, maintaining the dog’s attention but don’t let it get so excited that it forgets what to do.

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Choose a special reward. Your dog must cooperate in the test. You need to choose a special reward and smell good to “buy” it. Soft and fragrant treats are best, as dogs will recognize and eat them quickly. Cut the food into pea-sized pieces if you plan to do all the tests in one go.

Hot dogs, fried chicken, or shredded cheese are good choices. ^{[4] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}
Use dry and odorless food when taking the memory test.

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Let the dog owner do the test. The test is most effective if the dog spends a lot of time with the tester. A dog may not be able to reach its full potential if it has lived with the examiner for less than 3 months. ^{[2] X Coren Research Source , Stanley. <i>The Intelligence of Dogs</i>. New York: Free Press, 1994.}

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Test your puppy’s intelligence again when they are adults. Puppies under a year old are probably not as “smart” or obedient as adult dogs. ^{[2] X Coren Research Source , Stanley. <i>The Intelligence of Dogs</i>. New York: Free Press, 1994.}

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Train your hound to find treasure. Command your dog to stay still while watching you “hide” the treat in the box or under the table. Once the dog has been found, hide the next treat in a more difficult-to-find spot. As the dog gets better, you can hide the reward from the dog and place it behind lots of obstacles. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Teach the command “new game”. This is a great way to challenge your dog. This command works best if you’ve trained your dog in a lot of clicker tricks before. Use the clicker and say “new game”, then reward the dog after each game. Repeat the word “new game” right away and reward only when the dog does something new . Continue until your dog is out of the game or starts to get confused. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Advice

You can find brain games for dogs online or on mobile devices to play with your dog.
Don’t get frustrated if your dog doesn’t succeed the first time! Let’s keep trying!

Warning

Use only a thin blanket that the dog can move around easily under. Do not suffocate a puppy or small dog with a thick blanket.

Things you need

Dog
Stopwatch
Blanket or towel
Reward food or toy
3 buckets or cups – same is best

Steps

Intelligence tests

Get better results

Advice

Warning

Things you need

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