Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sherri Hebert on September 1, 2009 at 4:12pm

Well, I have a corgi named Katie Bear and she truly shows her intelligence and problem solving ability by doing this:

I have a cat toy that is a round disk with a groove in it. It measures about 14 inches across. There is a little ball in it that the cat is suppose to spin in the groove. The cat never played with it, but Katie found it when she was a little puppy and would play with it for hours at a time.

Picture this: She takes her paw and spins the ball around. Then takes her mouth and takes the ball out of the groove. Then, she knows that the ball can not spin, so takes her paw and pushes it down in the groove and continues to spin it.

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Permalink Reply by christy fry on September 1, 2009 at 4:26pm

Ha-Ha I can se a corgi doing that =)

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Permalink Reply by Sherri Hebert on September 5, 2009 at 5:32pm

My little Katie Bear does it all the time. I actually bring it out on request to demonstrate when I have company. Nobody can believe she does it time after time. Too funny.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle, Megan and Loki on September 5, 2009 at 5:59pm

The test is strictly ability to learn a new command quickly, and how often they obey. My corgi does not like to obey unless something viable is at stake

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Permalink Reply by Samantha McPherren Wallace on March 7, 2011 at 8:48am

The list I saw showed the Corgi as 25 (with the St. Bernard being smarter)! I own 2 border collies, and I find the Corgi to be very comperable in intelligence, just being a little more hard headed when following commands she doesn't want to.

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on March 7, 2011 at 8:53am

I have seen that they rank 12th and certainly believe this! The only thing with this is they can also figure out their way around things to their advantage:)

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on March 7, 2011 at 9:57am

This is a fun older post! We have a doberman as well as the corgis and although they rank higher on the list, trust me she is not the smarter than a corgi! She is sweet but would not rank real high on anyone's list for intelligence! My dad raised beagles and they do not rank high, there aren't many dogs that are better at following a scent! And Misty, while not the most trainable dog in the world can look threatening as all get out. I guess the result is gauging their intelligence based on what we think is smart isn't all that smart!

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Permalink Reply by Kari & Quin on March 7, 2011 at 10:21am

I saw a post on this thread that said corgis are like 5 year old children, well right now my 16 month old corgi is acting like a teenage girl with an attitude!!  She thinks she is smarter than Mom, and in that she wont do anything I ask unless I have a treat in my hand she maybe. Ha ha

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Permalink Reply by Beth on March 7, 2011 at 12:05pm

I have one (male) that is really smart all the time and one (female) who is only really smart when it suits her!!   It took me months to teach her "sit".  Months!  Yet I taught her "leave it" in one ten-minute training session.   Staring at food on the floor suits her to a "t"!   LOL

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Permalink Reply by Donald Till on March 7, 2011 at 3:35pm

Corgis seem to understand lots of stuff better than I do.  We have four Cardigans and as examples they do this kind of stuff -

 

I'm at the park with 2 of my dogs, 2 large horse sized dogs jump unleaded out a car at the other side of the park.  I'm thinking cool I'll just make a quick exit but no my Corgis got other ideas.  They start barking wildly at these huge beasts who make a bee line directly towards us, I'm thinking this is really going to suck.  Luckily the big dog owner calls her monsters off and they return to her.  I've got to drag my dogs away barking and then they swagger all upright and proud like it was a great victory or something.  Good thing for those big dogs that they got called off!

 

Corgis can't fly.  Why then would they get airborne off of table/counter tops, beds or even over the backs of sofas?  I just can't figure this out but they all do it.  Sometimes they are gaggling with excitment at launch time, sometimes the landing is beautiful and smooth but other times results in a face plant.  I think they would learn but it really takes years before they get a clue about this.  Even SunnyD, who recently had elbow surgery, seems to forget to take the easy way down.  Fly?  I'm surprised any of them can still walk.

 

Why do Corgi's try to "dig" into the carpet or the bed?  

 

Why can I only give my dogs one bone at a time?  If I give each dog a bone WWIII breaks out but one bone for all of them, hey,  that's ok with them.  Go figure?

 

Very smart dogs indeed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Emily Trupiano on March 23, 2011 at 11:17am

Whoa whoa whoa--Goldene Retrievers are in the top ten?? Yet Australian Shepard is ranked 42? This list is definitely flawed. Goldens are sweet, but dumb and happy. haha. I also thought it was weird that American Staffordshires weren't in the top 10. I was also surprised that Papillions ranked so high.

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Permalink Reply by Carl Koch on June 21, 2015 at 1:30pm

Ranking dog intelligence is problematic at best. There is no question they are highly evolved and have an uncanny ability to get us to do what they want. I doubt there will be any question as to the incredible intelligence of the border collie. Some of the research being done has shown this breed to be intelligent to the point of being scary. Research has also blown away the theory that dogs are just good actors and all intercourse with humans is instinctual rather than a manifestation of actual intelligence. After 40+ years of canine rescue and some 2000 animals, I have no doubts that dogs are a hell of a lot smarter than we are comfortable with sometimes. With the possible exception of the border collie, I think dog intelligence is an individual and subjective quality. On any given day, any dog can act or react in ways that border on mind boggling. The next day the same dog can appear to be a moron. 

My wife and I had a family of four Basset Hounds. According to most "ranking" experts, they are dim witted at best. Horse puckey! I had days when I would have given anything to be able to see into those little heads. Like any other breed, they have good days and days that make one wonder. The lists you see here on the web are questionable at best. There are too many variables. Like i said, on any given day your dog can act like Einstein and the next display a doggy IQ of zilch. I have my good days and other days that ain't so hot. I suspect dogs experience the same swings in cognitive ability. 

Don't try to equate your dogs intelligence to one of your kids. The thought processes are just too different to compare. And, the dog may come out on top. Actually, I have seen enough samples of both species to think the canine may have an edge. I much prefer dogs to children. They are generally better behaved and much less demanding.

Nuff said.

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