Do you think all dogs understand humans and are quick to learn? Alas, no – there are breeds that have trouble remembering commands and often do strange things. Conventionally they can be called the dumbest dog breeds, but often it’s not in their mental abilities, but in their stubbornness or psycho-emotional traits (such as hyper excitability or shyness).
How to Identify Dumbest Dog Breeds
Memory or navigation, causal reasoning, or inference are all different areas, and different breeds will have strengths in one or the other or a combination of them.
In 1994, Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Canada, wrote “Dog Intelligence“. He studied more than 100 breeds through a survey of judges from the Canadian and American Kennel Clubs. He then identified three aspects of intelligence:
- Instinctive intelligence: This is the genetic ability to perform an action: herding, guarding or hunting. Human involvement and training in this is the minimal – the dog itself knows what it needs to do;
- Adaptive intelligence: This is the dog’s ability to make his own decisions in different situations and learn from previous mistakes;
- Obedient or working intelligence: This indicator determines how quickly an animal learns new commands and obeys them at the request of the owner.
The main indicators of canine intelligence for the author of “Dog Intelligence” were such criteria as the dog’s understanding of a new command and execution of the command the first time. According to the results of the study, the top three most intelligent breeds were Border Collies, Poodles, and German Shepherds. All because they are easy to train. Does it mean they are the smartest in the canine world? Or does it mean they’re the dumbest dog breeds because they always follow people’s instructions and don’t think for themselves? You can argue both ways.
According to Liz McHaffey, a professional trainer and behaviorist, most dog breeds are smart that work closely with people. They are much more likely to be oriented toward us and motivated in their social interactions with us. In other words, animals that people often consider smarter than others like to be around humans more. But on the other hand, the dumbest dog breeds are more independent. They’re not necessarily less intelligent-they just excel in other areas that people overlook or don’t quite understand.
We will introduce you to the top 10 dumbest dogs breeds that exhibit their relatively undeveloped intellectual and adaptive abilities. It is worth noting, however, that most such breeds were bred for purposes that do not require high intelligence.
Basset Hound
Originally the breed bred in France for tracking small game, bassets were bred for their sense of smell, not for their intelligence. People often think that they are not very intelligent because they don’t have the same energy as hounds and can be easily distracted by scents rather than commands. But basset hounds excel at what they were bred for: searching for even the tiniest of trails. They can also be trained with just the right amount of food motivation. However, if you have nothing to offer a basset, he will forget the command he has learned. Veterinarians note that some breeds with long backs and short legs may have spinal and joint problems; this can affect their ability to learn and concentrate.
Beagle
Beagles are extremely active and goal-oriented, have a difficult character, and cannot resist the urge to explore the world. Because of their unique sense of smell, members of this breed help police officers in their search for explosives. They often make the list of the dumbest dog breeds, because they are bloodhounds that are easily distracted. There are also certain difficulties in training – Beagles are very nimble, stubborn, and unsteady, which makes it difficult to teach various commands. Beagles like to spoil furniture or tear up the wallpaper, which some people call “foolishness”, but cynologists assure, us that it is due to irrepressible energy.
Bulldog
The name of this dumbest dog breed comes from an old British sport where dogs were used to poison bulls. Bulldogs excelled in this sport, possessing considerable strength and tenacity. They were also champions of dogfighting until it was banned. Once prized as dangerous watchdogs, today they have evolved into affectionate, gentle, and silly pets.
Because of their slowness, stubbornness, and tendency to be distracted, bulldogs require longer training than others. They will ponder for a long time before doing something. Part of the reason for this is that as a result of selective breeding, Bulldogs have developed numerous and complex health problems. They are brachycephalic dogs with flat muzzles that cause breathing problems. In addition, the wrinkled skin on the muzzle may be prone to bacterial infections and other skin problems. All of these causes prevent bulldogs from concentrating and learning commands or competing effectively.
Pekingese
Pekingese are one of those breeds bred purely as companions. Intelligence has always ranked last on the list of qualities of these dumbest dog breeds. Pekingese, like bulldogs, have flat faces and can suffer from the same breathing problems. They are also not the easiest dogs to train, and they are not big fans of exercise. This is primarily due to the fact that they were created to socialize, not to hunt. The process of training them can be compared to training an extremely stubborn and spoiled child. Recently this breed has become less and less popular, falling from 37th to 77th place in popularity in the United States according to the American Kennel Club.
Bloodhound
This breed is difficult to train because they are constantly distracted by all the smells around them. You can hardly make the Bloodhound do anything against his will. But on a large property outside of town where it can roam freely, your pet will be happy and content with life.
To give them their due, it should be mentioned that Bloodhounds are excellent bloodhounds and rescue dogs. Their ability to follow even the faintest scent is second to none. They were bred to be able to pick up the tiniest scent and follow it for miles. If you measured intelligence by sniffing skills, these animals would be geniuses.
Borzoi
This one of the dumbest dog breeds were originally bred for hunting and one of its important traits was independence. They can be extremely stubborn, so training a Borzoi is an exercise in patience. Frequent but short training sessions rather than hour-long sessions are best for these dumbest dogs. In the home, they tend to be very well-mannered, calm, and clean.
Chow Chow
According to the American Kennel Club, Chow Chows were originally bred for a variety of purposes: they were used for guarding, transportation, and hunting. Created to be guard dogs, chow chows are serious, independent, and fearless animals. You need an experienced dog handler to train them. Chow-chow is difficult to intimidate, it is useless to threaten them, to raise their voice – training is possible only through motivation with treats (because they are real gluttons). In fact, it is not stupid, but it is extremely difficult to train because of its difficult nature.
Basenji
The Basenji is an exotic dumbest dog breeds that came to us from Africa. A favorite of all hunters since the time the pyramids were built, they were known for their vast repertoire of reproduced sounds. This dog is independent and aloof. In addition to its interesting appearance, the Bassenji is an extremely difficult breed to train, struggling to remember new things and then quickly forgetting what they have learned.
Afghan Hound
Breeders have developed a predatory streak in Afghan greyhounds similar to hounds. They were bred to sniff out, catch, and bring prey to their master on their own. Often these dogs would outrun the hunter on horseback and chase the beast on their own, without human instructions. Because of this, they have developed an independent and tenacious character.
This is a breed with special dignity, but it is extremely difficult to train. They are known for their extremely low level of obedience, so you will have to spend some time so that your pet does come to the call. Remember that you can only teach greyhound commands and obedience when they are puppies. Adult dogs become too free-spirited.
Chihuahua
In fact, Chihuahuas often have behavior and aggression problems, usually due to stress. In part, they have considered the dumbest dog breeds because they tend to be fearful. Fear also prevents them from learning or responding to commands. We absorb information best when we are relaxed. When the brain is stressed, it pushes dogs to fight or flee and actually shuts down the part of the brain that helps us think critically and learn.
Owners of these Mexican dogs must train them from an early age to prevent them from developing destructive behavior. However, practice shows that many owners do not bother with this because they think that Chihuahuas are too small to cause serious problems.
Pug
An affectionate companion dog that follows its owner everywhere, it has an even temperament and non-aggressive disposition. Pugs are big eaters and can do many things for it, including obeying their owners. Without treats, training the pug becomes a waste of time.
Conclusion
When you are thinking about getting a certain breed, intelligence is not the first factor you should look at. Rather, you should think about what kind of animal will suit your lifestyle. If, however, your dog falls into the dumbest dog breeds category, don’t despair. Scientists assure you that one of these breeds is far superior to other breeds in their physical characteristics.