Dogs don’t seem all that smart. After all, their main concern seems to be food (and not much else).
But researchers are discovering that they are substantially more intelligent than people think, even if they look funny.
What’s interesting about dogs is that the spread of their intelligence seems similar to humans. There are some people who score low on IQ tests while others are able to do the seemingly impossible with their minds.
Dogs are similar. There are Einstein dogs – and then there are regular dogs.
Researchers are most interested in the Einstein dogs. These super-smart pooches can do lots of things, including arithmetic and understanding full sentences.
Why they are able to do these things when most dogs can’t is a bit of a mystery. However, when you look at the human experience, it makes a lot of sense. Some people, like Stephen Hawking, can manipulate four-dimensional objects in their heads. But the vast majority of humanity cannot.
Socially Intelligent
Dogs are also socially intelligent, particularly when it comes to humans. Here the spread of intelligence is narrower. When you look at each breed, almost all dogs naturally get on well with people since their survival depends on it.
Dogs, like Labradors and Heelers, are incredibly good at reading human emotions and responding correctly to them. It’s one of the reasons why your dog gets excited when you get excited, and why they calm down when you feel depressed. From a young age, they learn to mirror your emotions – a kind of empathy. Dogs’ ability to empathize with humans makes them excellent candidates for emotional support roles. Many people find that having a dog around significantly reduces their anxiety and stress levels. If you’re looking to adopt an ESA, you can get an ESA letter for your apartment, which grants you the right to have your emotional support animal live with you, even in no-pet housing. Again, labrador retrievers and heelers, among other breeds, make excellent ESAs due to their high levels of social intelligence.
Nasally Intelligent
The power of dog’s noses has led some researchers to suggest that dogs are nasally intelligent. It turns out that dog noses are more sensitive than most people imagine. For instance, research shows that they are able to detect a trillionth of a gram of TNT in packed suitcases.
Dogs actually see their environments in terms of smell. Often, they can use their noses to detect precisely where somebody is in a room and whether they have moved off. They can also use their noses to detect health issues in their owners – something medical science is only now trying to harness.
Learning Potential
Additionally, dogs have the ability to learn. In other words, owners can teach their pets and improve their cognitive abilities.
One of the best ways to allow your pet to learn is to take them off the dog harness and let them sniff their environment. Sniffing actually keeps dogs mentally stimulated.
You can also find ways to keep channels of communication open with your dog. So instead of assuming that you know what they want, listen to their cues carefully. Always be consistent and clear in your actions to leave your dog in no doubt about what they should do next.
Sports
Finally, dogs excel in the sports arena. As animals, they are great at taking on challenges, such as rallies, tricks, obstacle courses and even fitness routines. Most pups soon get the hang of what they need to do, often to the surprise of their owners.
So, in summary, dogs are probably substantially more intelligent than you think.