Jump to content

How smart is your Husky?


Rosemary

Recommended Posts

When I first started researching Huskies, many of the sites I came across stated that the husky scores rather low on the intelligence rating scale :eek: This is a link to one of the lists, which is pretty typical. Out of 80 breeds tested the husky is rated at 45. http://thehydrant.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/the-intelligence-of-dogs-the-list/

Some time ago @Sarah sent me this for Ozzy & Micah :) Thanks Sarah, my whole family had fun with it.

398801842.jpg

We did the test, and then forwarded it to my daughter to test her two Dachshunds, then my sister who tested her lab and my mom her very intelligent XXX-breed :)))

When all the results were in - who was the most intelligent? - MICAH - A HUSKY :yahoo: But not just by a small margin - her score was 51

The description in the book for this rating is as follows:

Score 48 to 53

Your dog has a superior intelligence with what can only be considered an extremely high CIQ. A dog of this intelligence will learn quickly. Be consistent and firm when giving your dog commands. Do not let your highly intelligent and resourceful pet get the best of you except when it comes to unconditional love.

Ozzy was not far behind Micah on 47. A lot of the tests are problem solving with the aid of treats and Ozzy couldn't be bothered with that. Maybe if I tested him when he was hungry he would have got a higher score.

I would like to know how many Huskies were tested to get to a score of 45. I think Dr Stanley Coren needs to choose his test dogs more carefully.

HUSKIES RULE :wave1:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This reminds me of something put on another post about this, someone wrote something like ask a husky to gee and it will wait and then turn into the gap in the trees...ask a Labrador to gee and it will turn right immediately and run straight into a tree...

A test is only as good as its design and that design will reward certain breeds above others.

And even in human psychology the exact definition of intelligence is hotly contested...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This reminds me of something put on another post about this, someone wrote something like ask a husky to gee and it will wait and then turn into the gap in the trees...ask a Labrador to gee and it will turn right immediately and run straight into a tree...

A test is only as good as its design and that design will reward certain breeds above others.

And even in human psychology the exact definition of intelligence is hotly contested...

That is true Gary, in tests like this, if your dog is not at all food motivated, like Ozzy, he will not perform as well as a dog like Micah who is extremely food motivated :) But it was fun all the same, and the huskies enjoyed it too, well Ozzy had his moments of extreme disinterest :whistling:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO Huskies should (biased) test higher on the IQ score.

Huskies, by nature, are bred to be "stubborn" because sometimes they know more than the musher what's going on and sometimes counter the musher, sometimes for the best reasons.

I don't think they'd score as high as a BC but I think they should be higher than the "midway" point of 45.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

its cuz huskies usually ask why they should do something first - which imo IS intellegent! - they mean the top most obedient dogs for sure

I have no need for a scoring tool....they score genius level when they want to be. :lolman:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apparently Huskies are average I dont agree because dogs could be like people some are just smarter then others but heres some numbers I found and an idea of what they base it on

Brightest dogs obey first command 95% of the time and understands new commands less then 5 repetitions

1-Border Collie

2-Poodle

3-German Shepherd

4-Golden Retriever

5- Doberman Pinscher

6-Shetland Sheepdog

7-Labrador Retriever

8-Papillion

9-Rottweiler

10-Australian Cattle Dog

Excellent Working Dogs- Obey first command 85% of the time or better and understand new commands 5-15 repetitions

11-Pembroke Welsh Corgi

12-Miniature Schnauzer

13-English Springer Spaniel

14-Belgian Tervuren

15-Schipperke

Belgian Sheepdog

16-Collie Keeshond

17-German Shorthair Pointer

18- Flat-Coated Retriever

English Cocker Spaniel

Standard Schnauzer

19-Brittany

20-Cocker Spaniel

21-Weimaraner

22-Belgain Malinois

Bernese Mountain Dog

23-Pomeranian

24- Irish Water Spaniel

25-Vizsla

26-Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Above Average Working Dogs -Obey first comman 70% of the time or better and understands new commands 15-25 repetitions

27-Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Puli

Yorkshire Terrier

28-Giant Schnauzer

29-Airedale Terrier

Bouvier Des Flandres

30-Border Terrier

Briard

31-Welsh Springer Spaniel

32- Manchester Terrier

33-Samoyed

34- Field Spaniel

Newfoundland

Australian Terrier

American Staffordshire Terrier

Gordon Setter

Bearded Collie

35-Cairn Terrier

Kerry Blue Terrier

Irish Setter

36-Norwegian Elkhound

37-Affenpincher

Silky Terrier

Miniature Pinscher

English Setter

Pharaoh Hound

Clumber Spaniel

38-Norwich Terrier

39-Dalmatian

Average Working/Obedience Intelligence-Obey first command 50% of the time or better and understanding new commands 25-40 repetitions

40-Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

Bedlington Terrier

Smooth Fox Terrier

41-Curly-Coated Retriever

Irish Wolfhound

42-Kuvasz

Australian Shepherd

43-Saluki

Finnish Spitz

Pointer

44-Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

German Wirehaired Pointer

Black & Tan Coonhound

American Water Spaniel

45-Siberian Husky

Bichon Frise

English Toy Spaniel

46-Tibetan Spaniel

English Foxhound

Otterhound

American Foxhound

Greyhound

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

47-West Highland White Terrier

Scottish Deerhound

48-Boxer

Great Dane

49-Dachshund

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

50-Alaskan Malamute

51-Whippet

Chinese Shar-pei

Wire Fox Terrier

52-Rhodesian Ridgeback

53-Ibizan Hound

Welsh Terrier

Irish Terrier

54-Boston Terrier

Akita

Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence -Obey first comman 30% of the time or better and undrstanding new commands 40-80 repetitions

55-Skye Terrier

56-Norfolk Terrier

Sealyham Terrier

57-Pug

58-French Bulldog

59-Brissels Griffon

Maltese

60-Italian Greyhound

61-Chinese Crested

62-Dandie Dinmont Terrier

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

Tibetan Terrier

Japanese Chin

Lakeland Terrier

63-Old English Sheepdog

64-Great Pyrenees

65-Scottish Terrier

Saint Bernard

66-Bull Terrier

67-Chihuahua

68-Lhasa Apso

69-Bullmastiff

Lowest Degree of working/Obedience Intelligence - Obey first command 25% of the time or worse and understanding new commands 80-100 repititions or more

70-Shih Tzu

71-Basset Hound

72-Mastiff

Beagle

73-Pekingese

74-Bloodhound

75-Borzoi

76-Chow Chow

77-Bulldog

78-Basenji

79-Afghan Hound

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think many doggy intelligence tests are testing trainability more than intelligence.

In Michelle Melsom's list above GSD rank no.3 . I have great experince of GSDs, but I would rate Huskies as being more intelligent. To me intelligence is about things like ability to solve problems. Huskies are great at, for example, working out how to open doors and gates and how to train their owners.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think many doggy intelligence tests are testing trainability more than intelligence.

In Michelle Melsom's list above GSD rank no.3 . I have great experince of GSDs, but I would rate Huskies as being more intelligent. To me intelligence is about things like ability to solve problems. Huskies are great at, for example, working out how to open doors and gates and how to train their owners.

Ye they are using obeying as a big part of it I dont see how that determines its really..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found that Micah is very quick to work out how to get around a problem she faces. She enjoys working on puzzle games where we build obstacles for her to work out - the more difficult (within reason) the puzzle, the more she likes it - as long as she can visaulise the yummy outcome she will usually keep at it. Ozzy prefers to just watch her, but it is cute when she eventually gets it right, Ozzy gets excited and seems to congratualte her - or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part :rolleyes:

When it is Ozzy's turn he will try and use brute strength to get what he wants, if that doesn't work, he steps aside and lets Micah take over, that inself is pretty dam smart, but typical male :whistling::huskyfall:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been outsmarted by Zoya more than I care to admit. I think these tests are fine, and I look at them as simply a fun thing to try. Our son has an Aussie/Border Collie mix, and Koda is very smart. I don't know that he is any smarter than Zoya. But I do know Zoya is more sneaky than Koda. Eisa responds when called, Zoya often ignores when called. Which of the two is smarter? Who knows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oooh i have the how smart is your dog thingmajig. Bought it for our Jack coz bless his socks he was a bright little spark. Haven't tried it on Nikki yet but will do. Hubby says its a good job shes preety coz shes not very smart, I say shes smart enough to act dull so nobody asks her to do anything to complicated (bit like me really)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy , along with dressing your husky as a unicorn on the first Thursday of each month