How Smart Are Huskies?

[ange828]

Are Siberian Huskies a smart breed of dog?  How high would you rate their intelligence?

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

They are very smart but unlike collies , labs etc they won't just do as you tell them they like to know why n what's in it for them first before they decide lol which imo makes them a lot smarter than other breeds lol

[Emma]

Agree with nix, they're very intelligent. Too intelligent for their own good, lol. That's why they're harder to train than a regular dog who will follow you blindly. A husky will hear your command and decide for themselves if they want to do it or not.

[Jay]

Yes, they are very intelligent, but also very stubborn, therefore they are difficult to train, and usually will only do something when they see the "point" in it.  

[Jase]

Intelligence in subjective - there are many so called experts that do lists on the 'smartest breeds' but they invariably use biddability as the main criteria. So a dumb dog that does everything you tell them to, will rate highly on the dog intelligent breeds lists. A husky is a far smarter dog than a labrador, but a lab is far far easier to train and their biddability is far higher than a husky. 

 

I have heard a vet say, "huskies are amazing dogs, but I could never own a dog that was smarter than me" ... I think that says it all 

[Mazz]

I believe that Huskies have the capability to think and reason, and they use those characteristics to actually make decisions.  In my book, that makes them quite intelligent.  

[goingsolo]

Solo is a great problem solver, he will look at something and figure out how to get into it, then looks innocent when caught.

[Elyse]

Suka, my husky, has outsmarted me and my family many times! They are very intelligent. Some people only think they are dumb because they don't respond to commands. I think they are smart enough to figure out if THEY want to do it or not! That intelligence must have been important to make while pulling sleds, the lead dogs probably had to respond to conditions that their human wasn't aware of and react accordingly (like thin ice, etc)

I love them as a breed. They keep you on your feet, that's for sure!

[michelle12]

They are very intelligent however also independent thinkers. They decide if it's worthwhile to do what you have asked them to do, you can see the wheels spinning. They respond to commands if there's something in it for them, otherwise they may or may not decide to listen.  Awesome breed but they are not for everyone.

[Rachael_Astro]

Astro is very clever. He watches me do things and copies! He opens drawers in my bedroom, he can open doors easily, he can turn the tap on in the bathroom to have a drink, but as for training it was quiet difficult. I got a trainer to come to my house and he was like putty in her hands, but as soon as she left he was back to his old mischief! He listens if he wants to and if there is something in it for him. He definitely keeps me on my toes but I like that, I would hate to have a lap dog

[heatherahoy]

Too smart for their own good! Story can open doors, drink from taps, etc... In fact, we have stopped using our garden gate in case she figures out that it's an exit and learns to open it!

[BKarchitect]

The issue I have seen in "dog intelligence surveys" which routinely place siberian huskies quite low is that the intelligence tests they are based on is simply regurgitation of training commands.  Even worse, these surveys make some sort of connection between ability to mindlessly repeat commands and the breeds ability as a working dog.

 

To wit, see this survey below which ranks huskies as the 45th (and Malamutes 50th) best "working" dogs.  

http://www.thedogxpert.com/breed_intelligence.html

 

The disclaimer at the top even says this is merely a list based on "companion skills training" but then proceeds to call the list an intelligence list for working dogs.  

 

To me, mindless obedience is not a sign of intelligence and repetitive recall of commands is not the same as natural intuition and inclination for learning.  

 

I had somebody stop me on a walk once and say they really wanted a husky but were told they aren't very smart when it comes to obeying and learning commands.  To which I said it is quite the opposite...the are too smart to mindlessly do whatever you tell them to do!

[NOBELHOWLUC49]

Emmm sometimes I do wonder with mine whether there all there, if you know what I mean. 

 

I have seen them do the dumbest of things.  For example, on walks Noah pees up a bush Howler just walks right into him and gets peed on. ,  But then he sometimes watches Noah pee sneaks up behind him and pees over the top of his pee.  So now Noahs territory bid is now Howlers. 

 

I could list many examples, but would not want to embarrass them further.

[PaulG]

smart enough to make you look like a complete idiot every chance they get lol

the text below about sums it up its written about German Shepherds but it sums up

what owning any HIGH IQ breed is like

LIFE WITH A FORMER K9

By: Joy Tiz, M.S., J.D.

(Copyright 1995)

Silver Wolf Academy of K-9 Education

Police dogs are extraordinary animals. A police K9 must be intelligent, brave, loyal and dedicated.

Future police dogs are selected with care. Prospective human K9 officers are chosen from an elite

group of experienced patrol officers. There are times, however, when a dog doesn't quite make the

grade. Some of these dogs end up in civilian homes. Life with one is an Experience.

After a series of odd twists of fate, I became the owner of a former K9. A dog can be disqualified

from police work due to some physical flaw that doesn't affect the dog's ability to be a fine

house pet. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to speak to my Jet's former handler. So I don't

know exactly what went wrong. After four years, I have some pretty good hunches.

Before you call your local police department and offer to adopt a former K9, stop and ask yourself:

why? Is it their intelligence you admire? Do not make the mistake of thinking that a MENSA dog is easier

to train. They aren't. A high I.Q. dog has the skills to outwit you consistently. I personally do not want

to own another dog who is smarter than I am.

Do you think an ex-K9 will make an efficient guard dog? Possibly. Jet has, on occasion, been known

to guard items she considers worthy of her attention. Jet applies a two-prong test: 1) relative value of

the item to her; and 2) more importantly, relative value of the item to the other dogs in the house. This

explains why she will fight to the death to guard a fossilized Gummy Bear on the floor but cares nothing

about my stereo.

What would she do if someone actually attacked me? My guess is, dive for cover and await the arrival of

back-up. When I first acquired Jet, I made an effort to learn about police dogs. What I discovered

alarmed me. Apparently, Jet had learned some obedience commands in German. Handlers worry that criminals

will get together (perhaps at their annual symposium) and learn the same commands. So, some handlers invent

secret commands. A lot of cops have a sense of humor, so this worried me. What was her "Attack!" command?

What if Jet had been trained to go into a flesh-tearing frenzy at the sound of some common household phrase,

like "TAKE OUT THE TRASH!"

I needn't have worried. There was no danger of Jet obeying commands. Fortunately, I was working with

excellent trainers and they wisely assigned her to Basic Obedience. She loved it. It reinforced her

belief in her superiority and gave her a chance to show off. Everyone really enjoyed having her in class. I

cleverly pretended that she had never had any training. She was the only dog in class who would do a nice,

tight heel and the automatic sit the very first day. She sat sideways. At home, I taught her a long

down-stay. She likes to create the illusion that she is watching her handler, eagerly awaiting the next

command. Actually, she was waiting until I looked away so she could inch out of position on her belly, like a

soldier crawling out of a bunker.

Of course, if you adopt a K9, your friends will think it's really cool. They will all come over to see

your Police Dog in action. Jet understands this and accommodates by flopping down for a nap when guests

arrive. She makes quite an impression by not so much as raising her head. Jet's willing to make an

exception if the visitor is a fellow law enforcement officer. An undercover detective dropped by to chat

about the drug dealers across the street. Jet sat nicely to greet her former colleague. When he reached

to pet her, she grabbed his wrist in her teeth. The extremely gracious detective wrote this off as the

result of being trained to sniff out concealed weapons. We were able to settle out of court when I agreed to

let the Department move into my spare room for a stake-out and spring for the pizza.

Are police dogs dangerous in civilian hands? Absolutely. Not long ago, I was pulling my car into

the driveway. Jet raced up to my male Shepherd and delivered a full body slam, shoving him directly into

the path of my moving car. This was not the only incident of Attempted Vehicular Dogicide. The same

male Shepherd once tumbled out of a truck under rather suspicious circumstances.

If you are contemplating adopting one of these dogs as a playmate for your other dogs, forget it. The

only game Jet knows is Pursuit and Felony Hot-Stop. This involves running up behind the subject and

chomping down on a rear leg. The other dogs don't like this game. Jet did, however, come equipped with a

Frisbee Fixation. No, she doesn't retrieve them. She invented Frisbee Solitaire. The game, as I understand

it, requires punching the Frisbee in the center with a paw so she can grab an edge in her teeth. She'll gnaw

at it for a while and start again. To keep it interesting, she will sometimes roll it down the creek

bed and watch it float away. Average Frisbee life expectancy at our house: 4 minutes.

One of the hazards of owning a really smart dog is that the dog will miss no opportunity to make a fool

out of you. I once had to request a sheriff's deputy to chase some drunks of the vacant property next door.

Jet didn't seem to mind the drunks. No, she waited until the police arrived to show off her skills. The

deputy, an amiable young man, was interested in seeing my former K9. I assured him that she was just fine

with new people. At that point, Jet grabbed a mouthful of chain link fence, tearing at it with a blood

curdling snarl.

Apparently, she holds a grudge. I would be remiss if I failed to warn you that these dogs often have

dominant temperaments. They require a firm hand. A former beau once confessed that when I was not around,

he relied on Jet to discipline my (then adolescent) male Shepherd. Every time he misbehaved, it was:

"Get him, Jet!" She loved that.

I had no alternative but to place the beau in a more suitable home. The rumor I heard when I got Jet was

that she "lacked sufficient aggressiveness for police work". Don't worry, they often grow into it.

Actually, Jet generally gets along well with the other dogs. After all, working K9's are supposed to be level

headed. The only time she attacks my little Sheltie is when he is asleep, posing an obvious menace.

Another problem with not having spoken with Jet's handler is that I have no idea what type of police

work she did. My guess is the bunko squad. That was probably where she refined her skills as a con artist.

She's an expert at framing the other dogs for her capers. Truthfully, her real calling is the theater.

She's a good actress. If I have to give her a stern, Alpha style correction, like a growl and glare, she

will hurl herself to the ground, whimpering and yelping. Guests must think I beat her mercilessly. She

pulls this same routine when she's brushed. Even thevet has been known to fall for it.

This is a dog who went to the police academy! She can tear a fake bad guy wearing ten layers of that bomb-proof

protective stuff to shreds. But no, she is a frail and delicate flower. Jet readily identifies certain humans

as easy marks. A friend of mine, a very intelligent attorney, is completely snowed. With my friend, she is

all lovey-dovey lap dog. If I tell my friend Jet got aggressive with another dog and had to be corrected, do

I get any sympathy? No. It's: "Nooooooo, not my little Jetty, she's soooooooo sweet. . ." Right.

My lawyer friend doesn't know she's been had. This is Jet's hedge against the day she does something truly

heinous (like bite her owner). She wants to be certain she will have good legal representation.

Maybe Jet was one of those search and rescue dogs. This would explain her special gift for excavation.

Should a 300 story building collapse, be assured my Jet could tunnel clear through the underground parking

structure in under three minutes. Provided, of course, there was something under there she wanted. For

example, a two inch Frisbee Fragment.

So, can a former police dog adapt to civilian life? A qualified yes is in order. Keep in mind that

these dogs were born and bred to work for a living. Plenty of obedience work is called for. You must

establish yourself as Alpha. Or you can reach a compromise. Jet has given up trying to train me.

There are, every now and then, special joys in owning a K9. A friend once brought an insane

person to my house. You know the type. Always busy stockpiling incendiary devices in his basement.

Claims the FBI is shooting microwaves at his head or something. Jet plastered herself to this guy. If he

was in the bathroom, she was lying in front of the door. If he was on the sofa, she was next to him. The

guy tells everyone the police dog really liked him. "She followed me around the whole time". This always

makes me smile. Of course she stuck to him. Jet knows a Bad Guy when she sees one.