15 Smartest Dog Breeds

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The smartest dog breeds are constantly argued over considering that individual dogs might appear far more intelligent than others. Those breeds deemed the smartest are usually those who show the greatest overall intelligence, but then again, that’s often subjective.

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Border collie

Word recognition is a good way to estimate the smartest dog breeds. Border collies can, when trained, recognize at least 1,000 words.

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Poodle

Just so everyone knows, this breed is German, and they’re a lot more intelligent than they’re given credit for. That’s tough to see in some dogs, but poodles are rather intelligent.

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German shepherd

Herding dogs are some of the smartest breeds in the world, and the German shepherd is one of the most popular dogs as well. As guardians, they’re among the most loyal and intelligent dogs around.

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Golden retriever

On top of being friendly dogs, golden retrievers are one of the smartest breeds out there. They’re also insanely loyal, not to mention a bit stubborn and dedicated to their owners.

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Doberman pinscher

Dobermans get a bad reputation thanks to pop culture and past incidents. But as one of the smartest breeds in existence, they’re great guard dogs and great companions.

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Shetland sheepdog

As one of the smartest breeds, the Shetland sheepdog is also one of the most compact. They’re also well-loved for their loyalty and friendly nature.

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Labrador retriever

People can’t stop talking about labradors when they enter the conversation. As one of the smartest breeds, they’re very popular dogs. Not to mention the fact that they’re very playful.

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Papillon

It would appear that many people believe that the papillon is the smartest breed among small dogs. It’s a matter of opinion in some cases, but it does pan out.

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Rottweiler

There aren’t a lot of people who look at Rottweilers as the smartest breed, but despite being ninth in several rankings they’re not dumb in any way. Their big, brutish appearance has something to do with the fact that people underestimate their intelligence.

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Australian cattle dog

Herding dogs are known as some of the smartest breeds for a good reason. They can understand words, and commands, and have a lot of responsibility heaped on their furry shoulders.

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Pembroke Welsh corgi

These affectionate dogs are, supposedly, one of the smartest breeds among small dogs. They’re not THE smartest, but it sounds as though they make very good watchdogs.

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Miniature schnauzer

As one of the smarter breeds this dog usually enjoys a good challenge. They’re also very big pleasers and are smart enough to read a person’s mood.

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English springer spaniel

Dogs with great memory are wonderful since they’re fairly easy to train. They’re also obedient, friendly, and very loyal.

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Belgian Tervuren

These are big sports-loving dogs that enjoy remaining active for long periods. On top of that, the fact that they’re so intelligent makes them a great breed for very active people.

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Schipperke

These dogs were often bred as mousers on Flemish canal boats. Not only are they intelligent, but they’re clever and extremely brave.