It has been said by many that dogs are man’s best friend, but this does not mean that all dogs are the same or serve the same purpose.

Through centuries of selection of the best characteristics, both physical and personality, most of the dog breeds known today have been developed for use in hunting, herding or companionship at home.

Some of these breeds are easier to train than others, and this has a lot to do with their ability to learn. Let’s see which are the most intelligent dog breeds , and their characteristics.

The 20 smartest dog breeds

Below we will see which are the most intelligent dog breeds, in order from least to most intelligent.

1. Belgian pastor Malinois

It is a dog that is sometimes used in police forces , especially in search and rescue missions.

He has an outstanding athletic complexion, but his personality and learning ability make him especially suitable for families.

2. Weimar’s Braco

With a light grey coat and blue eyes, this dog from the German city of Weimar is very easily trained thanks to its great intelligence . Its use in hunting dates back centuries.

3. Breton Spaniel

This dog is ideal for sports. It is a native of Brittany and its recognition as an official breed did not come until 1907.

Breton spaniels are loyal and intelligent , and have one of the best smells of all canines.

4. German Shorthair Braco

They were originally bred as hunting dogs. They are animals that do what is asked of them, or what their owners do, first thing.

They are very affective and multipurpose , being able to find prey and bring them in an elegant way, as well as being brave, being able to face beasts like wild boars.

5. Keeshond

Also called Wolfspitz, until the beginning of the last century, this dog is very observant. He pays attention to almost any stimulus he detects , especially if it is something out of the ordinary. That’s why they are ideal for the family home and snitching on thieves.

6. Schipperke

They’re dogs that love to explore. They are very active and therefore it is not a good idea to leave them alone in the house without proper training or something that can entertain them.

Their curiosity will lead them to look at everything they can explore around the house, which may bring its owners some displeasure.

7. Belgian tervuren

He is agile, as well as active and a very good protector of his people. As a shepherd dog he has been used for quite some time to look after the herds and warn of threats to the camp or, like wolves and other livestock predators.

8. English Springer Spaniel

The English springer is affectionate and calm, as well as being a good observer and watcher, with a great capacity to adapt to new tasks and learn tricks easily.

9. Miniature Schnauzer

The traditional Schnauzer was used in Europe on the battlefield . This variety is a little smaller, but ideal for sporting events.

They run and run, and run again. They love to spend their energies doing all kinds of activity, which can be channeled through training.

10. Welsh Corgi from Pembroke

Everything they lack in size they make up for in loyalty. Corgis are often used as sentinel dogs , as they are very good at protecting families.

However, they need to be constantly busy, since they are very restless and awake dogs, in addition to having a somewhat complicated temperament, which will require training, although training them is an easy task thanks to their great ease of learning.

11. Australian Shepherd Dog

It is also called Australian Cattleman and, as long as he has enough space, he will be happy. This breed has a fairly recent origin, being at the beginning of the last century when it started to be bred.

12. Rottweiler

It is used in the army and its origins are believed to date back to Ancient Rome . His intelligence makes him an easily trained dog, which is great to teach him to take care of his masters since he feels the duty to protect them already innate, despite their appearance.

13. Papillon

As its name suggests, it originates from the French-speaking areas, especially northern France and Wallonia, Belgium. Papillon means “butterfly” in French, and refers to the very characteristic shape of this dog’s ears.

It is a great companion dog, having a sensitive and observant character , in addition to being easily trained.

14. Labrador Retriever

Very manageable in nature, Labrador Retrievers are known to be true expert swimmers. That is why they are usually used by fishermen, although they do not defend themselves badly when on land helping hunters.

They are good guide dogs and are known as very loving dogs. Thanks to them they have been incorporated into multiple therapies as a stimulus to encourage the patient’s emotional recovery.

15. Shetland Shepherd

This dog is originally from the Shetland Islands, off the coast of Scotland, and was bred for work in the fields. His character is docile.

He has a very good capacity to face intellectual challenges , as well as adapting with relative agility to new activities. He never gets tired of learning.

The Shetland shepherd is also called a shadow dog, since they are so loyal to their master that they constantly chase him and do not leave his side.

16. Doberman Pinscher

Dobermans are intelligent and loyal to their master, which makes them good bodyguards , which combines very well with their threatening appearance.

However, even if they appear to be potentially dangerous, they are animals that can adapt to any lifestyle, especially if trained from puppyhood to interact peacefully with other dogs and people.

17. Golden Retriever

Very intuitive and sensitive, it is easily trainable, as well as having a fairly balanced character, which makes it a highly recommendable animal for environments where children are present .

Not only are they animals with great intelligence, but they are also very adorable and, in case of emergency, very useful when finding victims.

18. German Shepherd

The German shepherd is the police dog because it has a very fine sense of smell as well as great intuition and, of course, intelligence.

He learns many tricks and tasks with agility, and can be taught to detect drugs and explosive substances.

It’s no wonder that the typical image that comes to mind when talking about police dogs is that of Rex, the canine protagonist of the German series that bore his name.

19. Poodle

Although his appearance may suggest that he is too fussy for certain tasks and that he is used to a good home life, the poodle, which is the national dog of France, has an unusual intelligence.

They learn easily, which is why in many circuses they were used as entertainment, teaching them many tricks such as making them stand up and ‘walk’ (an ethically questionable practice).

They are usually an ideal breed for breeding in cities and other urban environments since, unlike herding and working dogs, poodles have a balanced and calm character, as well as being very sensitive.

20. Border Collie

The Border Collie is without a doubt the most intelligent dog breed, or at least by far the most intelligent.

This breed is known for being able to improve on its own, without the need for prior training or examples of how something should be done to solve it. In fact, it is capable of proposing itself to overcome challenges that other dogs would not be able to.

His great obedience is intuitive. He has very good reflexes and learns very easily.

Bibliographic references:

  • Coren, S. (1995). The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide To The Thoughts, Emotions, And Inner Lives Of Our Canine Companions. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-37452-4.