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are golden retrievers smart?

Are Golden Retrievers Really Intelligent?

By Soufiane ZeroualiPublished 4 years ago 3 min read

Are Golden Retrievers Smart?

Welcome to our page dedicated to the Golden Retriever's intellect. We'll look at the subject of "why are Golden Retrievers smart?" and see whether there's any scientific evidence suggesting they're smarter than the typical dog.

If you're curious in how canine intelligence is measured, we'll go over that as well!

Are Golden Retrievers Smart?

Are these lovely canines, noted for their shiny golden coats and loving dispositions, also intelligent? They certainly are!

Golden Retrievers are among the smartest canines on the planet.

They are currently recognized as the fourth smartest breed.

This observation is supported by a number of scientific research, not just anecdotal information.

The fact that Golden Retrievers are used as search and rescue dogs, service dogs, and therapy dogs suggests that they are smarter than the ordinary dog.

Let's take a look at how scientists can assess canine intellect.

How Do We Measure Canine Intelligence?

While many of us believe our dog is unusually intelligent, it's impossible to know how they would compare to other dogs without taking an IQ test.

There is no universally approved method for studying dog intelligence, which is something that scientists in this field would like to change.

Despite this, we may use a few large-scale research to construct a picture of the relative intelligence of different dog breeds.

Cognitive Abilities And Social Intelligence

It has been discovered that dogs' cognitive capacity can be assessed swiftly, with the results revealing that the structure of their skills is similar to that of humans.

According to a 2017 study, dogs' social IQ is comparable to that of toddlers. In the same way as children create beneficial relationships with their parents and guardians, dogs can form rewarding ties with their owners by using cooperative communication skills.

The techniques utilized in this study were comparable to those used in human and ape studies. Surprisingly, chimps did not show the same patterns as dogs or human neonates.

You might be surprised at how much it costs to acquire and raise a Golden Retriever. Find out if your puppy is a good fit for your budget.

While we'd like to think that proves our canine companions are special, other research show that their level of intellect isn't unusual.

It's possible that they're particularly sensitive to our behaviors because they're one of the animal species that lives in such close contact to us.

to continue reading about :

  • Types Of Intelligence
  • Breed Differences
  • How Smart Are Golden Retrievers?
  • Why Are Golden Retrievers Smart?
  • Training Your Golden Retriever
  • Is A Golden Retriever Right For Me?

Click here

References and Resources

  • MacLean et al. 2017. Individual differences in cooperative communicative skills are more similar between dogs and humans than chimpanzees. Animal Behavior.
  • Helton. 2010. Does perceived trainability of dog (Canis lupus familiaris) breeds reflect differences in learning or differences in physical ability? Behavioral Processes.
  • Golden Retriever: Dog Breed Information. The Happy Puppy Site.
  • Feng et al. 2018. Practices and perceptions of clicker use in dog training: a survey-based investigation of dog owners and industry professionals. Journal of Veterinary Behavior.
  • Coren. 2007. Why Does My Dog Act That Way? A complete guide to your dog’s personality. Free Press
  • Wynne. 2016. What is special about dog cognition? Current Directions in Psychological Science.
  • Coren, S. 2004. The Intelligence Of Dogs. Free Press.
  • Arden et al. 2016. A review of cognitive abilities in dogs, 1911 through 2016: more individual differences, please! Current Directions in Psychological Science.
  • Miklosi and Kubinyi. 2016. Current trends in canine problem-solving and cognition. Current Directions in Psychological Science.
  • Lea and Osthaus. 2018. In what sense are dogs special? Canine cognition in comparative context.Learning & Behavior.
  • Bryner. 2009. Dogs as smart as 2-year old kids. Live Science.
  • McGreevy et al. 2013. Dog behavior co-varies with height, bodyweight and skull shape. PLOS One.
  • Brief History of the Golden Retriever. Golden Retriever Club of America.
  • Smartest dogs: is your pet the cleverest pup of allThe Labrador Site.

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About the Creator

Soufiane Zerouali

As you know - my name is Soufiane Zerouali, Dog Training/Behavior Consultant for 6+ Years

I'm a professional dog trainer living in Morocco, I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING DOG PARENTS and absolutely love what I do.

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