For years experts have considered that the Border Collie It is the most intelligent dog, but how did this theory come about? What are they based on to position this breed at the top of the list? In this article we present some data that help us understand this hypothesis.
To understand all this, we must go back to the study carried out in 2009 by Stanley Coren, neuropsychologist and professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. Their results ensured that the intelligence of the dogs is similar to that of a two-year-old child, and that among them, it was the Border Collie the one who showed greater intelligence. According to this research, some specimens are capable of interpreting up to 200 different words.
This argument has been strengthened over time, thanks to other analyzes. The one carried out in 2011 by psychologists stands out Alliston Reid and John Pilley, from Wofford College (South Carolina), for which they worked with a female Border Collie named Chaser. Based on long daily training, the animal came to recognize more than 1.000 words, being able to distinguish concepts such as snake, pyramid, butterfly, monster or pillow. Until then the record belonged to Rico, a male of the same breed from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, who could understand about 200 words.
On the other hand we find Chus, nicknamed the smartest dog in Spain. This Border Collie, who is currently nine years old, lives in Villanueva de Castellón (Valencia) with his owner, Jonathan Guillem. Not only does he take good care of his family every day, but he is also the Spanish Agility Champion. Restless and affectionate, he shows great concentration when doing his exercises.
All these cases are good examples that the intelligence associated with the Border Collie is not just a myth. Nevertheless we should not generalize too much, since each dog has different characteristics regardless of its breed.