I think every breed has it's "area" of so-called intelligence. Whenever I see "research shows", I wonder at the criteria of the studies cited. What were the researchers looking for? How did they interpret their findings? What was their bias? I think it's amazing that dogs have been bred for such a wide range of characteristics and seem to have adapted to everything that's been done to them. There are alot of stories out there about how selective breeding has "dumbed down" breeds, too. So who's to say what breed is the smartest? I recognize the intelligence differences between my individual dogs, but I would have a hard time saying one "breed" is smarter.