Originally posted by wolfsoul
Personally I think they should make more of these "intelligence tests" on how well the dog figures things out on it's own, without human aid or guidance, rather than obedience. It would make for a much more interesting study. [/B]
I read an article about seven or eight years ago that said that that is exactly what they use in these intelligence tests. The tests aren't exactly intelligence test, but more like adaptability tests. They are looking to see how well a dog will use something it has learned in the past and apply it/adapt it to a totally new situation. It has nothing to do with how well they learn to sit up or roll over, but how they respond when given a new situation to react to (controlled by the examiners I would assume). Of course herding and working breeds would do much better in these kinds of tests because their "jobs" require them to react to new and different situations quickly.

It doesn't matter all dogs have their own wonderful way of dealing with life situations, most of which cause us to smile every day. My RB dog was a mixed breed and she was brilliant, I never had to tell her how to behave. My present dog is also a mixed breed and well...I love her dearly no matter how smart she is .