Belgian Malinois and Border Collie: Insights from a Large Canine Cognition Study
Border Collies have long been celebrated for their work in herding and their reputed intelligence. Recent research from a large canine cognition project has introduced a surprising contender for the title of the world’s smartest dog. Belgian Malinois earned top respect in a study that tested more than 1,000 dogs across 13 breeds, offering fresh clarity on how different breeds perform across various cognitive and behavioral tasks.
Malinois are renowned for their keen sense of smell, protective instincts, and prowess as police and guard dogs. They also stand out for their independence, quick problem-solving skills, and strong responsiveness to human needs. The breed’s capacity to understand people is a notable strength, highlighted by researchers in this extensive dataset developed to compare cognitive traits among dog breeds.
Researchers from the University of Helsinki spearheaded the most comprehensive dataset to date on canine cognition. The study involved 1,000 dogs representing 13 breeds, who were evaluated across ten tasks that encompassed seven cognitive tests and three behavioral measures. The assessment series, developed by smartDOG, provided a structured way to compare breeds on a consistent scale.
A study author explained that most breeds exhibited unique strengths and weaknesses, underscoring the diversity of canine intelligence rather than a single measure of overall capability. The team’s findings emphasize that intelligence in dogs is multi-dimensional, with different breeds excelling in distinct areas of cognition and behavior.
In this research, Labrador Retrievers showed a remarkable ability to read human gestures, yet they did not excel in spatial problem-solving. Some breeds, like the Shetland Sheepdog, displayed uniform performance across most tests, neither surging to the top nor dropping to the bottom. The Belgian Malinois, by contrast, performed well across a broad range of cognitive tasks and often excelled in multiple areas. This observation came from Katriina Tiira, a leader in the smartDOG project, noting the breed’s strong overall cognitive profile.
Similarly, Border Collies ranked highly in most assessments, reinforcing their traditional reputation for intelligence. The study highlighted a specific test intended to gauge general intelligence: a logical reasoning task where a dog saw two bowls of food and had to infer that the reachable, visible food was in the other covered bowl. The data showed no significant difference in performance among breeds for this particular task, suggesting that general logical problem solving may not distinguish breeds as clearly as other cognitive abilities do.
To capture different facets of cognition, researchers designed three tasks that examine distinct cognitive domains and then compared how breeds diverged in these areas. The results illuminate how different breeds specialize in particular cognitive skills rather than sharing a single, uniform intelligence profile.
Researchers also explored social cognition using tasks that involve interpreting human cues and gestures. One measurement focused on how dogs respond to five human gestures, including various forms of pointing and following gaze. A separate task assessed a dog’s tendency to seek human help when faced with a challenging problem, contrasting independent versus human-assisted problem solving. A third measure evaluated a dog’s ability to navigate a simple but unseen path by seeking and using information gathered during the task.
Understanding human gestures emerged as a key indicator of social cognition. Dogs that interpret human cues well tend to be adept at reading people’s intentions and responses, which can be crucial in real-world interactions. The study also found that some breeds lean toward seeking human aid when a task proves difficult, while others push through solo. Both strategies have practical value in different settings, from cooperative work to independent problem solving.
Across the data, the Belgian Malinois led in both gesture recognition and the V-turn task, a measure of problem-solving that involves moving around a barrier to reach a visible reward. This breed was also identified as among the most independent overall. In the overall intelligence score, the Malinois achieved a top mark, underscoring the breed’s broad cognitive strengths and adaptability in complex scenarios.
Border Collies earned a strong second place in overall intelligence, confirming their longstanding reputation. Hovawarts captured bronze, with a narrow margin over the Spanish Water Dog, illustrating how close the competition can be among highly capable working breeds.
Other breeds showed varied results. Golden Retrievers and Labradors demonstrated high performance on gesture-based tasks but did not rank as highly on other measures, reflecting a different cognitive emphasis. The researchers stress that trait-specific and general intelligence rankings are less informative than understanding how breeds excel at particular skills. This practical nuance helps owners and trainers align a dog’s strengths with real-world tasks, whether in service roles, sports, or companionship.
In sum, the study paints a nuanced picture of canine intelligence. It emphasizes that each breed possesses a unique cognitive profile shaped by evolution, training, and environment. The goal is not to crown a single winner but to map the diverse landscape of canine minds and identify where certain breeds shine in specific cognitive domains.
This body of work was reported in the scientific literature and contributes to a growing understanding of how dogs think, learn, and interact with humans. It highlights the value of multi-faceted assessments when evaluating canine intelligence and the importance of considering breed-specific strengths for practical applications in training, work, and daily life.
Further validation and ongoing research are anticipated to refine these insights, supporting dog owners, trainers, and veterinarians in making informed decisions that consider a breed’s cognitive profile alongside temperament and health. The findings align with a broader movement in animal cognition to recognize the rich diversity of intelligence across species and individuals.
NATURE, Canine Cognition Study, 2022. The work synthesizes a range of cognitive and behavioral measures to compare breeds and interpret their problem-solving and social-cognitive abilities across practical contexts.