Although the Border Collie has long been hailed for its outstanding herding abilities, recent findings place another breed at the summit of canine intelligence: the Belgian Malinois. Researchers tested over 1,000 dogs across 13 breeds to assess cognitive and behavioral skills, aiming to identify which breeds show the strongest problem solving and social understanding.
Malinois are renowned for their sharp senses, guarding instincts, and work as police dogs. They are also recognized for independence, quick reasoning, and a knack for understanding people, traits that set them apart in crossbreed comparisons.
Researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland compiled what they describe as the most comprehensive dataset to date on canine cognition, spanning multiple breeds and a variety of tasks. A total of 1,000 dogs representing 13 breeds were evaluated on 10 different tasks, including seven cognitive challenges and three behavioral measures. The six researchers behind the study designed the test series known as smartDOG, intended to probe core aspects of canine intelligence.
One study author noted that different breeds show distinct strengths and weaknesses. For example, Labrador Retrievers excel at reading human gestures but struggle with certain spatial problems. Some breeds, like the Shetland Sheepdog, scored fairly evenly across most tasks, showing no particular dominance in any single area.
From these results, the Belgian Malinois emerged as a standout in many cognitive tasks, performing well across the board. Another researcher emphasized that Border Collies also did well on most tests, underscoring the dogs’ broad cognitive capabilities. The study highlighted that the most telling single indicator of general intelligence was a logical reasoning test in which one bowl of food was visible as empty and the dog could infer that the food lay in the other covered bowl. The data indicated no clear difference among breeds for this task, suggesting that general problem solving spans across lines rather than being breed-specific.
As the researchers proceeded with three targeted tasks to isolate specific cognitive facets, the relative strengths of each breed became clearer, revealing how breeds differ in social and problem solving domains.
Another measure tracked activity levels using FitBark scores to compare energy and engagement across breeds, adding a practical dimension to the cognitive profile. In one task, a dog had to navigate around a transparent V-shaped fence to reach a visible food reward, a test aimed at gauging problem solving in a real-world obstacle scenario. Gesture reading was assessed by how dogs responded to five human cues, including various forms of pointing and gaze following. Additional evaluation looked at a dog’s independence, specifically how quickly it sought human help during an unsolvable task involving an inaccessible food reward inside a sealed box.
Overall, social cognition appeared linked to social behavior. Understanding human gestures was identified as a key measure of social cognition, with dogs that performed well in this domain showing heightened sensitivity to human cues. Conversely, variable tendencies in seeking human assistance underscored how different breeds balance independence with cooperation, a nuance that can be advantageous in a range of work and family settings.
According to the data, the Belgian Malinois ranked highly in both gesture interpretation and the V-turn task, marking it as among the most independent breeds in the study. In the general intelligence assessment, the Malinois achieved the top score, with a maximum of 35 out of 39. Border Collies followed with a strong showing, securing second place with 26 points. Hovawart placed third with 25 points, just ahead of the Spanish Water Dog, which earned 24 points. The Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever demonstrated strong emotional attunement, performing well on gesture tasks but scoring lower on other measures, placing them mid to lower in the overall rankings.
These results underscore a broader takeaway: ranking breeds strictly by a single metric of intelligence is less informative than recognizing that different dogs excel in different skills. Some breeds may lead in social cognition, others in problem solving, while some show a balance of both. The study reinforces the value of selecting a breed based on the specific cognitive or behavioral traits needed for a particular role or living situation.
In sum, the Belgian Malinois stands out for its quick thinking, keen social understanding, and high overall cognitive performance, but the story of canine intelligence is richly varied. Breeds like the Border Collie maintain their reputation for versatility, while other breeds bring unique strengths to the table. The nuanced portrait from this dataset invites owners, trainers, and researchers to consider how diverse cognitive profiles influence training, work capacity, and daily interactions with dogs.
Note: this summary reflects the findings reported in the study and emphasizes observed patterns across breeds rather than asserting absolute rankings for all canine abilities in every circumstance.