How smart is your dog? A lot depends on you. How well a dog learns to do what’s expected of it — one common way of defining “intelligence” — is actually as much a function of time, patience, practice and environment as it is of canine IQ, said Debra Horwitz, a veterinarian and board-certified animal behaviorist from Creve Coeur.
Horwitz firmly believes every dog has the ability to become more intelligent with proper training and positive reinforcement.
Dogs are like humans, Horwitz said. Some will never gain their highest potential of intelligence, just like humans. “You don’t” need “a purebred to have a smart dog,” she said. Plenty of mutts have plenty of smarts.
Of course, some dogs have been bred over centuries for their talents in specific areas. For example, the border collie is the ideal breed for herding livestock. But because of its excitability and need for a job to do, the border collie wouldn’t be considered “intelligent” in a home environment that didn’t offer plenty of running-around time.
Instead of thinking of your dog as “smart” or “dumb,” try to understand what your dog likes to do and why it might not understand the lessons you’re trying to teach. Try teaching tricks during quiet, calm times. If your dog can’t do the task when it’s relaxed and calm, it surely can’t do it when it’s stressed out and distracted.
Altering your training technique might yield amazing benefits. For dogs that like to jump up and down, for example, try teaching them to “dance.” This channels their energy in a more appropriate way.
Keep in mind that some tasks, although not exclusive to one breed, are more prevalent in certain breeds. Any dog can be taught to follow a scent, but it’s easier to teach that skill to a scent hound or a hunting dog, Horwitz said.
Personality and temperament also have a huge effect on how well a dog adapts to training. A shy dog might find strong physical techniques overwhelming and be intimidated. A quick, energetic dog might find too much repetition boring and lose interest. Training techniques that focus on positive reinforcement as well as different ways to teach the same task will usually bring out the best in any dog, Horwitz said. Punitive training methods are less effective and produce frightened, unhappy — and unpredictable — animals.
When you are clear in the response you want, you are more likely to get it from your pet, she said.
Cheers!
Dorothy
www.DogMillion.com
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