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Bakayasha
House Broken
Joined: 28 Jul 2007
Posts: 110
Location: Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada
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 Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:34 am Post subject: |
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In Staley Coren's "The Intelligence of Dogs" he compiles a list including 140 breeds and, based on his findings and research, he placed each breed somewhere on a scale from 1 to 79 (Many breeds tie for certain ranks), from the highest to the lowest. This list compiles the unbiased, observational results from 100 or more judges (though 75-99 in some cases for the much rarer breeds who are seldom seen in obedience competition) per breed, and classifies the breeds general working and obedience intelligence.
Out of 79, the Chinese crested is ranked at 61. The Italian greyhound beats it by one and is ranked at 60, while our little cresties beat out the Dandie Dinmont, the Japanese chin, the Verdeen, the Tibetan terrier and the Lakeland terrier who all came in just under the crested at rank 62.
Here is what is listed as far as how to interpret the list and the rankings.
Ranks 55-69 can be rated as only fair in their obedience and working ability. It may sometimes take up to twenty-five repetitions before they begin to show any glimmer of understanding when presented with a new command, and they may require between forty and eighty experiences before achieving reliable performance. Even then, the habits may appear to be weak. They may need extended practice to master the commands and show solid, reliable performance. If they do not get several extra sessions of practice, these breeds often act as if they have forgotten what is expected of them. Occasional refresher sessions are frequently needed to keep performance at an acceptable level. With average levels of training, these dogs will respond to the first command only about 40 percent of the time. Even then, they work best when their trainers are very close. These dogs appear distracted much of the time, and may seem to behave only when they feel like it. Owners of these dogs spend a lot of time shouting at them, since the dogs seem totally unresponsive if there is much distance between them and their handlers. People who own such dogs usually rationalize their dogs behaviour with the same arguments that cat owners use to explain their animals unresponsiveness, claiming that the animals are 'independent", "aloof" or "easily bored by the obedience business." These are definitely not breeds for the first-time dog owner. An experienced dog trainer, with lots of time and firm but loving attention, can get these dogs to respond well, but even an expert dog trainer will have a hard time getting one of these dogs to perform with more than spotty reliability.
While obedience and working intelligence can help us make generalizations about a breeds overall intellect and willingness to work and please it's master, there are many other things that factor into how each dog behaves and takes to training and "pack life" with humans, on an individual basis. I think that, based on what I have read and especially here, I think Dr. Coren did a fairly good job. Does this all sound fairly right? |
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hlboyz
QueenLaQuintli
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 11921
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:48 am Post subject: |
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I think maybe it is better said, that cresties often don't do things just because someone says to! (not because they don't "get it") I don't think that is any indication of their intelligence though, just how obedient they are. Why "work" if they can just get their humans trained????  |
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Ming's Mama
Top Dog!!!!
Joined: 30 Oct 2007
Posts: 2942
Location: Middle of the desert
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| Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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| puffornot wrote: |
| Laura - ever had a Dachshund? They are stubborn, I am not kidding that when I had mine it was "For the 8,350th time please stop...", to me with the Cresteds it is more manipulative, they have their own thought out agenda which may or may not fit in with our thoughts, rather than being bullheaded. |
I totally agree with that! My dachsund is sooo hardheaded. He's also pretty manipulative, though. Much more so than Ming. And my dachshund used to open my trash can by stepping his back foot on the pedal and nosing the lid up with his snout until I started putting it underneath the sink. So far (knock on wood) he hasn't figured out my childproofing on my cupboards. God help me if he does. He's five times as busy getting into trouble as any dog I've ever had.
Ming is my sweet, mild mannered little boy, and I'm so glad to have him. He and Brownie are my relief, the ones who don't feel the need to get into every thing over and over and over again like my dachshund and my chihuahua. |
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yodatinker
Crate Trained
Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Posts: 39
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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I have just loved reading these posts. I have a pup and I am in love with him.
Yup, he does the zoomie thing, will go out of his way to make me watch him and yes loves the attention and is very good playing much to rough at times.
I would love to be able to know what he is thinking when he looks at me with that "look"
He is lovable one minute and a total terror the next. Smart as a whip but just like the petulant child always looking for a way around everything.
He is my biggest challenge and yes together we will be an awesome team.
Just let me live thru puppy.
Although for a pup he surely knows how to behave in public and melt the hearts of anyone that comes near. Sometimes I wonder how he does it.
Keep the stories coming, it really is comforting to know that they really are all nuts or we are the ones that are nuts and they are normal. |
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BrittVJ
Crate Trained
Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 27
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
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| Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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| hlboyz wrote: |
| I think maybe it is better said, that cresties often don't do things just because someone says to! (not because they don't "get it") I don't think that is any indication of their intelligence though, just how obedient they are. Why "work" if they can just get their humans trained???? |
 I think that most of us think there manipulations are for one specific thing ex: getting out of pottying when the grass is wet, getting an extra treat, acting sick  so you give them your WHOLE blankie..... Really this is them training US a little at a time. Everytime we give in we are being trained not just that time but as a whole.... You are so right hlboyz!  |
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