Are Dogs As Smart As Two-Year-Olds?

Measuring Canine Intelligence

Have you ever heard those jokes about dogs being smarter than a two-year-old? Before you chuckle and shake your head in disbelief, there’s truth behind it.

It’s certainly true that some dogs are smarter than others – some have even learned hundreds of words and math! However, new research methods have allowed scientists to get a better idea of how smart the average dog actually is.

And hold onto your Milk-Bones®, because they estimate they’re as bright as a 2- to 2.5-year-old human.

So, how do they do it? And how does your dog stack up?

Generally speaking, there are a few solid ways to measure canine intelligence:

• Instinct: the ability to perform tasks without any training
• Adaptive problem-solving: how they learn on their own to do something
• School learning: how they learn from human instruction

Using these measurements, researchers have discovered some fascinating information.

First, most dogs can learn 165 words, including hand signals. They can also count up to four or five, and even notice mistakes in basic computations, like 1+1=1.

Their intelligence goes beyond those tasks, too. They can often solve spatial and mechanical problems, like finding the best route through their environment and operating latches.

And your trusted canine can even deliberately try to deceive other people or dogs during play to get rewards.

These findings may not surprise most dog owners, especially if they spend time training their companion. However, it does reaffirm the importance of adding enrichment activities to your dog’s daily life.

They may not need complex problems to solve, but they’ll be healthier and happier when they can put those smarts to work.