[IzzieC (OP)]

David asks:

Science has attempted to try and measure the intelligence of other primates, dolphins, birds and many other species of animals. My question is: How does your average ordinary pet dog measure up in comparison?

What do you think?

[evan_au]

I saw a test where a piece of steak was placed behind a wire mesh wall, in sight of a dog.
- Some breeds of pet dog gave up as soon as they found they couldn't reach the meat, and looked at their master about what to do next (perhaps to solve the problem for them by pointing)
- Some breeds of pet dog that are generally considered "more intelligent" searched for a solution, but eventually gave up and looked at their master about what to do next
- They tried the same experiment with "tame" wolves that had been raised by humans. They never looked to humans, but kept searching until they found a way to reach the steak.

Does this mean that wolves are "smarter", or that they are just more independent?
Does this mean that the dogs that gave up quickly are "dumber", or do they have a higher "Emotional Quotient", and look to see what their master wants them to do?

Humans have been selectively breeding dogs for thousands of years to be more responsive to humans (and more dependent on humans). Some have been bred to be lap-warmers, and others have been bred to be cooperative working dogs - one assumes that the latter would have been bred for higher intelligence.

[glot]

I believe there was a Kelpie in the UK that had an IQ of a 2 yo child.
I once heard someone explain that a cat has a higher IQ than a dog on average. A dog will do what you teach it. A cat will do what it wants to do. Not sure if that is intelligence or not.

[Stevie Bain]

This question has now been answered on our show, and you can listen to it here:

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/naked-scientists-podcast/memories-making-them-faking-them [nofollow]

[RD]

This question has now been answered on our show, and you can listen to it here: ...

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/how-smart-average-pet-dog

Video of Chaser in-action ...

[chris]

Amazing.

[Stevie Bain]

Wow - amazing to see Chaser in action!   

[Danne]

A goat can be more intelligent than a dog. Look it up.

Weird, right ?

[Petrochemicals]

Birds are amongst the most inteligent things on earth. The bird brain is a hightly sophisticated and streamlined through evolution faculty, that is m9r advanc3d than the human brain if n9t as big. When mammals where nothing, birds through way of dinosaurs ruled the earth qnd have underg9ne many millenia of honing. If only they had hands

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2016/nov/05/birds-intelligence-tools-crows-parrots-conservation-ethics-chickens

[alancalverd]

Dogs have trained humans to feed and care for them, and to enjoy doing so. Even to the extent of opening cans and walking miles in the rain whilst Rover chooses where to pee. The dog is the only species that can bite your arm off, but chooses not to.

Just as the staircase prevents  Daleks from invading, so the doorhandle is all that stands between us and canine domination.

[wolfekeeper]

Dogs are mentally subnormal wolves because they have Williams syndrome, that we bred in to them because that makes them super friendly to humans:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_syndrome

They have mutations on the same parts (homologous) of their chromomes to induce that disease.

The upshot is they're superfriendly, a bit thick, but have normal communications abilities, so we can tell them what to do.