Dog psychology

Is my dog intelligent? This is one of the usual questions asked by dog owners. If we can talk about a more or less receptive level that is directly related with the breed and the age of the dog, the answer is . . . yes.

As for general signs of receptivity, we might emphasize for different causes, three groups of breeds representative of inferior values than normal. These three groups would be the Molossus (great height exemplars like the Saint Bernard, Mastiffs, Terranova and others), Nordics (like the Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, Samoyed, etc.), and dogs with Asian origins as the Shar-Pei, Lhassa Apso and Chow Chow, among others.

The Molossus present as one of the most outstanding characteristics a curve of maturity, so much at a physical level as well as the psychological level, more scarce that in other type of breeds: hunting, defensive, etc. This, apart from being irrefutable, rebounds on the levels of receptivity for being these levels directly related to age.

Concerning Nordic breeds, the conditioning facts for the low levels of receptivity is the scarce socialization which they have been object to. This is due to the following reasons:

1. the short time they have been living in our society
2. Its grade of independence because of their working background as sleigh pullers.
3. a scarce contact with their owners limited by the daily work, and
4. to its developed hierarchical character that prevents him to accept easily impositions or teachings.

With relation to the breeds of Asian origin the sample cause related to Nordic breeds must be joined to the fact of being yet, by the peculiar ways of the oriental people, and save some punctual exceptions not having any specific functions to develop.

The term intelligence can be applied to humans, but not to dogs. It would be more correct to talk about an intelligent conduct or said in another way, the way of doing things. Dogs act by association, however, many owners wrongly adjudicate to their dogs human conducts and emotions.

Why does a half breed look more intelligent than other of full breed? Very simple: not being worth any money, the half breed has more freedom; in consequence, the experiences he achieves are greatly superior to the ones of a full breed. One tends to protect him in excess and as an immediate effect the animal will be deprived from acquiring an intelligent conduct that will expand its behavioral rules.