There’s nothing wrong with a dumb-but-loving dog, but some owners have a special place in their hearts for the smart ones. If you want a truly intelligent dog breed, the Corgi is a good choice. Corgis rank high in all kinds of intelligence. But owner beware—a smart dog is often more trouble than a dumb one. Corgis can often be clever mischief-makers, but when their intelligence is channeled correctly, it can astound you. Let’s take a look at some of the ways Corgis are intelligent.
Corgis Learn Fast
Learning speed is the most common way for dog intelligence to be ranked. That’s because it is easy to measure. Researchers can teach a group of dogs a new trick and see which one needs the fewest repetitions to learn it. This test is great at measuring how quickly dogs learn and how obedient they are. In “The Intelligence of Dogs” by Stanley Coren, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi ranked 11th out of 110 breeds, and the Cardigan Corgi ranked 26th. Those high-ranking shows that the average Corgi being tested learned a command in under 15 repetitions.
Although Corgis are good at learning when they’re motivated, they aren’t the most obedient dogs. Dogs of this breed often have their own ideas and can be incredibly stubborn if they don’t want to follow commands. That can make it hard to tell if a Corgi is a slow learner or just acting stubbornly on purpose.
Corgis Solve Problems
There’s more to smarts than just being able to memorize a command, though. Another type of intelligence is problem-solving skills. These skills vary from dog to dog, but Corgis’ independent nature makes them a good candidate for high adaptiveness. Corgis are known for their ability to quickly solve puzzle toys. That makes playing with a Corgi interesting, but it can be a pain because they tend to grow bored quickly.
Corgis Have Great Instincts
Dogs are born with strong instincts that are guided by their breed’s history. Corgis are herding dogs, and their background means that some types of learning come easier to them than others. That means that they are pretty smart when it comes to herding animals—in fact, they often do it without being trained—but they won’t be as smart when it comes to hunting or retrieving.
Corgis Have “Street Smarts” Too
There are other aspects of intelligence, including social and emotional intelligence. They include skills like reading others’ emotions, making friends, and having a good temperament. Although it’s harder to measure these “street smart” types of intelligence, we can tell that most Corgis score well. This breed is known for its friendly, affectionate temperament, and most Corgis have great social and emotional intelligence.
Conclusion
As you can see, Corgis are pretty smart in every measure of the word. These dogs are good at learning things and problem-solving. If you’re interested in getting a Corgi, you should be prepared to keep your dog happy and stimulated. Smart dogs get bored easily, but when you put in the time to engage your Corgi’s brain, you’ll be stunned at what it can do.
Featured Image Credit: Jus_Ol, Shutterstock
