Collie IQ test reveals canine intelligence
Researchers assessed the intelligence of working border collies and found that dogs that did well on one test tended to be better at the other tests.
Intelligence in dogs and humans can be measured in much the same way, according to scientists at the London School of Economics (LSE) and the University of Edinburgh.
In the study, published in the journal Intelligence, the researchers looked at whether dog intelligence is structured in a similar way to people.
In a specially developed dog ‘IQ’ test, researchers assessed the intelligence of working border collies and found that dogs that did well on one test tended to be better at the other tests. Moreover, dogs that did the tests faster were more likely to do them more accurately.
It is hoped that the results will help researchers to understand the link between intelligence and health, as well as the causes of dementia in humans. Dr Rosalind Arden, a research associate at LSE, explains:
“Just as people vary in their problem solving abilities, so do dogs, even within one breed. This is significant because in humans there is a small but measurable tendency for people who are brighter to be healthier and live longer.
“So if, as our research suggests, dog intelligence is structured similarly to ours, studying a species that doesn’t smoke, drink, use recreational drugs and does not have large differences in education and income, may help us understand this link between intelligence and health better.
Dr Arden also hopes that the research will help scientists to understand the causes of dementia in humans.
“Dogs are one of the few animals that reproduce many of the key features of dementia, so understanding their cognitive abilities could be valuable in helping us to understand the causes this disorder in humans and possibly test treatments for it,” she said.
In the study, 68 border collies were tested on navigation - tested by timing how long it took the dogs to get food that was behind different types of barriers; assessing whether they could tell the difference between qualities of food and; their ability to follow a human pointing gesture to an object.
The series of tests were conducted in under an hour per dog, which is similar to the time it takes a human to do an IQ-type test. Previous research on canine cognitive abilities has taken much longer to administer.
Dr Mark Adams, research fellow at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This is only a first step, but we are aiming to create a dog IQ test that is reliable, valid and can be administered quickly. Such a test could rapidly improve our understanding of the connection between dog intelligence, health, even lifespan, and be the foundation of ‘dognitive epidemiology’.
"Dogs are excellent for this kind of work because they are willing to participate and seem to enjoy taking part.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
