What is the smartest dog breed? New study brings surprising findings (Freepik)
A recent study published in the journal “Biology Letters” challenges the idea that brain size is directly related to a dog’s intelligence.
The research, which analyzed 1,682 dog skulls from different breeds, revealed that working breeds like Siberian Huskies and Rottweilers have smaller brains relative to body size but are easier to train and have good short-term memory.
In contrast, toy breeds like Chihuahuas and Pomeranians, with proportionally larger brains, tend to show behaviors like fear, aggression, and separation anxiety, often associated with lower intelligence.
The study suggests that excessive breeding of dogs by humans may have altered the brain structure of these species. Artificial selection, focusing on specific traits like discipline and abilities for tasks such as rescues, may have led to these changes.
Researcher Ana Balcarcel pointed out that the results are counterintuitive, as in other mammals, the relative brain size usually indicates higher cognitive abilities, which is not the case in dogs.
The behavioral difference between small dogs and working dogs reflects these changes in brain development.
Balcarcel also noted that, despite having smaller brains, working breeds show greater training and memory abilities, making them “smarter” from a functional perspective.
She explained that canine intelligence should not be measured solely by brain size, as dogs were bred for different cognitive abilities depending on their breed.
The study reinforces the idea that dogs with smaller brains can be just as special and specialized as dogs with larger brains, depending on the needs and functions for which they were bred.
Source: The Jerusalem Post | Photo: Freepik | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
