3 ms·

Genuinely curious - is there any reason why person would potentially prefer a less smart dog? I always thought that, the smarter they are, the better companions

Genuinely curious - is there any reason why person would potentially prefer a less smart dog? I always thought that, the smarter they are, the better companions they can be, so your comment got me wondering.

interfixus 7y ago
Dogs differ widely in mentality, behavior, and energy levels. A border collie - for example - requires lots and lots of time and activity. If you haven't got that to offer, both you and your dog are much better off if you pick less demanding breed.
manigandham 7y ago
The smarter they are, the more they observe and learn. This means they also learn bad or annoying things and it can be very difficult to then train them out of it. A good example is a border collie I know that accidentally broke a screen door, then suddenly learned that all screens can be opened at will and no window was safe. Smart breeds also need to be kept busy and entertained or they get anxious and angry. They'll start destroying property or fighting with others. If you don't have the time and energy, it's much better to get a less intelligent and mellow dog instead.
- cam_l 7y ago
  On the other hand my toy dog ate through a timber door. (And tried on every door subsequently until we trained him out of it). The anxiety is enough, it certainly doesn't take (much) brains.
- andai 7y ago
  That last bit sounds like my high school experience.
ryanSrich 7y ago
Energy levels are difficult with a smart dog that is less than 3 years old. My border collie has calmed down in the last year, but the first few years she needed 3-5 hours of both mental and physical stimulation daily.
debatem1 7y ago
I fostered a very smart dog at one point and came away a bit spooked, honestly. If you were hanging out with someone it didn't trust and said that you were going to the restroom, it would immediately walk into there and wait for you, and it could tell the difference between time concepts like 'soon' and 'later'. We never had any real problems with it, but the sense that it listened, understood, and did not speak back was unsettling.
merijnv 7y ago
The problem isn't high intelligence per se, it's that high intelligence in dogs also correlates with high energy (this makes sense, most intelligent dogs are sheep herders, like border collies, which were expected to be working most of the day!) and other personality traits that can be less than ideal. High energy dogs get bored, frustrated, or destructive when not given enough exercise. And a high intelligence just means they're that much more creative in finding ways to amuse themselves (that probably won't amuse you...). Additionally, part of what makes dogs such amazing companions is their empathy for humans not just intelligence. The current dog of my aunt and uncle is pretty dumb, compared to the previous one. But he loves people, cuddling, and he's super mellow. He still needs to be walked 3-4 times a day, but not particularly long and he's perfectly happy just chilling and lying next to you all Saturday. That fits much better into less active lives than something high energy that needs to run 10-15 miles a day...
bonniemuffin 7y ago
I had a stupid dog (took him months to learn his own name) and now I have a smart dog, and I really miss the dumb one. It was so easy to keep him happy and satisfied and well-adjusted. He loved people and was just happy to lay around all day and then hang out with us when we got home from work. The smart dog requires constant entertainment and interaction to keep him from going insane.

interfixus 7y ago

Dogs differ widely in mentality, behavior, and energy levels. A border collie - for example - requires lots and lots of time and activity. If you haven't got that to offer, both you and your dog are much better off if you pick less demanding breed.

manigandham 7y ago

The smarter they are, the more they observe and learn. This means they also learn bad or annoying things and it can be very difficult to then train them out of it. A good example is a border collie I know that accidentally broke a screen door, then suddenly learned that all screens can be opened at will and no window was safe. Smart breeds also need to be kept busy and entertained or they get anxious and angry. They'll start destroying property or fighting with others. If you don't have the time and energy, it's much better to get a less intelligent and mellow dog instead.

cam_l 7y ago
On the other hand my toy dog ate through a timber door. (And tried on every door subsequently until we trained him out of it). The anxiety is enough, it certainly doesn't take (much) brains.
andai 7y ago
That last bit sounds like my high school experience.

ryanSrich 7y ago

Energy levels are difficult with a smart dog that is less than 3 years old. My border collie has calmed down in the last year, but the first few years she needed 3-5 hours of both mental and physical stimulation daily.

debatem1 7y ago

I fostered a very smart dog at one point and came away a bit spooked, honestly. If you were hanging out with someone it didn't trust and said that you were going to the restroom, it would immediately walk into there and wait for you, and it could tell the difference between time concepts like 'soon' and 'later'. We never had any real problems with it, but the sense that it listened, understood, and did not speak back was unsettling.

merijnv 7y ago

The problem isn't high intelligence per se, it's that high intelligence in dogs also correlates with high energy (this makes sense, most intelligent dogs are sheep herders, like border collies, which were expected to be working most of the day!) and other personality traits that can be less than ideal. High energy dogs get bored, frustrated, or destructive when not given enough exercise. And a high intelligence just means they're that much more creative in finding ways to amuse themselves (that probably won't amuse you...). Additionally, part of what makes dogs such amazing companions is their empathy for humans not just intelligence. The current dog of my aunt and uncle is pretty dumb, compared to the previous one. But he loves people, cuddling, and he's super mellow. He still needs to be walked 3-4 times a day, but not particularly long and he's perfectly happy just chilling and lying next to you all Saturday. That fits much better into less active lives than something high energy that needs to run 10-15 miles a day...

bonniemuffin 7y ago

I had a stupid dog (took him months to learn his own name) and now I have a smart dog, and I really miss the dumb one. It was so easy to keep him happy and satisfied and well-adjusted. He loved people and was just happy to lay around all day and then hang out with us when we got home from work. The smart dog requires constant entertainment and interaction to keep him from going insane.