Are German Shepherds Intelligence? One of the most famous dog breeds in the world, German Shepherds are renowned for their loyalty, bravery, and adaptability. But how intelligent are they? Are German Shepherds as intelligent as they’re characterized as being? German Shepherds have a high level of intelligence and are fast learners. Additionally, they greatly desire to collaborate and work with their human friends. They are thus well-liked companion dogs and working dogs and very trainable.
You can’t go wrong with a German Shepherd if you’re considering buying a puppy and want your dog to become a clever adult dog! I have investigated the science behind German Shepherd intelligence in this post and how these dogs utilize their intellect to succeed in various fields.
The History of German Shepherd
The history of German shepherds to comprehend why they are such intelligent dogs. In case you hadn’t guessed, German shepherds were initially developed to herd and guard sheep. They form the ideal sheep herding dogs because of their excellent sense of smell and quick thinking. German shepherds were developed specifically to herd and control flocks of sheep. Still, they are also scary because their powerful build and pointed fangs deter animals and people from harming the flock’s safety.
German shepherds are descendants of the European shepherd dog, a former breed used for shepherding. This dog was close to the present German Shepherd in size and intelligence. Beginning in the early 19th century, the continental Shepherd arrived in Northwestern Europe, where the locals quickly revered this hardworking animal.
It rapidly acquired the distinctive characteristics of the country it was in since it was used as a shepherd dog across the whole area. The intellect of the German Shepherd was prized above all else. It could swiftly pick up new orders and remember them for years. When industrialization took off at the beginning of the twentieth century, predator populations in the area drastically decreased, and the German Shepherd’s prowess at managing flocks of sheep became less and less necessary. That does not imply, however, that the breed was forgotten.
German aristocracy Max Von Stephanitz was raised on December 30, 1864. He spent most of his life as a cavalry commander and attended the College of Berlin to study animals. Although he loved German shepherds for their intelligence and devotion, he could not locate a dog that fit his criteria for the “ideal working dog.”
Reasons Why German Shepherds Are Intelligent
According to research, the typical canine is mentally equivalent to a 2-year-old person. This is amazing when you consider how brilliant 2-year-old kids may be since they are continually picking up new information from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep.
We can give you the answer to your question about a German Shepherd’s intelligence. The German Shepherd is a powerful, devoted, intelligent dog that loves a challenge and is ready to pick up new skills. Are German Shepherds Intelligent? The German Shepherd is among the most intelligent dog breeds worldwide, and there are many. German Shepherds are regarded as the third brightest dog breed, immediately after Border Collies & Poodles.
Intelligence and Training
German Shepherds are among the breeds that are simple to teach and intelligent. The German Shepherd has a very fast and retentive memory. This makes it simpler for the dog to recall important phrases, orders and tricks its owner taught.
The early history of this dog in Germany, where it was particularly bred to watch over sheep, is where it gets its intelligence. These early dairy-guarding canines were relied upon for their wits, vigilance, and fast reactions to danger. These factors make the modern German Shepherd an outstanding guard dog for people and property, and the military and law enforcement often deploy them to serve and defend.
Communication Ability
A dog who learns new orders rapidly is wonderful at absorbing knowledge, but how effectively is he conveying it? This area of intelligence may be acquired qualitatively, although it is seldom researched and often ill-defined. The way your German Shepherd interacts with you is all up to you. The quality of a GSD’s communication cannot be compared to the expressiveness of any other dog; thus, having never had a dog is of little use.
But don’t worry; it will assist if you read my essay on understanding a German Shepherd’s body language. However, most specialists and breeders agree that a German Shepherd can express his wants more clearly than the typical dog.
Distinguishing Capabilities
It is simple to distinguish between an apple and an orange but more challenging to distinguish between two objects that are identical in everything but one or two minor features. Similar to “find the differences” puzzles for people, tests meant to see how fast a dog can spot the odd item out involve his detail-oriented awareness.
Quickly Learning New Commands
This is what street smarts are like. While seeing the unusual is intellectual, a dog’s capacity to quickly learn new orders demonstrates the relationship between intelligence and practical performance. This is more of a long-term investigation of your dog’s IQ than a quick test that you can do.
Understanding of Tracking Puzzles
An easy way to gauge a dog’s intelligence is to hide a treat and time for how long it needs the dog to discover it. In such situations, it is determined if the dog can even locate a reward. This illustrates the existence and quickness of the problem-solving center in the German Shepherd.
How To Determine If My German Shepherd Is Intelligent
Let’s look at how you can determine (and verify) that your German Shepherd is more intelligent than the typical dog now that we established that German Shepherds are intelligent and examined factors that went into this conclusion. Like humans, dogs’ cognitive abilities may be swiftly assessed, as this research on a dog’s general intelligence factor revealed.
Escape Time
You will use this test to judge how well your German Shepherd can untangle himself from a heavy piece of clothing, such as a bedsheet. Prevent him from panicking to ensure that his information processing facilities are at their peak. You may keep the sheet near his bed for about two days while letting him sniff and investigate it. Here is the quiz:
-Request that your German Shepherd sit.
-Cover the dog’s face with the sheet.
-While you check your stopwatch, wait for him to free himself.
-Regardless of when he releases himself, reward him.
Give your dog 6 points if it escapes in under 15 seconds, 3 points if it takes between 30 and 60 seconds, and 1 point if it takes more than 60 seconds.
Locate the Treat
This exercise will show how well your German Shepherd can monitor and solve difficulties concurrently. Make sure your reward is big enough to be seen clearly, and use a cloth for this. Use just one or two little snacks. Here is the quiz:
-Request that your German Shepherd sit.
-Put the treat on the ground in front of him.
-Cover the treat with a cloth.
-Track the time as you wait for the dog to take the goodie.
Give your dog 6 points if he finds the reward in less than 15 seconds, 3 points if it takes up to Thirty seconds, and 1 point if it takes more than 30 seconds.
The Unnoticed Outlier
One of the finest assessments of your German Shepherd’s intellect; it gets better with practice. And all you need are a few glasses and a treat—which also serves as a party trick. Here is the quiz:
-Tell your dog to visit us.
-Put a reward on the ground.
-Put a cup upside-down on top of it.
-Invert two other cups that are comparable to it next to it.
-Drag the cups across the floor to change up their places.
-Await him to approach the treat.
Give him 6 points if he goes straight to the cup holding the reward, 3 points if he goes on the second try, and 1 point if he finds the treat in the final cup.
Practical Treasure Hunting
One of my favorite tests is only feasible in some households, however. You may perform it if you have a bed and a table which your German Shepherd’s front limbs can fit beneath, but his head cannot. But this exam is only possible with such a framework. But this is how you go about it:
-Stand near some furniture that is at ground level.
-Tell your dog to come.
-When he gets close, take a treat and tuck it beneath the furniture.
-Please track how long the dog takes to get his reward.
The dog receives six points if he retrieves the goodie within a minute using his paw. If he extends his paw, give him 4; nevertheless, it takes longer than a minute. Give the dog three points if he attempts to reach with his head, but only one point if he gives up.
Calculating Intelligence
This is when you tally together the results from each test to produce an overall average that approximates your German Shepherd’s intelligence. The results are averaged to account for poorly administered exams, chance events, and other subtleties. Here is how to determine IQ from several tests:
-Total the results of all dog intelligence tests.
-Subtract the total number of tests from the number of points.
-If your dog receives 5 or 6 points, mark them as brilliant.
-When your dog receives three or four points, mark him as wiser than average.
-If your dog only earns one or two points, tell him he needs time and assistance to become used to the area.
To get an approximate estimate of the dog’s real IQ, multiply an average score by 33.
Benefits of Owning an Intelligent Dog
Many benefits come from having an intelligent dog as a pet. Here are some advantages of having a canine friend with intelligence.
Nuanced Knowledge
Due to their intellect, German Shepherds may catch up on subtleties that other breeds would miss. They are one of the select few breeds of dogs that can distinguish between the word “walk” used in a sentence context and as a cue for an actual walk.
However, German Shepherds are also wise enough to disregard the distinction and use their enthusiasm for the term, regardless of the situation, to express their want to go on walks. More sophisticated canines can communicate emotions via facial expressions, tone of voice, and subtle word variations.
Easily Trainable
If you’ve read my article on training a German Shepherd, you know that a significant portion of the dog’s training depends on your capacity to convey a command and its overlap with an action. Remember that German Shepherds can distinguish between terms that describe one activity and those that do not.
Naturally, this has advantages in terms of ease and usefulness. To begin with, you may acquire a German Shepherd puppy & train him to serve as a security dog before he reaches adulthood.
One of the reasons German Shepherds are utilized in professional jobs, including law enforcement, the military, rescue and search efforts, and as service or dogs for therapy, is their ease of training. Additionally, you get to teach him far more complex skills than a typical dog can understand and do.
Additional Party Games
The fact that dogs are sociable animals that like amusing others and receiving admiration is one of the finest aspects of owning one. But not every pup is endowed with the same range. Although German Shepherds aren’t often thought of as party dogs, they may become the focus of attention if they are taught tricks.
Nearly all dogs can do a limited number of tricks, but when a dog comes from one of the most intellectual dog breeds, he can watch and absorb various tricks. German Shepherds belong to the few breeds of dogs who, with some trainer assistance, can pick up tricks by watching recordings of other dogs doing them.
In addition to being fun, tricks give your pet a chance to be complimented, which is fantastic for his self-esteem. German Shepherds may have separation anxiety, but with proper socialization, they don’t struggle with low self-esteem. Party tricks are a safety strategy in such a situation since they increase domestication, your German Shepherd’s appearance, and the friendly traits that follow.
Balance Friendliness and Threat
Dogs with anxiety issues are risky because they see everything as a threat. But because clever dogs are wise enough to recognize their value, the chance of insecurity diminishes in their presence. A German Shepherd who is wise enough to understand that he is cherished and appreciated can also discern when he is being treated as an afterthought. A German Shepherd like this could start misbehaving to get attention.
German Shepherds often serve as family security dogs; therefore, being able to distinguish between friends, family, & strangers is essential to their job. Because of his intellect, a GSD can distinguish between your family and you as his guardian. The German Shepherd has a high level of intellect, making it both the nicest dog for your children and a direct threat to invaders.
Fewer Problems
A German Shepherd that recognizes human suffering may also recognize human dissatisfaction. Yes, your dog could destroy your furniture or act as an organic paper shredder for your business documents, but this will only happen sometimes.
If you express your dismay at the appropriate moment, he will see that what he did was improper. But he’ll become confused if you wait too long to correct him need clarification. Although bright, German Shepherds only have a short memory & learn through association.
Can Identify Your Emotions
German Shepherds are emotionally astute and can recognize your feelings. We need to be seen, heard, and validated because we detest being ignored and having our emotions disregarded.
German Shepherds are intelligent enough to play that job to a significant degree. Having one is like having a buddy who is not restricted by intelligence. If you’re having a rough day, a GSD will attempt to make you feel better. The dog is wise enough to figure out what soothes you.
German Shepherd Training Tips
Any dog may be challenging to train. The following expert advice can be helpful:
Change Up Your Rewards
Praise, competition, and a wide range of goodies are all excellent choices. Dogs react well to novelty. A fantastic method to keep things fresh is to give them new rewards sometimes for doing something properly. If your dog anticipates something new, it will work harder.
Don’t Admit Improper Conduct
This issue affects a lot of inexperienced dog trainers. When they instruct their dog to do anything, the dog instantly responds by doing the opposite, but the trainer still praises them because it is so adorable. It can muck things up. Defy the urge to indulge. Never reward your dog for undesirable behavior.
The Key is Consistency and Regularity
Consistency is the key to training your dog more quickly. Reward your dog whenever he acts well, and ignore them if they act badly. Though it may seem easy in principle, it may be challenging. I promise you’ll train your dog ten times quicker if you follow a program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are German Shepherds suitable as family pets?
When around youngsters old enough to understand the difference between a dog & toy, German shepherds are willing to please and behave properly. They make a wonderful family dog. They are renowned for being submissive, caring, and devoted to their owners.
What kind of dog is the smartest?
Older studies claim that border collies are the smartest breed of dog. The German Shepherd, however, has lately been dubbed the most intellectual dog by experts. More commonly than border collies, German shepherds are used as service animals in almost every field. They possess exceptional reflexes, agility, intelligence, and a remarkable sense of smell.
Are German Shepherds Intelligent Than Australian Shepherds?
Australian Shepherds are rated 42nd for intellect, whereas German Shepherds are ranked third. Australian Shepherds are listed under “average intellect,” but German Shepherds are included under “brightest canines.”
How intelligent is a 2-year-old German Shepherd?
To go back to the question of how intelligent a German Shepherd is, the typical canine is equivalent to a baby who is 2.5 years old. However, German Shepherds are not your typical canine, and they might be just as intelligent as a three-year-old kid.
Final Words
I discovered how intelligent German Shepherds are after doing some research. The German Shepherd is one of the smartest breeds of dogs. It’s not difficult to see how such a clever and protective breed has become so well-known when you consider the breed’s history and the extensive training that many of these dogs get as puppies. You can’t go wrong with a German Shepherd if you’re thinking about owning a puppy and want your dog to become an intelligent adult dog! Due to their high level of activity, keep in mind that they need a lot of effort, so make sure the temperament and personality of the breed are a suitable match for your way of life.