We will subject your dog to a series of tests below to identify your dog’s intelligence. Researchers of animal intelligence needed help getting the meaning of their subject. There are a lot of questions about the validity of the results of some experiments, and many researchers dwell on arguing. Please don’t be too hard on your dog when he scores low on these tests. It would help if you still looked at him as the most excellent companion one could ever have.
To start, you must have a stopwatch to time these tests. You should measure it in seconds. The main goal of the stopwatch is to gauge how your dog solves a problem and adapts to their environment.
1. The towel should be tossed over your dog’s head, covering his entire head. You may also use a small towel if a large one is unavailable. Please note that he writes the score when he removes the towel on his face. See his score below:
- 30 seconds or less- 3 points
- 31-120 seconds- 2 points
- Attempted to get rid of the towel but didn’t succeed within 121 seconds point
- Didn’t attempt to get rid of the towel- 0 points
Before doing this activity, you may want to practice tossing the towel over a chair. The towel should touch down smoothly.
2. While your furry friend is watching, put treats on the floor and cover it with a towel. Press start and stop when your dog finally gets the treats. See his score below:
- 30 seconds or less- 3 points
- 31–60 seconds- 2 points
- Attempted but didn’t reach the treats in 60 seconds- 1 point
- Tries but fails within 60 seconds: 1 point
- Didn’t attempt- 0 points
We have to arrange a low opening for this test for our dog. We can use a couch or plank with books on top of it to avoid knocking over our dog. The most important thing here is for the dog to use his paws instead of his muzzle to reach something. Put a treat under the couch or plank and ensure he uses his paws to get it. Start the time after doing this.
- He gets the treat within 2 minutes using his paws- 4 points
- He gets the treat within 3 minutes using his paws- 3 points
- He didn’t get the treat but attempted to use his paws- 2 points
- He didn’t get the treat and only used his muzzle- 1 point
- Didn’t attempt at all 0 points
3. This next activity will test your dog’s memory. Before you start, you have to show your dog the context of the activity by putting a treat underneath a plastic cup and giving a cue for him to find it. Raise the cup to reveal the treat. After eight to ten times, your dog should realize the treat is underneath the plastic cup.
You can test his memory by placing three plastic cups some distance apart on the floor. Your dog should watch you while you put the treat underneath one of the cups. After 30 seconds, walk your dog out of the room and return inside. Use a cue to find the treat.
- Go towards the correct cup on the first try- 2 points
- Got the treat within 2 minutes- 1 point
- I didn’t find it- 0 points
After these activities, add up the score. Match the scores below:
11–12 points: Your dog is the cream of the crop
8–10 points: One of the honor students
4–7 points: Just the Average dog
1–3 points: Most likely to have behavioral issues
0 points: Unbelievably unresponsive
