Margaret Bristol

In Your Dog's IQ: How Clever Is Your Canine?, author David Taylor outlines which breed typically has the most smarts and offers tips to train and help strengthen your dog's brain.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Hounds
Hounds in general do not rank highly in the canine league table for intelligence (the most intelligent is the Norwegian Elkhound). Hounds have a strong tendency to become distracted, in the case of the scent hounds by a passing smell and for sight hounds by some peripheral activity. They must learn to pay attention and concentrate on commands so they can begin to understand them.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Pastoral dogs
Some of the most intelligent breeds of dog are included in this group, which covers various Collies and Sheepdogs, Corgis and the Samoyed, among others. If you want to take advantage of their smarts, concentrate on problem-solving tests and games.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Terriers
Ten terrier breeds are to be found in the 'above average' rankings for intelligence. These busy little creatures have a tendency to be undisciplined and easily distracted, and one of the most difficult to train is that giant among them, the Airedale. Your terrier's IQ can be improved by emphasizing obedience to commands and insisting that your dog ignore distractions while training.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Utility dogs
Utility dogs vary greatly in intelligence. While the Poodle is reckoned to be the second most intelligent dog of all, the Chow Chow and Bulldog are among the four least intelligent breeds.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Working dogs
It is crucial and only fair to consider the IQ of the breeds in this group -- which include the Dobermann, Boxer, Great Dane and St Bernard -- in relation to the jobs they were bred to do. Their brainpower is focused mainly on one particular field of activity. Playing games with these dogs that enable them to bring the natural physical and mental abilities of their breed to the fore can enhance their intelligence. For some, their predominant talent lies in some form of visual skill or in thought, as in problem solving. However, it is best not to engage in rougher games such as wrestling or tug o' war with them as their generally dominant nature may release a tendency towards aggression.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Toy dogs
These small breeds vary in their level of intelligence, but do not assume that small size means small IQ in a pea-sized brain! Some toy dogs score very highly in intelligence tests, and the Papillon and Pomeranian rank as two of the brightest breeds. The intelligence of this group can be significantly improved by games and tests of thought and skill.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Sporting/gundogs
Every one of the 30-plus breeds in this group – which includes all the Spaniels, Pointers and Retrievers, as well as the Weimaraner and Vizsla – is very intelligent and none falls anywhere near the bottom half of the canine IQ rankings. By nature they are sharp, focused and highly obedient – they have to be, in their work as hunters' assistants. As you might expect, these dogs' intelligence can best be promoted by tests and games that involve their innate physical abilities of searching and tracking by sight or scent.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Mutts
The principle of hybrid vigor ensures that mongrels tend to be at least as intelligent as their pedigree relations, if not more so. On average, mongrels possess bigger brains than pedigrees: this is either because of genetic expression of that hybrid vigor, or because the more interesting experiences these dogs tend to have from puppyhood onwards, as compared to pampered show-bench types, stimulate the brain literally to grow bigger.
To increase the intelligence of your mongrel, you need to play games and set tests that draw out the innate characteristics of the breeds in his make-up.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Want to learn more and test your dog's IQ? Check out the full test in Your Dog's IQ: How Clever Is Your Canine? by David Taylor.

Your Dog's IQ / Thunder Bay Press (San Diego)

Richard O'Barry's career started as a diver at the Miami Seaquarium in 1960. He went on to help capture and train five of the dolphins who played Flipper on the TV series.

With the success of "Flipper," came the popularity of capturing animals for performances at zoos and theme parks. O'Barry now believes that captivity is harmful to dolphins and is fighting for their protection. "I spent ten years building this industry up, and the last forty trying to bring it down," he told Paw Nation.

In "The Cove," O'Barry joins a team of divers, filmmakers and environmentalists to expose the mistreatment and slaughter of dolphins in Japan.

Oceanic Preservation Society

Richard O'Barry first heard about the cove, an area in Taiji, Japan, from fellow colleagues and environmentalists. When he made his own journey to Japan eight years ago, he saw the truth about the dolphins in Taiji and decided he had to help.

Oceanic Preservation Society

Soon, O'Barry discovered that what looked like a town dedicated to preserving the majestic dolphins that surround its area was, in fact, a place with a very dark secret.

Behind fences, signs and barbed wire were dolphins in danger of being hunted for their ability to perform and even more terrifyingly, for their meat.

Oceanic Preservation Society

Getting access to film in the cove was difficult, as it is fenced and guarded by local fisherman, as well as some police officers who want to preserve the town's secret.

Oceanic Preservation Society

The film crew, including Louie Psihoyos and Simon Hutchins, used guerrilla filming tactics in order to capture the truth about the cove. Using night vision and disguised cameras, they found fisherman killing dolphins and selling the meat, which has dangerously high levels of mercury.

Oceanic Preservation Society

Mandy-Rae Cruickshank and other divers used special equipment while swimming and filming under water in the cove. The crew got up close and personal with dolphins and humpback whales.

Oceanic Preservation Society

Mandy-Rae Cruickshank, a world-renowned diver, swims to great depths among dolphins and whales in "The Cove," directed by Louie Psihoyos.

Oceanic Preservation Society