How smart is your pup?

Is your pup a genius? 

Write down one answer per question. Remember this is supposed to be a set of fun challenges for your dog, if she seems uncomfortable at any time skip the item. Once you have completed the test follow the score card to find out how your dog ranks.

1. With your dog lying down at least 10ft away from you, say her name in a calm voice.

Did she:

a) Sit up and look at you?

b) Stay lying and look interested?

c) Ignore you, move away or look away?

d) Immediately come running?

2. While you and your dog are in the same room go get her food bowl and pick it up.

Did your dog:

a) Come running toward you excited and expecting food?

b) Remain totally oblivious?

c) Watch you but didn’t move?

d) Try to grab the bowl from you?

3. While your dog is outside or in a different room, move a piece of furniture that she is allowed on or her bed to a different place in the room.

Did your dog:

a) Seem frightened, cower or hide?

b) Notice a difference as soon as she come in, seem alerted and start exploring the room?

c) Seem not to care at all?

d) At first didn’t notice but within a few minutes looked puzzled and begin to explore?

4. Show your dog a high value treat (cheese, hot dog, something special). Place the treat under a couch or low chair where she can’t reach it with her mouth or tongue.

Did she:

a) Sniff and push her nose against the couch without using her paws?

b) Use her nose and then quickly use her paws?

c) Run around the couch or bark at it without making an attempt to get the food?

d) Ignore the food. 

5. Ask someone your dog hasn’t met to come to your home. As he walks in ask him to ignore the dog. After a few minutes, if your dog hasn’t responded already ask the stranger to greet your dog by name (without using any commands).

Did your dog:

a) Fly to the person. Greet him as if he’s someone she knows really well?

b) Ignore person until called by name and then walk towards him in a relaxed manner?

c) Respond immediately but with caution?

d) Ignore the person during the whole visit?

6. Which do you and your family say most about your dog?

a) What a dumb dog.

b) She acts like she’s a human or she thinks she’s a human.

c) She knows exactly what I’m thinking.

d) She would let anyone in our house as long as they had food (or pet her). 

7. Grab an old toy your dog is not crazy about. Place the toy between you and your dog, about 4 ft. away from both of you. Sit down and grab something to read, after about a minute call your dog by name to get her attention. Move your eyes from the dog to the toy several times without a word.

Did your dog:

a) Look at the toy without getting up?

b) Walk over to the object and smell it, bark at it, or pick it up?

c) Pick it up and try to get you to play with it?

d) Stare back at you or look uninterested?

8. Put your dog on a leash and have someone else hold her. Bring out a brand new toy you think she’ll like. Show it to her and let her sniff it (don’t let her have it). Then place the toy on the floor and cover it with a blanket. Set your dog loose.

Did she:

a) Run up to you or the other person, forgetting about the toy?

b) Chew on the blanket?

c) Run to the blanket digging or chewing to try to retrieve the toy?

d) Look around for the toy but make no attempt to get it from under the blanket?

9. While someone holds your dog. Place two small, clean and empty plastic containers on the floor about 5 ft. from you. Show your dog a high value treat and place it under one container. Release your dog.

Did your dog:

a) Go directly to the container with food within 5 seconds?

b) Go to the container with food within 15 seconds?

c) Go to the container with food within 30 seconds?

d) Never show any interest in the container?

10. Get three different sized treats (no bigger than a golf ball) and a crumpled piece of paper about the same size as the largest treat. Have your dog lie down about 5 ft. from you. Toss one of the treats towards her so it lands about 2 ft. from her. After she’s eaten repeat with another treat. Then the other. Then throw the paper ball in the same manner.

Did she:

a) Ignore all the food treats and the paper?

b) Eat all the food treat and ignore the paper?

c) Eat all the food treats, grab the paper but not eat it?

d) Eat all the food treats and eat the paper?

11. Find three things your dog knows by name, like “toy”, “blanket”, “leash”, “water”, “bed”. With your dog in another room, place items about 2 ft. apart in a line. Ask your dog to go get or go to one of the objects, then another, repeat at least six times. Reward with a treat when she approaches the right one.

Did your dog:

a) Go to the right thing every time?

b) Go to the right thing 3 times?

c) Go to the right thing only 2 times?

d) Never make an attempt to retrieve the object?

12. While your dog is relaxed. Go lie on the floor about 5 to 10ft away from her and cover yourself with a blanket.

Did she:

a) Totally ignore you?

b) Walk over calmly, investigate a bit and then move away?

c) Act excited and dig or pull at the blanket?

d) Try to get under the blanket?

Add the scores above. Remember this is supposed to be fun.

Total points:

12-18 Your pup is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. But adorable none the less.

19- 23 Bellow average. But still cute and lovely.

24- 29 Average. Doesn’t feel the need to try too hard, she can hold her head up around the block.

30- 35 Smart. She should feel pretty good about herself.

36- 40 Very smart. Now you know why she has that swagger.

41- 44 Genius. Very few dogs reach this level, she must be eating all her veggies.

45 - 48 Your pup is extremely gifted. Maybe you should send her out to make a living.