Only Dogs (as in "only child') are smarter.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Sole (one only) dogs, when with the right master, are far smarter and have the potential of becoming so much more than dogs in multiple dog families. Just like the only child who doesnt turn out spoiled or neurotic often turns out to be intellectually advanced over his peers. It is the one-on-one time and focused stimulation that leads to this superior ability. I have seen street bums with the most amazing dogs. You would think the dog had an IQ of a human. It was all the one-on-one time. All the hobo had was his dog, all the dog had was his hobo; in the world. Also I have observed a neighbor lady with the most amazing dog, when I commented, one time, that she should get a friend for Bella she replied "I only want one dog - I dont believe in multiple dogs". Was she right? Maybe. I don think I ever have met a person with multiple dogs where one of the dogs truly "shine" I have only observed this on one-on-one dog to person relationships. Like Bocker for example. I think we may be setting our dogs up for failure, not allowing them to be all they can be with our childish notions of "Fido needs a friend" - "Suzy needs a sister". We are in essence making dumbass dogs.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

What makes one smarter than another? There is an inherent 'smartness' in people so it stands to reason that this is also true for animals. Although in people there are tests that are supposed to measure intellect, there are other factors. You can be smart but not use it, or your aptitudes are in different areas than who you are being compared to. Personality, situation do affect displaying intelligence and Kona and Buddy reflect that in their behavior. Is one smarter than the other? Who knows.
My informal and personal opinion with people (and I do this for a living!!! :) ):
1) There is a spark in the eye of intelligent people and animals - it is just there. You can just "feel" it.
2) How smart is not important; it is situational. Are they smart enough to do the task at hand? Yes? Then they are smart.
3) Most of us with doodles have smart dogs and most of us with doodles and other breeds or mixes can see that they are smart by whatever measure you use. i.e. Do they get it quickly if they want to? Can they ignore you better if they want to?

[GBK]

1) There is a spark in the eye of intelligent people and animals - it is just there. You can just "feel" it.

Totally agree with this Nancy! I also believe owners can put that spark there, if you don't challenge that
intellect in your dog, they won't care.....

Great answer all the way around, thank you!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks - owners and parents!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yep, that's it..."There is a spark in the eye of intelligent people and animals - it is just there. You can just "feel" it."

That 'spark in the eye", that's the perfect description of what you see in an "intelligent" dog when they look at you.
And not to add further controversy to this debate, but that is what I have always found to be present in poodles and missing in the retrievers I have known... that way of "connecting" when they look at you. The poodles always seem to look into your eyes like a person would, with understanding or recognition. German Shepherds are the same. The retrievers always seem good-natured, but blank...no spark. Of course, I have never owned a retriever or spent much time around them before I got Jack, so my observation doesn't count for much...just a feeling I always got.

[Adina P]

Cass & Thule have it.
Rosco is just a blank slate of loving cuteness :-)

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Me too! Blank! Nothing there man! I look in the mirror and there is this blank stared dumbass look!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

ROFLMAO!

[Roxanne Ochs]

I don't think we are making dumbass dogs but I agree that "only child" dogs are a little sharper. It's just due to the interaction we provide because we can do it more efficiently for one than for two. We tend to take the time to do it. It's sort of like having human children....we take so much time with the first and as time goes on and there are more we just sort of assume the first will entertain and teach the second, third, etc. when each one deserves our utmost attention and skill building.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think that there needs to be a clearer consensus by what is meant by intelligence and what is learned behavior. An intelligent animal will learn faster and may be able to learn things a less intelligent animal cannot learn, all other things being equal. A very well trained animal may not have the intelligence of a feral dog . Of course age and experience come into play for the animal as well. Even with human IQ tests there is a lot of controversy about whether innate intelligence is measured, or whether race, socioeconomic status, quality of schools etc. affect the result. To me intelligence is the ability to problem solve. In some of the discussions I think the other quality that is being addressed is more akin to emotional empathy than intelligence per se. A dog that senses your mood and responds appropriately may make a better pet than a very intelligent dog. Who would want Hannibal Lechter pet-wise.? I don't think we can make "dumbass dogs" because their intelligence most likely is congenital. We can however train them to be well behaved dogs, aggressive dogs or train them very little at all. Maybe the real question is do only dogs make better pets than multiple dogs. I would think the answer to that is very subjective.

[Adina P]

I fully agree with your answer. A while back on facebook a friend of mine started a thread asking her friends how they defined intelligence (maybe that should be a new debate thread here!). A lot of people mentioned things that really had to do with character, morality, and emotional empathy, common sense, social skills or even something like "being a good parent"--all of which I find irrelevant to intelligence. Common sense, is just that 'common' or supposed to be. Nothing that would get one into Mensa =) One can't be an idiot to be a good parent, true, but I don't think it takes superior intelligence either. Emotional empathy, good character, love and interpersonal skills probably takes care of good parenting.

But I agree with you...intelligence has to do with the way the mind learns and uses data and little to do with being "good" "kind" or "loving" or "sociable." To me intelligence is about problem solving and ability to learn and comprehend and reason. With humans I would add abstract thinking and critical thinking as well as the ability to learn not only from one's OWN experience but from vicarious experience too. The ability to reason from facts even without experience. A good grasp of logic. All that said, intelligence is not the end all and be all of what makes a person or a dog valuable. There are intelligent jerks and wonderful average brained folks (what's a word for not very intelligent but not dumb?). We don't usually love people based on intelligence...we love based on all sorts of reasons including relationship and the good feelings we get from the relationship.

Rosco is not the brightest bulb, but he was/is extremely trainable and loving and I love him to pieces.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think you are right. I don't think there is a word, that I can think of anyway, for people of average intelligence. But to lighten things up--another question is do foolish dogs learn from experience and wise dogs learn from others? And who qualifies as others, only dogs or people?

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

"Who would want Hannibal Lechter pet-wise.?"

LMAO!!

Can you hear the lambs Clarise? Are they screaming? or should it be "can you hear the rubber chicken Rosco?" "Is it squealing Rosco"