Dumbest dog breeds in the firing line as study picks on the sturdy Labrador
Liam Parker
Updated on April 03, 2026
A scientific report from Finland claims to have discovered the world’s most intelligent dog breeds. Owners of Belgian malinois will be pleased to know their breed was top dog of all those involved in the study. Unfortunately, that has left many owners wondering which dog breeds are deemed the dumbest.
Dr Katriina Tiira and her colleagues conducted a study at the University of Helsinki into the most intelligent dog breeds. The study, which was published in Nature magazine in December 2022, consisted of ten tests. Seven of the tests focused on the cognitive ability of the dogs, while the remaining three tests focused on their behavioral capabilities. The study tested 1,002 dogs, assessing the performance of 13 breeds in total.
In an interview with Newsweek, Dr Tiira claimed her initial expectations were right. She said: “We expected that breeds would differ from each other in most traits, and they did.”
The Belgian malinois was identified as one of the smarter breeds, according to the study. This isn’t surprising as this breed is often used by law enforcement teams due to their keen sense of smell. The tests, entitled smartDOG, revealed memory and logical reasoning were shockingly unaffected by breed.
Saara Junttila, another researcher involved in the study, speculated the reason for that may be environmental. She told Newsweek: “Environmental effects – such as training history, test situation and previous lifetime experiences – may influence these traits more strongly than breed.”
Dumbest dog breed to take part in the study
All the breeds involved in the study were as follows:
- Belgian malinois
- Australian kelpie
- Labrador retriever
- Border collie
- German shepherd
- Finnish Lapphund
- Golden retriever
- Hovawart
- Spanish water dog
- Shetland sheepdog
- Mixed breed
- English cocker spaniel
- Australian shepherd
Among the lowest-scoring breeds in the study was the labrador retriever. This beloved breed scored low in tests focused on problem-solving. Labradors also scored low on tests focused on inhibitory control.
However, this doesn’t necessarily indicate Labradors are stupid as the study contained a limited number of breeds, all of them considered to possess higher intelligence than many canines. The Shetland produced very even results, making it neither the smartest nor the dumbest dog breed.
Stanley Coren and The Intelligence Of Dogs
Way before the University of Helsinki study, the work of Stanley Coren led the way in understanding the smartest (and dumbest) dog breeds.
In 1994 Coren, a professor of canine psychology at the University of British Columbia, published a book entitled The Intelligence Of Dogs. It explores Coren’s theories about the varying levels of intelligence between dog breeds. He outlines three aspects of canine intelligence within the book, separating them into categories of instinctive intelligence, adaptive intelligence, and working/obedience intelligence.
In his book, Coren ranks 130 dog breeds in order of intelligence. Coren’s work identified the Afghan hound as the dumbest (or rather least intelligent) dog breed of all time. The bulldog and basenji breeds also scored low in the overall results.
Coren ranked the border collie as the most intelligent dog breed, with the poodle ranking second and the German shepherd third.
The recent study, as well as Coren’s work, both identify the border collie as one of the most intelligent dog breeds. It’s all barking if you ask us?
