If you’re like most dog lovers, you’ve probably wondered, “How smart is my dog?” Recently, three employees at Purina got the chance to learn more about their dogs’ intelligence, with a fun IQ test that you can do at home. Here’s the IQ test on video!
Jan Dempsey, an animal nutritionist for Purina, approached the test with a realistic attitude. Recognized as one of the few nutritionists who have worked in the zoo world, she describes Tai, her nine-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog, as “sort of a laid-back, huggy-bear kind of dog.” “I think part of it is the breed,” she says. “I’m interested to see how she does on a test like this.”
Tai came into Jan’s life accidentally – literally. She was a crated in the back of a pickup truck that was involved in an accident. The dog’s crate was thrown from the truck, and Tai broke her hip. “The veterinarian didn’t want to put her down,” Jan recalls, “so her owner abandoned her. The surgeon knew that I had just lost a Bernese, so she called me. It was meant to be.”
Purina employee Melissa Andrews was eager to take the test with Brody, her two-year-old English Bulldog. “The constant joke in my family is challenging his intelligence.”
Brody is a constant fixture at Purina, accompanying Melissa to the office almost every day. When he’s not attacking the fountain at Checkerboard Square, he demonstrates his intelligence by finding Melissa’s office – and staying there. “If I have to leave for a few minutes, he just lays in the doorway and stays,” she says. “I didn’t have to teach him that.”
When Purina employee Georganne Crifasi volunteered to participate, she was confident that Lola, her two-year-old Puggle, would do well. “I do think she’s pretty smart,” she says. “She eats at five – if it’s after five, she brings her food dish and drops it in front of me.”
How the Doggie IQ Test Works
The three pet participants completed a series of four exercises designed to test their problem-solving and verbal recognition skills. As you’ll see in the video, in the first test, the dogs had to tip over a can to uncover the treat underneath. The second test required them to free themselves from a towel tossed gently over their heads. In the third test, the dogs had to retrieve a treat from under a very low table. The last test required them to discern their names from other everyday words.
The tests proved to be fun for dogs and people alike, while the results, at least in one case, were surprising. Watch the video, then take the test at home with your dog. It’s always fun to learn more about how your best friend thinks.
Video IQ Test: How Best Friends Think