When it comes to dogs, the breed that is a favorite among elite dog fanciers and humble families is the Labrador Retriever. Such is the popularity of the breed that, for the 29th year in a row, the Lab has emerged as the No. 1 Most Popular Dog Breed in the American Kennel Club’s 2019 listing.
Many adjectives have been used to describe the Labrador Retriever – “gentle, affectionate, sociable, playful, loyal, and devoted” – but one word that best characterizes the breed is intelligent.
But just how smart are Labradors?
The Intelligence of Labradors
When it comes to determining just how smart dogs are, the ultimate guide is The Intelligence of Dogs by Stanley Coren. Coren came up with his list of intelligent dogs by collaborating with over 200 dog obedience judges.
In the book, there are three classifications of dog intelligence:
1) Instinctive Intelligence – refers to the inherited characteristics and traits of the breed
2) Adaptive Intelligence – refers to the dog’s social awareness and capacity to learn from its environment. It includes your dog’s problem-solving abilities.
3) Working and Obedience Intelligence – refers to the ability of the dog to understand, comprehend, and obey human commands (including language and numbers).
Based on these classifications, Labrador Retriever placed at No. 7 in Coren’s Intelligent Dogs list. From the standpoint of a dog obedience judge or a dog trainer, the Labrador is capable of learning a new command at just five repetitions or less. You can also expect them to obey a learned command on the first attempt at the rate of 95 percent or less.
But what if you’re not a dog judge or trainer? How can you better appreciate your Lab’s intelligence? Let’s give examples of each of these classifications.
As you know, Labrador Retrievers have been bred for tracking, herding, and retrieving. This is instinctive intelligence since these skills are encoded in the genetic makeup of the breed.
Adaptive intelligence means that your dog can learn from just observing you and what is going on in your environment. For example, if your Lab wants to go out and play or do its “business”, it will watch how you open the door. In just a short time, your dog can open the doorknob or push down a door latch on its own and let itself out. There are even cases wherein sneaky Labs learn how to open pantries or cabinets in order to get stored treats.
As for working and obedience intelligence, this is displayed whenever you teach your dog tricks. As was mentioned earlier, Labs can learn specific commands at up to five repetitions or less. We are not just talking about common tricks like “sit”, “stay”, or “fetch”. They are capable of obeying complex commands as is seen in dog relay and obstacles courses. You can also see their intelligence in action in dangerous situations, such as bomb and drug detection in law enforcement and search and rescue missions.
The Controversy Over Coat Color and Intelligence
There is an ongoing controversy that intelligence in a Lab can be gauged by its coat color.
Lab owners have noted that Black Labradors are the most intelligent of the breed because of their innate hunting and retrieving instincts. They can often be seen hunting situations and in dog trials and obstacle courses.
While of similar intelligence as Blacks, Yellow Labs reportedly have a gentler demeanor, making them ideal guide dogs for the blind.
Chocolate Labs are infamous for their stubborn natures. Their unwillingness to go through training is often believed to be due to their stupidity. For this reason, chocolate labs are commonly featured in show competitions because of their unique appearance and conformation.
It should be mentioned though that many Labrador breeders argue that the temperament of the dog is largely due to its training and the argument of coat color being related to intelligence is purely coincidental.
Should You Get a Smart Lab?
While Labrador Retrievers are the best family dogs, their higher intelligence means they need to be kept mentally stimulated at all times. Not doing so will lead to destructive and other undesirable behaviors.
Mental stimulation for a Lab involves daily training sessions, exercise, and playtime with members of the family. You might want to consider buying “smart toys” that your Lab is sure to enjoy. Older Labs can benefit from recall training sessions to keep them mentally fit.
How smart are Labradors? As we have discussed above, Labs are among the most intelligent dog breeds. If you want a smart dog with a devoted, affectionate nature, you cannot go wrong with a Labrador Retriever.
