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Frankly, my old shih tzu was a lot smarter than my neighbor's rottie. She definitely knew more basic commands and tricks.
OP, "smart" is hard to quantify w/ dogs based on breeds. The word you're looking for is "trainable". Some breeds are more trainable than others based on their breed function. Herding and sporting breeds, for example, traditionally work closely with humans and so are highly trainable. Hounds and terriers typically work away from people and work more on instinct than specific commands, so these dogs are harder to train.
Of course, these are generalizations, but if you want a trainable, small dog, I'd recommend poodles, papillon, and shelties, to start (though there plenty of smart, trainable dogs outside of these breeds and that are even mutts)
Intelligence in dogs is like intelligence in people, an individual and not a breed thing. Also, to me intelligence has to do with problem solving and not trainability. The trouble with most so-called dog intelligence lists is they equate intelligence with trainability so the more independent breeds or mixes end up at the bottom of the lists. But, think how those lists would change if, for example, intelligence was equated with hunting ability.
Just to throw an idea out, what about a terrier? Most would fit into the smallish to medium sized criteria and most are very smart (although not necessarily obedient).
Yeah, if you're for whatever reason considering "easily trainable," as an interchangeable term for intelligent, skip the beagle. They tend to ignore commands at will in favor of innate drive. Nonetheless, smart and resourceful, if independent.
Have you looked at the Brittany Spaniel? I like them a lot and they are smart and attractive. One thought I had when you say "smart" what are you expecting. Decent looking? You mention a Golden Retriever which is "soft" in looks like the Brittany Spaniel but also mention the Rott which is really a "hard" look to me anyway. "Smart" and obedience together can be a challenge and when you get that say in the Border Collie, you have a great deal of energy and must channel it properly. Australian shepherds are nice and even come in miniature now but again, like the Border Collie, you have high energy. Why do want the dog to be "smart" specifically? What are you planning to teach it or do you want from it? Dogs don't housebreak themselves even if they are smart and they still chew things up when teething unless supervised and given other chewing options. They do say that chow and shar-pei are born housebroken and I don't know if that is true but our chow mix is the cleanest dog I have ever seen! Mixes are nice. Are you looking for a dog or a puppy and must it be purebred?
My beagle acts dumb.....but she is a problem solver.....and she is very presistent....she likes a challenge and she figures things out and she learns.
I used to think my lab mix was the most loyal and loving animal on earth ..... but not too bright....but such a good boy!
Westies are wicked smart and can be just plain "wicked".
Most of the small terriers strike me as above average in inteligence...but maybe its like Lake Woebegone...."where all the children are above average".
Border Collies are a relatively small, highly intelligent canine, however they (as another poster mentioned), have a wicked high drive. Very smart, agile, and cute as hell, but NOT an ideal pet unless you have a lot of energy, a lot of running room, and a lot of patience. My one year old just turned 50K miles...........and he is just warmin up Don't let the cute face fool you.....they are NOT a breed for everyone !
Border Collies are the best dog ever bred IMO-with honorable mention to German Shepherds. I wouldn't have one because I live in the suburbs and just not enough stimulation or exercise.
I've seen Border Collies in action since I was a little kid. You should see them with cattle. They know what the cow is thinking before the cow does. They are absolutely fearless against a bull, and believe me a bull can ruin your whole day but a Border Collie will make a bull back off.
I bring my Shih Tzu/Bichon mix dogs to the farm, it's hilarious to see the Border Collie with them. They try to keep up but just can't.
Our younger dog was going after a muskrat the last time we were at the farm, I'm yelling at her (the mustrat probably would have killed her) Chase (Mom's Border Collie) runs down there and grabs the pup and carries her back to us.
just wow...
shi-tzu are not dumb
and peis while not everyones cuppa tea are not ugly...
your about as tactfull as a kinfe to the face huh?!
your not going to make many frineds by calling other breeds dumb or ugly, this forum is filled with people who LOVE peiz and shi-tzu.
its ok to not like or be interested in a certain breed...
Its NOT ok to call them dumb or ugly.
a simple "i dont realy like the look" or "im not a fan of the personality" ect.
personally ive met more "dumb" goldens than i have dumb shi-tzus but its got nothing to do with learning ability and more to do with the person who owns the dog.
i dont like labs but id never go around calling them dumb or ugly.
smallish-medium means absolutly nothing...how big is too big to you...everyone has there own opinion as to what a "medium" sized dog is, to somone used to danes and mastifs a 60lb doberman might be a medium sized breed, but to a chihuahua owner a 60lb dog is LARGE...
so wed need to know what your ideal weight range is
for me, im so used to sooo many different size ranges that a "medium dog" is anything from 30-70lbs...and thats a HUGE range., a dog isnt large untill it gets past 70lbs and giants are over 100lbs lol. to someone else a 70lb dog could be huge and 50lb dog "large"...
you "like" goldens and rots but those are 2 VERY different dogs, so what exactly would you be looking for...
obviously a "pretty" dog (which given goldens and rots have comepltl different head shapes its hard to tell what your "pretty" would be)
obviously "inteligent" however goldens and rots have very different personalities and trainbilities so its hard to say what kind of training and "type" of inteligence your looking for in a dog, ar eyou looking for a breed whos eager to please and picks up things qickly, or are you looking for a breed thats more "inteligent" but harder to train becaue they think (ie sighthounds are constantly put down as "dumb" but they are anything but...they are increidbly smart, there just not easily trained, yet labs are constantly called "smart" when infact most arnt that bright when it comes to thinking for themselves, theyre just extreemly eager to please and thus VERY trainable)
wed also need to know what kind of grooming needs youd be willing to go through, how much excersize your interested/able to give...are kids or other pets in the home (some great dogs are flat out not suitable for a home with birds or rodents ect for example)
in terms of a "pretty" and "inteligent" "smallish medium" breed the first thing that comes to mind is a large mini or a small standard poodle, theyre smart, compact, pretty face with beautiful eyes, but they need coat upkeep...
A border collie is definatly a pretty and inteligent dog but probably TOO much energy for most homes
Nothing ugly about a spaniel, if you like goldens, check out springer and britney spaniels.
and theres certainly PLENTY of mixed breed dogs sitting around in shelters that could fit anything your looking for in a dog if you take the time to find it
if you can give us a better run down of what your looking for in a dog we'd be more able to narrow it down.
I cant believe someone would say shar-pei arent clean and quiet. Its an acquired taste. OP should get a chocolate lab I guess or whatever the media tell him in an "acceptable" dog.
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