This is a very sad day for me. On the second Saturday in February of 2009, I took my whippet puppy, for her first puppy training class. The fact that she was hyper, disobedient and shat on the floor has nothing to do with the sadness I feel. It’s that Moss was mauled to death last May and I miss her terribly. Today dredged up all the feelings of loss as if the incident had just happened. I have considered getting another puppy, but have waited partly because I don’t want to feel as if I’m replacing her and partly because of my living situation (four cats, two humans and a puppy in a carpeted basement apartment sounds like a recipe for disaster). In time, I may be ready to bring a new little whippet into my life, but for now, I will honour the memory of my lost love, Moss. Today’s question is: how intelligent are Whippets?
A: According to Stanley Coren, author of "The Intelligence of Dogs", there are three types of dog intelligence:
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability). This is specific to the individual animal and is measured by canine IQ tests.
- Instinctive Intelligence. Which is also specific to the individual animal and measured by canine IQ tests.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence. This is breed dependent.
There are seventy-nine breeds included in this ranking. The author used "understanding of new commands" and "obey first command" as his standards of intelligence. Although it must be noted that this ranking is heavily weighted on obedience, which may categorize dogs bred for hunting in a lower rating due to their independent nature, but does not mean that they are unintelligible or hard to train.
Whippets are listed in the Average Working/Obedience Intelligence category ranked number 51 of 79. Despite being in the lower half of the ranking, a study in the Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science - and posted on the Discovery website - explained that Whippets are considered to be one of the least aggressive dog breeds.
Sources:
Intelligence of Dogs