Dog Intelligence and Dog Obedience - Are They the Same?

Too often, if a dog does what a person wants him to do, he’s labeled “inteligent”, and if he’s not so compliant, he’s called “stupid”. But think about it: Do intelligent people always do what they’re told? The ones I know are more inclined to think things through and make their own decisions. It’s no different with dogs, and an intelligent dog is not necessary easy to train or willing to obey.

In fact, intelligence is completely independent from biddability (eagerness to do what we bid or tell, the dog to do). Some very smart dogs are not very biddable because their ancestors were also bred to think and work independently. Oter highly intelligent dogs are extremely biddable because their historical job descriptions required them to work paw in hand with people.

When it comes to training your individual dog, you will find helpful to understand what his breed (or breeds, if he’s a mix) was developed to do. And of course, most important of all, you also need to pay attention to his own individual personality and style.

From: Training Your Dog for Life (Terra-Nova Series)