How To Find Out How Smart Your Pet Really Is

Before we get into the methods of testing your pet’s smarts, we have to attempt to answer an age-old question: are dogs smarter than cats? Common wisdom is that dogs must be more intelligent because they have bigger brains than cats, and certain research seems to back this up. For instance, dogs have twice the number of neurons in their brains, but does this necessarily equate to higher intelligence? Maybe not: researcher Alexandra Horowitz of New York’s Barnard College claims that the entire question is flawed.

Dr. Horowitz told Live Science, “At its simplest form, cats are smart at the things cats need to do, and dogs at dog things. I don't think it makes any sense at all to talk about relative ‘smarts’ of species.” Evolutionary anthropology professor Brian Hare agreed, saying, “Asking whether a dog is smarter than a cat is like asking whether a hammer is a better tool than a screwdriver — it depends on what it was designed for.” So, there you have it: it’s not easy, and maybe slightly pointless, to debate which species is smarter.

When it comes to testing your pets, though, their reactions may differ hugely. Sarah Hartwell of Messy Beast, a cat care and history website, explained, “Dogs are largely motivated by the pack-living instinct. They will perform purely for praise and acceptance dished out by the dominant pack member: the owner or trainer. They will also perform because, in the wild, they risk being driven out of a pack or being demoted to pariah position. Cats are not motivated by social status factors. To train a cat you must find out what motivates it.”

“Despite being favorite research subjects for over a century, cats are particularly challenging subjects for intelligence testing,” continued Dr. Hartwell. “It is hard to get them to show how they learn or what they know, especially in a laboratory setting. While social animals like dogs and horses respond to social rewards and to punishment, these are almost meaningless to cats. Although cats may enjoy being petted, it doesn't have the significance of acceptance by a superior in the same way it does for dogs.”

Dr. Hartwell continued, “Cats view their owners as equals and when a cat tries to please you it does so on its terms, not yours. Cats are also adept at manipulating their owners — those whose cats enjoy playing fetching games might reflect on who taught whom the game. In all likelihood, the cat initiated the retrieving game and trained the owner to throw the object.” That’s right: you may think you taught your kitty something, but that’s only what it wants you to think!

So, what if your cat simply refuses to do your tests? If this happens, it’s likely not because your cat is stupid, it’s because of what we’ve been discussing: cats aren’t hardwired to seek their master’s approval. We all joke about the differences between cats and dogs; cats are more aloof and independent, whereas dogs always want to be good boys or girls. But these very differences are what can make evaluating a cat’s intelligence super-difficult at times.

Fascinatingly, Dr. Hartwell also called into question our very human definition of animal intelligence. She wrote, “Humans are biased in assessing the intelligence of other species, judging them according to their similarity to ourselves. Animals having good eyesight and dextrous hands are consistently rated as more intelligent… We are biased towards animals that see, react to, and manipulate things in a similar way to ourselves. Animals that learn to do things useful to humans are also rated as more intelligent than less co-operative creatures.”

“A cat or dog does not need to learn nuclear physics or understand Shakespeare in order to survive,” concluded Dr. Hartwell. “Animal intelligence is linked to the animal's natural environment and its survival needs. To measure its intelligence, we must adapt our perception of intelligence to its worldview and formulate tests appropriately.” She added, “Indications of intelligence in other animals are often termed ‘cunning’ or are written off as ‘instinct.’ As a race, we do not like to admit that intelligence is not exclusively a human trait.”

When it comes to kitty cats, we must first make an important distinction being feline cognition and intelligence. According to Kristyn Vitale, an Oregon State University academic, these are two very different things. She told Reader’s Digest magazine that cognition is “how an individual cat is thinking about something,” whereas intelligence “is more how they are using what they think about something to act upon it in an intelligent way, a way that we perceive as being smart. It’s a fine line between the two.”

For example, whether or not a cat can recognize the “object permanence” of something is an insight into their cognitive abilities. By that, we mean whether the animal understands that just because they can’t see something anymore, it doesn’t vanish from existence. If you show your kitty their favorite toy and then hide it, it will test this cognitive ability. If they look where they last saw the toy, they recognize the permanence of the object. This is actually a cognitive milestone studied in human infants as well.

A sign of true intelligence, though, is whether your feline can learn when you teach it something. For instance, Dr. Vitale claims that all four of her own cats respond to her commands to come, sit, and stand. She revealed, “It’s something they do every day. I have all of them sit for their food.” In fact, she insists one of her cats, named Bo, is more intelligent than the rest, saying, “He knows the commands stand, high jump, jump over an obstacle, high-five, ring a service bell and more.”

Jumping back to cognition, Dr. Vitale pointed to a cat’s instinctual internal clock. She said, “Having natural cycles, knowing when they need to hunt and need to rest, makes sense for them.” This is why your kitty will be particularly full of energy in the morning and late in the evening. Interestingly, though, they do amend their behaviors when living with a human. The academic explained their thinking as, “’He got out of bed. That’s a signal. It’s light outside, so it’s time to eat.’”

It's known that cats can learn to respond to human visual cues, such as pointing, and this is a sign of intelligence. If you want to test your moggy, simply put a treat under one cup and place an empty cup beside it. Point to the cup that is hiding the treat, and only let them have the treat if they move toward the correct cup. You could even repeat the test a number of times, logging how often you believe they responded to the point and how often they simply smelled the treat.

Speaking of cats understanding cues given to them by humans, that’s an example of social cognition. For example, as Dr. Vitale asks, if an owner acts frightened of an object, “Is the cat behind the owner, looking nervously at the item?” Alternately, if the owner projects happiness at seeing an object, “is the cat next to him or her, trying to interact and looking at the item?” The ability of a cat to pick up on its owner’s emotional cues and mirror them is a great indicator of a socially smart animal.

Another example of feline social cognition is how their attachment to their owner manifests itself. Dr. Vitale constructed a test where a cat and its owner are put in a lab, then the owner is removed. She explained, “We bring the owner back in two minutes later and there’s a reunion.” The cat’s reaction to the owner coming back is key here: if they greet them, but then return to exploring the brand new room, this is a great sign. It means the feline is securely attached to its owner.

If, on the other hand, the kitty jumps into its owner’s arms and clings to them for a long period, it shows an insecurity. As Dr. Vitale put it, “They’re still upset that the owner left,” and this may reveal the cat didn’t understand that it wasn’t being left alone forever simply because their owner left the room. This attachment insecurity likely stems from brain development in the first weeks and months of life. Perhaps, in these early stages, the cat didn’t spend much time with humans and didn’t develop healthy social behaviors.

There are many ways to test your moggy’s cognition and intelligence, on top of the pointer test mentioned earlier. For starters, you could evaluate their sense of object permanence by showing them their favorite toy, or a mouse filled with delicious catnip, before hiding it in a fairly easily found location. Intelligent cats will pretty much immediately look for the toy and find it, whereas less intelligent ones will stay in place, or even get bored and give up searching entirely.

Next, it’s time to evaluate your cat’s problem-solving abilities. Show the little guy that you’re putting a toy or a tasty treat inside an egg carton. Close the carton and then set it in front of the cat. If they immediately attempt to open the carton to snatch the prize inside, they’re a super-smart kitty. Equally, though, if they take their time and slowly get around to trying to open the box, that still shows a high level of intelligence. Low intelligence would only be a possibility if they don’t engage with the box at all.

Testing a cat’s understanding of human behavior is also possible. Get down on the floor with your furry pal and ignore them for a full minute, then give them a cuddle or play with them for a minute. If the kitty responds happily, because you’re projecting happiness and playfulness, then that’s a good sign of understanding. But, if they continue to ignore you, even when you’re trying to play with them, it could mean they don’t understand your social cues.

As hard as it may be to believe, your cat may be able to differentiate between shapes! Cut out two shapes from pieces of thick paper — perhaps a square and a circle — and place them in front of your kitty. If the cat touches either shape with their paw, give them a treat, as you want to familiarise them with touching the shapes. Now, choose a shape you specifically want them to touch, and only reward them if they touch the correct one.

Cats who quickly understand what you’re trying to get them to do, and repeatedly touch the right shape, are highly intelligent. If they get it right more often than not, but sometimes touch the wrong shape, that’s still a good indicator of a solid level of intelligence. The ones who rarely — or never — get it correct aren’t showing much understanding of shapes or your instructions at all. But hey, being smart isn’t everything: they’re still super-cute and loveable, after all!

So far, we’ve looked at feline intelligence, but now it’s time to consider dogs: how does one go about measuring canine intelligence? Well, as we all know, dogs can be taught to do tricks and follow commands much more easily than cats. If you’re trying to teach your dog to sit and it only takes a few repetitions for them to follow your order, you’ve probably got a smart cookie on your hands. If you only have to say it once, though? That’s some kind of genius pooch!

According to dog behavior expert Robert Cabral, the truly smart dogs will remember these commands even if they haven’t actioned them in a long time. He told Reader’s Digest, “If I taught a dog to walk backward on command and haven’t done it with him in a year, if he’s smart, he will still remember how to do it when asked.” If your pooch is able to do a trick when you teach it, but not months later, it doesn’t mean they’re stupid, though: they may just need a reminder. 

Dogs who see their owner do something and then work out how to do it themselves are extremely intelligent. Trainer Jeff Franklin told Reader’s Digest, “Dogs that can watch either humans or other dogs doing certain tasks, such as opening doors or gates, and learn from their example are certainly more trainable and may be smarter.” So, if you’ve ever wondered how your pooch figured out how to open the door to your man cave, it’s probably because they qualify for doggy Mensa!

Super-smart pooches are also very capable of manipulating their owners into doing what they want. Veterinarian Yvonne Brandenburg told Reader’s Digest, “No one likes to hear this, but our pets also train us. Do we jump up when they run to the back door? Do we get out the food when they bring us their bowl?” These intelligent dogs are also more likely to initiate games with their owner, rather than always wait to be played with. In essence, they’ll bring the chew toy to you, not wait for it to be thrown.

“The dog’s desire to work as a team shows me that her intelligence is ripe,” revealed Cabral. “Remember, wisdom is only wisdom if it’s shared — and that’s true of dogs as well as humans.” By this, he means that an owner has successfully taught their pooch that playing can be a give-and-take activity, and now they can initiate it. This is very different than if the animal goes wild and jumps at you to get your attention, because this is not a behavior you taught them.

Speaking of getting an owner’s attention, if your doggo knows exactly what to do to prompt you to give them some affection, they’re highly intelligent. Behavior expert Katie Nitti told Reader’s Digest, “All dogs love attention, and smart dogs know the best way to get it.” This could be as simple as bumping your hand with their head or giving you their paw to hold in your palms: they’ll know it will result in a head nuzzle or ruffling of the ears!

Picking up on the emotional cues humans give off is a big indicator of dog intelligence, just as it is for cats: it just manifests in different ways. For instance, if a smart pooch sees its owner crying on the couch after a raging argument with their significant other, it will probably jump up and cuddle in close to comfort them. Similarly, if an intelligent doggo sees its owner packing a suitcase, it will understand they are about to go somewhere, so it may try to stop them leaving or become clingy.

Given all this information, how do we test a dog’s intelligence? Is it similar to how we evaluate the smarts of a cat? Well, according to the TODAY show’s Warren Eckstein, it’s similarly hard to pin down. In an article for its website he wrote, “As with the intelligence tests developed for humans, the I.Q. tests for dogs suffer from limitations… Intelligence in dogs is also measured differently by different people. If I asked 50 people to describe what an intelligent dog would be, I would probably get 50 different answers.”

According to Eckstein, dogs exhibit two different kinds of intelligence: instinctive and adoptive. He explained, “Instinctive intelligence comes with the breed and the type of dog, so certain dogs and dog breeds have inherent differences in natural ability. For example, some dogs like greyhounds and Russian wolfhounds are sight hounds and will fare better at sight-oriented tests. Other breeds, like bloodhounds and beagles, use their noses to solve problems, and will therefore probably be better at scent-oriented problem solving tests.”

Adoptive intelligence, on the other hand, focuses on what the animal can learn. According to Eckstein, “This can include environmental learning, social learning, language comprehension, and task learning. This is similar to humans: some human beings are better at math or logic questions, and others may fare better at creative solutions to problems or interpersonal relationships.” But what tests can you perform at home to see how smart your beloved doggo is, or how much of both types of intelligence they exhibit?

Eckstein has devised a series of tests with scores tied to each outcome, but he was keen to remind owners not to do all of them in the same day, and to keep things fun. If you don’t “your dog may become overwhelmed and not understand why you're sending them through all these strange and bizarre actions.” He then reminded owners that “no matter how high or low they score, give them lots of love and positive attention afterwards.”

First up is the towel test, which simply involves putting a towel or blanket over your pooch’s head. If it takes the doggo less than 15 seconds to wriggle free of the towel, they get three points, and if it takes between 15 and 30 seconds, that’s two points. Anything longer than 30 seconds — or if they just sit there and make no effort to remove the towel at all — then they get one point. This is probably the simplest, and potentially most hilarious, test!

The next evaluation, known as the bucket test, is similar to the pointer test used on cats. Put a tasty treat under one of three buckets and let your doggo know which one you’ve chosen. Then, turn the pooch away from the buckets for a few seconds, and when they turn back, note how long it takes them to locate the treat. They get three points for instantly finding it, and two points if it takes them a couple of tries. If they look under the wrong buckets first, though? One point.

The furniture test can also give great insight into a dog’s intelligence. The next time your doggo leaves the living room, move your furniture around so their favorite spot isn’t immediately obvious anymore. When they come back, they get one point if they show no confusion and immediately curl up in their spot. A short 30-second sniff around before finding the spot gets two points, and they only get one point if they find a new spot to sit in, rather than look for their tried-and-tested favorite.

Everyone knows dogs go insane for walkies, but the next test will evaluate whether they recognize a walk doesn’t always have to occur at the same time of day. Change up your usual schedule and quietly retrieve your dog’s leash. If they see this and are immediately overcome with excitement, that’s three points. If they only realize what’s happening when you open the front door, that’s two points, and if they don’t get it at all, that’s a solitary point.

Next, it’s time to test your pooch’s problem-solving. Put a treat or toy under a low couch or chair, meaning the animal can’t fit their whole head under to retrieve it. They’ll have to use their paw if they want to grab this prize! If they figure out how to nab the treat in less than a minute? Three points. If they use their paw but also their snout, showing less dexterity? Two points. If they give up on finding the treat and walk off? One point.

Finally, put together a barrier made from 5-feet-wide cardboard with two support boxes on either side. The barrier must be taller than your pooch on two legs, because you’re going to cut a 3-inch window, meaning they can see through to the other side, but not fit through. If you throw a toy to the other side and they walk around the barrier within 30 seconds, that’s three points. Within a minute is two points, but if they get their head stuck in the window, that’s one point!

Looking at the final score tally will give you a decent idea of how intelligent your doggo is. If you add everything up and they have scored above 16, you’re living with a furry brainbox; 13 to 16 points is above average intelligence; and nine to 12 points is average. Once you get into lower point tallies than that, you’re into below-average and worse territory, but who really wants to analyze that too much? Sometimes being smart isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!