Top 7 Dog Breeds That Are Considered Dumb

Dogs add happiness, companionship and affection to our lives and brighten our days with unwavering kindness. Acceptably, not all dogs are known for their smartness and adaptability; some breeds are known for their aloofness and stubbornness. These breeds have gained a reputation as the dumbest dog breeds based on their intelligence levels.
In this blog, we’ll explore the commonly perceived dumbest dog breeds and discover how their personality surprises us in multiple ways.
What Makes a Dog Dumb?
What makes a dog dumb or smart, the answer to this question is pretty simple. No dog breed is dumb or smart as each of them possesses different skills and characteristics. The fact is, some dog breeds are less smart than others because of their ability to learn new things, skill sets, etc.
Dog dumbness can be measured based on three parameters:
- Instinctive intelligence: Instinctive intelligence is measured by the dog’s ability to perform the basic tasks they were bred to perform, such as hunting, herding, retrieving, etc.
- Adaptive intelligence: Adaptive intelligence is the dog’s potential to learn from experiences and their existing environment.
- Working and obedience intelligence: It is about a dog’s ability to understand and learn new tricks and obediently follow commands.
What Does Research Say About Dog Intelligence?
When it comes to dog cognition, several researches have been conducted discovering that dog breeds are expert at communicating with their human guardians. Other than specialty training sessions, they have this natural ability to learn from humans purely by observation.
You’ll be astonished to learn that dogs can distinguish when their guardians are paying attention to them and when they are shying away. Dogs can solve puzzling tasks and can understand several words. Dogs evolve with time and training them with patience, consistency and effort will make all the difference in how they behave.
7 Dumbest Dog Breeds & Their Traits
In this segment, we will learn about 7 dog breeds that are perceived as dumb but their personality traits will make you love them deeply. Let’s have a look at each of them:
7. Afghan Hound:

Afghan Hounds follow their way of training. On the contrary, they can be taught new tricks and commands with patience and consistency.
6. Chow Chow:

The Chow Chow dog breed appears dumb but is highly selective with their playtime, independence and training. They are stubborn but are loyal, have a lion-like appearance and share a loving bond with their human parents.
5. Pekingese:

Pekingese have a sloth-like personality, making them look dumb and lazy. Their relaxed and laid-back attitude can make training a challenge. However, they make loving, kind and devoted companions for pet lovers.
4. Basenji:

Popularly known as barkless dogs, Basenjis are thought to be dumb because of their untrainable behavior and non-barking nature. However, they are clever, inquisitive and follow their own instincts.
3. Shih Tzu:

Shih Tzu is one of the cutest and most popular toy dog breeds known for their playful and gentle nature. Moreover, they make great family pets as they love to stay around people. They are perceived as dumb because they follow commands at a slow pace and are less consistent with their training.
2. Borzoi:

Borzoi is a difficult-to-train dog breed because of their stubborn and independent personality. Popularly known as one of the fastest dog breeds, Borzoi requires a lot of mental stimulation and short training sessions due to their obstinate and headstrong nature. However, they look graceful and elegant with a catlike appearance, possess amazing vision, love chasing and fetching, and have a calm and loyal demeanor, making them wonderful family pets.
1. Beagle:

Beagles are thought of as dumb dog breeds because of their stubborn nature and a strong smelling sense that acts as a distraction and drives them from one place to another. They are cheerful, affectionate and happy-go-lucky dogs that make the best family pets.
Also Read: Top 10 Smartest Dog Breeds
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Which Dog Breed Has The Lowest IQ?
Ans. According to the research, the Afghan Hound is considered the dog breed with the lowest IQ because of their slow pace in learning new tasks and their stubborn nature.
Q2. Which Is The #1 Smartest Dog Breed?
Ans. Border Collies have gained the number one spot in being the smartest dog breed because of their inhibitory control, social cognition and problem-solving skills.
Final Words
No dog breed should be labeled as dumb. It is fair to say some are more intelligent than others but all of them are good at some or the other thing. So when it boils down to gauging the intelligence levels of each dog breed, you can just judge them based on their traits and capabilities and decide which one to bring home.
No matter what breed you choose, each one of them has something unique to offer. Some may not obey your commands but will surely win your hearts.