큰 개는 작은 개보다 똑똑합니까?

종으로서의 개는 크기가 매우 다양합니다. 작은 개 품종, 거대한 개 품종 및 그 사이의 모든 것이 있습니다. 개의 크기는 건강에 영향을 미치며 일반적으로 개의 수명을 결정하는 역할을 합니다. 그러나 어떤 사람들은 크기의 영향이 그보다 더 깊은지 궁금해합니다. 개의 크기가 지능을 예측할 수 있습니까?

개 지능의 유형

개의 지능을 어떻게 측정합니까? 어려운 질문입니다. 그의 책 개의 지능에서 , 심리학 교수인 Stanley Coren은 이를 세 가지 범주로 나눕니다.

• 본능 지능:사육된 작업(목축, 회수, 보호)을 수행하는 개의 능력

• 적응 지능:개가 스스로 문제를 해결하는 능력

• 작업 및 복종 지능:사람에게서 배우고 명령에 따라 수행하는 개의 능력. (Coren은 이러한 유형의 지능이 대부분의 사람들이 관심을 보이는 유형이며 개 복종 시험이 측정하는 유형의 지능이라고 말합니다.)

큰 개가 작은 개보다 똑똑합니까?

Coren은 American Kennel Club과 Canadian Kennel Club 복종 재판 심사위원에게 일련의 설문지를 보내 성능별로 개 품종의 순위를 매기도록 요청했습니다.

Coren은 받은 199개의 완전한 응답 세트를 기반으로 차트를 만들었습니다.

credit:Stanley Coren via Psychology Today

The chart shows medium to large dogs ranking as the most intelligent, with intelligence dropping off in both very small and very large dogs.

Can size really predict intelligence?

To be clear, The Intelligence of Dogs is not regarded as immutable truth. In Coren’s own words, the book “received a lot of media attention and scientific commentary, both pro and con” when it was first published. But, assuming he is onto something, what could account for the relationship between size and intelligence in dogs?

In his article for Psychology Today , Coren brings up Theodosius Dobzhansky, a behavior geneticist and evolutionary biologist. Dobzhansky says that evolution favors the middle of a population. In other words, individual animals at the extremes are never as well-adapted as the animals with “average” characteristics.

We also have to take into account that humans tend to treat small dogs differently than they treat large dogs. It’s entirely possible that the way we treat our dogs has a bearing on the types of intelligence Coren tested for. For example, we have a tendency to forgive behaviors in small dogs that we reprimand in large dogs, such as jumping or barking. This phenomenon even has a name:small dog syndrome. A dog’s experiences with its owners could affect how the dog performs in such a test, especially in the area of “working and obedience intelligence.”

Does brain size affect a dog’s intelligence?

It’s tempting to theorize that brain size plays a part in a dog’s intelligence. Much fuss has been made about whether brain size — both overall, and relative to body size — is an accurate predictor of intelligence. Humans, historically, have wanted to believe that a large brain relative to body size equates to a more intelligent species. 왜요? Because that would mean we, as a species, are geniuses. However, it’s simply not true:brain size has very little to do with intelligence.

Alexandra Horowitz, author of the book Inside of a Dog:What Dogs See, Smell, and Know , points out that the brain of a wolf-sized dog is roughly 30 percent smaller than the brain of its ancestor, the gray wolf. Does that mean that the domesticated dog of today is less smart than its ancestor? Horowitz doesn’t think so:“When the mere gaze from the dewy eyes of a member of this species causes you to get up from the couch, repair to the refrigerator and retrieve a hunk of cheese for your charge—well, you tell me who is smarter.”

So, what was their conclusion?

Professor Coren’s research suggests that medium to large sized dogs are the most “intelligent,” based on the three intelligence categories he used in the study. However, those categories are limited, and his research was based on questionnaires from obedience trial judges, who are human and thus subject to biases. Additionally, many factors in a dog’s life, both genetic and environmental, could contribute to its intelligence. We don’t have nearly enough evidence to definitively say that size affects intelligence one way or the other.

Want to learn more about your pup? Check out Smallest Dog Breeds, Really Big Dog Breeds, and Do Herding Dogs Need to Learn How to Herd? at Cuteness.com!

This article is provided by Cuteness—the go to destination for passionate pet parents. Cuteness has answers to all of your health, training, and behavior questions – as well as the cutest, funniest, and most inspiring pet stories from all over the world.