# Inteligent dogs



## datacan (May 15, 2011)

http://petrix.com/dogint/index.html

Vizsla is #25 on this page http://petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html
The GSP is # 17. 

Vizsla link from above ranking lands on AKC's site http://www.akc.org/breeds/vizsla/index.cfm


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

I have to take that with a little grain of salt.
The Vizsla, as well as some of the other hunting breeds, are not going to score as well in the second category which is a test of biddability.
Hunting dogs, really good hunting dogs, have to possess some amount of independence and freedom of thought, or you might as well hunt without a dog.

Maybe I'm a little biased though.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

I only looked over the 2nd link for a few seconds. I too take them with a grain of salt. 1st: I defintely beg to differ with the GSP being 17 & V 25th. 2: I had a Border Collie when I was a teenager that was a dog genius. Too smart for his own good. If he had not lived on a farm, Shine would have been more of a lunatic than he was. He reminded me (dog equiv) of the brilliant kid in class that was completely socially inept. Smart dogs have their quirks, especially if their energy is not appropriately channeled, but our Pumpkin is one of the smartest dogs we have ever had. I classify her like I do people: there are lots of intelligent people in the world but a lot fewer smart ones. Smart people are intelligent but they also have common sense. That is Pumpkin (most of the time anyway  ).


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Honestly, I felt a little offended by the 25th rank. My German Sheherd was easier. Vizsla is more rewarding, though. 

Gunnr, by independence (or somewhat independent thinking) you mean good hunting dogs are perceived to be a little stubborn? Or really stubborn? Or it takes a more convincing to get them to do what you want them to do?

I noticed this because I don't use treats or physical punishment to get Sam to cooperate. It works but takes longer.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

datacan said:


> Honestly, I felt a little offended by the 25th rank. My German Sheherd was easier. Vizsla is more rewarding, though.
> 
> Gunnr, by independence (or somewhat independent thinking) you mean good hunting dogs are perceived to be a little stubborn? Or really stubborn? Or it takes a more convincing to get them to do what you want them to do?
> 
> *I noticed this because I don't use treats or physical punishment to get Sam to cooperate. It works but takes longer.*


Agree wholeheartedly with that. I would never physically strike, or shake a dog. Just like my three children and my two grandchildren, my dogs know what the score is just by my tone..... 

Positive reinforcement and consistency I believe are keys to happy dogs!!


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## Aimless1 (Sep 25, 2011)

Ozkar said:


> Positive reinforcement and consistency I believe are keys to happy dogs!!


Truer words haven't been posted.

Looked at the list and apparently I've been exposed to the wrong dogs. I've not had personal contact with a retriever or cocker spaniel that I would consider more intelligent than the Gordon Setter. However, you really can't judge until you've lived with a dog for awhile. That ranking is going to make a lot of owners both happy and upset.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

datacan said:


> Honestly, I felt a little offended by the 25th rank. My German Sheherd was easier. Vizsla is more rewarding, though.
> 
> Gunnr, by independence (or somewhat independent thinking) you mean good hunting dogs are perceived to be a little stubborn? Or really stubborn? Or it takes a more convincing to get them to do what you want them to do?
> 
> I noticed this because I don't use treats or physical punishment to get Sam to cooperate. It works but takes longer.


datacan

Not stubborn, though they could be perceived as such, focused is a better word. They do not give up.

Many, many times I have tracked down crippled birds for guys,and many times they have insisted that the dog is going in the wrong direction and want me too call it back and start again, and direct it, as if by remote control,. So I do and the dog goes right back the way it was going before I called it back. In this instance some folks would say that the dog is blowing me off, or not well trained. The reality is that the dog was right,and knew I was wrong, so it did what it needed to do.
I've never lost a cripple to a Vizlsa. They will not stop looking. If you move them off physically, they will lose no time in circling back to the area. That could be perceived as stubborn, but not in my book.
Additionally if you're working cover,and your dog won't move off at your command. It could be perceived incorrectly as lack of training. However, your dog is telling you to pay attention, and after a short while you begin to be somewhat tolerant of the " not listening"by the dog, because it's the hunter that needs to listen.
If your Vizsla is staunch on the obediance component, and all of the sudden seems to ignore you when hunting. It's time to pay attention. It's an odds on bet they're "right", and are on to something.

The most successful folks I know of, actually hunting dogs, spend very little time ordering their dogs about in the field. They give the dog enough voice to keep it near,and follow the dogs. The guys using "remote control" are not anywhere near as successful. You have to trust the dog.
When hunting a dog there is a balance between odediance and instinct. You paid a lot of money for that instinct and nose.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

I'd call it locked into the zone. They know what they are after and are undeterred in their persuit. They are hunting dogs and live to hunt. Copper doesn't care if you have a steak if there is a bird in the grass. I am way too inexperienced and dumb to redirect Copper. I guess he feels he knows best.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Gunnr said:


> When hunting a dog there is a balance between odediance and instinct. *You paid a lot of money for that instinct and nose*.



This should be on a bumper sticker. Deeply insightful. Must obey the Vizsla


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## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

Obey the vizsla--love it! Rosie is the smartest dog we've ever had.


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## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

Speaking of obey the vizsla. Rosie is training us to do certain things. A while back, she learned that she could "clink" the bottom of her water dish with her claws to signal us that she needed her water dish filled. She still does this.

True confessions, one of our routines is that if I bring a snack or late dinner upstairs to watch TV, Rosie gets to lick the dish, but only after I'm finished eating. Tonight I was taking a little longer than usual to go get my snack. I got up for a minute as if to get my slippers, then for some reason I sat back down again. Rosie looked at me with what we refer to as a "bitey face" (the Elvis lip grinning face she used to make as a puppy before a nipping session, but now it's usually used to indicate thoughts of food), and tapped my wrist 3 times with her paw. I couldn't believe she was really telling me something, but that's how it seemed. I laughed, and she looked me straight in the eye and tapped my wrist three times again. She wanted me to get on with it, put on my slippers, and go get my snack so she could lick the dish, already!


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