Shih Tzu Intelligence

Overview

If you have a Shih Tzu or are thinking about bringing one into your family, you may be wondering if Shih Tzu dogs are smart. The answer is a resounding yes. The Shih Tzu breed demonstrates a unique kind of intelligence, distinguished by their emotional awareness and strong bond with humans. This relational intelligence sets them apart, as they are adept at understanding and responding to human cues, making them excellent companions.

However, when it comes to traditional measures of canine intelligence, such as trainability and obedience, the Shih Tzu might not rank as high as some other breeds. In Stanley Coren's well-known book, "The Intelligence of Dogs," Shih Tzus are ranked at #70, indicating that they may require patience and repetition in training.

This article will cover the ways a Shih Tzu shows their intelligence, more details about their #70 ranking and more.

How Shih Tzu Dogs Show Their Unique Intelligence

Shih Tzu dogs exhibit their unique intelligence in several remarkable ways, often different from the conventional metrics of obedience and trainability. These small, yet spirited dogs have a distinct way of demonstrating their smarts, primarily through their interactions with their human companions, other dogs, children, and their general awareness of their surroundings.

Connection and Empathy: One of the most notable aspects of a Shih Tzu's intelligence is how they align themselves closely with their humans. Shih Tzu dogs are incredibly attuned to the emotions and behaviors of their human family members. They often display an uncanny ability to sense their owner's mood and will adjust their behavior accordingly. For instance, a Shih Tzu might snuggle up to you if you're sad or feeling under the weather to offer comfort, or engage in playful antics to lighten a somber atmosphere. This emotional intelligence is a hallmark of their breed and a clear demonstration of their unique understanding of human emotions.

Cue Reading: In addition to their empathetic nature, Shih Tzu dogs are also skilled at picking up on subtle cues. They quickly learn to understand various household routines and can respond to non-verbal signals such as gestures or facial expressions. For example, a Shih Tzu might recognize the time for a walk or feeding just by observing their human's actions, like picking up keys or heading towards the kitchen. This level of perceptiveness shows their ability to interpret and react to the nuances of human communication.

Interactions: Social encounters with other dogs and children further showcase the Shih Tzu's intelligence. These dogs are generally very sociable and display a remarkable sense of understanding and patience, especially with children. They often engage in gentle play and seem to inherently know how to moderate their behavior when around younger, more fragile companions. Similarly, when interacting with other canines, Shih Tzu dogs usually exhibit good social skills, understanding when to approach or keep a distance, which is a sign of their social intelligence and adaptability.

Observance: Lastly, Shih Tzu dogs are usually very vigilant of their surroundings. They might not be the type to bark at every little noise, but they are keenly aware of changes in their environment. A Shih Tzu may alert their human to someone at the door or a new object in the room, showing their attentiveness and awareness. This level of observation is not just a trait of curiosity but also an indication of their intelligent processing of the world around them.

These specific behaviors and traits collectively portray the unique intelligence of the Shih Tzu breed. While they might not be the first breed that comes to mind when thinking of 'smart dogs' in the traditional sense, their emotional intelligence, ability to understand and interact with humans and other animals, and their observant nature definitely place them high on the scale of intelligent companionship.

How the Shih Tzu Officially Ranks in Canine Intelligence

Only based on command elements, breeds were placed into 6 different groups of intelligence levels:

• 10 breeds were listed under the “Brightest Dogs”.
• The next grouping held breeds 11-26 and were labeled “Excellent Working Dogs”.
• The 3rd grouping holds the next 27-39 breeds and are under the ranking of “Above Average Working Dogs”.
• This is followed by breeds 40-54 which are, according to these findings, “Average Working/Obedience Intelligence”.
• The 5th grouping is called “Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence” which lists out the next 55-69 breeds.
• The last set are the final 10 breeds (70-79), labeled “Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence”, with the Shih Tzu at number 70.

According to the judges involved, this breed did not do well with commands, and overall was ruled to need 80 to 100 repetitions of new commands given before following them. And, even then, only obeyed the first command 25% of the time (or worse).

What can we infer? If we look at the top 10 breeds, let’s see what we have:

1. The Border Collie: Herding Group; bred on the English–Scottish border for herding livestock.
2. The Poodle: This includes all size varieties, and while they are in the Non-Sporting Group, they were bred to be retriever dogs, mainly retrieving fish from rivers and other bodies of water. 
3. German Shepherd: Herding Group; originally developed for herding sheep, and then used extensively as work dogs including search and rescue and military work.
4. Golden Retriever: Sporting Group and bred to be excellent hunting dogs.
5. Doberman Pinscher: Working Group and bred to be superb guard dogs.
6. Shetland Sheepdog: Herding group; one of the most popular and widely used dogs for sheep herding.
7. Labrador Retriever: Sporting group; commonly used as water dogs.
8. Papillon: This is the only breed among the top 10 bred to be a toy sized companion dog, just like the Shih Tzu.
9. Rottweiler: Working Group; excellent guard-dog capabilities, used for generations for cattle-driving.
10. Australian Cattle Dog: Herding group; as the name implies, used extensively as a cattle herder and livestock guardian.

The important note of working/herding/sport class vs companion dog: As you can see, 8 of the top 10 dogs that ranked the highest for intelligence (again only based on ability to learn commands quickly) have very strong inbred traits to take commands from humans and actually work side-by-side with them. 

The Shih Tzu is a toy sized dog, bred specifically as a companion. The history and origin of the Shih Tzu shows us that while the breed was being perfected, great time and energy was devoted to developing a graceful, small lap dog that would be friendly, affectionate and a perfect companion. So, obeying commands like many working breeds was not part of the Shih Tzu's development.

And, in contrast to 9 of the dogs that made the top 10 list (excluding the Papillon), the Shih Tzu is meant to be an inside dog. While most of the dogs that ranked high are now wonderful family pets, for many generations they were outside dogs that spent their days working as opposed to Shih Tzu dogs that were specifically meant to keep humans company indoors, and develop close bonds.

Does Their Ranking at #70 Mean Shih Tzu Dogs Can't Learn Commands?

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