Last Updated: Apr 14, 2022
Quick Links: Table of Contents
- How Smart is the Saluki?
- The Intelligence of Saluki Compared to Other Dog Breeds
- Is the Saluki Smarter than a Cat?
- What is the IQ of the Saluki?
How Smart is the Saluki?
The Saluki is a dog breed that is known to be:
- Aloof
- Intelligent
- Quiet
- Reserverd
- Loyal
But, how smart is the Saluki really?
The Saluki is the 43rd smartest dog when it comes to obedience and working intelligence.
Accordingly, compared to other dogs, the Saluki belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
Salukis tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
These facts on Saluki intelligence are from the published work on dog intelligence and behavior by the renowned Prof. Stanley Coren. Coren is a Canadian Psychology Professor and Dog Researcher.
In the 1990s, Prof. Coren did extensive scientific research where he `measured` what is called the Working or Obedience Intelligence of more than 130 different dog breeds.
Note that the working/obedience intelligence of a dog is one of the three intelligence components that constitute a dog`s total intelligence
. But it is the only intelligence component that can be measured and compared among dog breeds.Later on, we will further explain what the working/obedience intelligence means, and what the other two parts of a dog`s intelligence are.
For his research on measuring and ranking the intelligence of dog breeds, Prof. Coren consulted with:
- Over two hundred dog obedience judges
- Over sixty veterinarians, and
- Fourteen guard dog experts
From his research data, Prof. Coren ranked dog breeds according to their obedience intelligence from the smartest to the least smart.
According to the study, the smartest dog breed is the Border Collie. Border Collies are so smart that they can understand any new command that you are trying to teach them after repeating the command to them five times or fewer.
The least smart dog breed is the Afghan Hound. The Afghan Hound is one of the dog breeds with the lowest degree of Working/Obedience intelligence. It will take 80 to 100 repetitions or more for an Afghan Hound to learn a new command.
As mentioned earlier, the Saluki is the 43rd smartest dog breed.
Furthermore, Coren placed dog breeds into one of six intelligence categories:
- Brightest Dogs: Tend To Learn New Commands After Fewer Than 5 Repetitions
- Excellent Working Dogs: Tend To Learn New Commands After 5 To 15 Repetitions
- Above Average Working Dogs: Tend To Learn New Commands After 15 To 25 Repetitions
- Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs: Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions
- Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs: Tend To Learn New Commands After 40 To 80 Repetitions!
- Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs: Tend To Learn New Commands After 80 To 100 Repetitions Or More!
The Saluki belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
However, note that obedience intelligence is one of the many things that make a good dog. The fact that a dog breed has a low obedience intelligence DOES NOT MEAN the dog breed with not excel at other things.
Intelligence is just one of the many things that make dogs the excellent human companions that they are.
See the intelligence ranking of a few selected dog breeds in the table below: (note, although 133 dog breeds were studied, there are 79 positions because some breeds tied for the same position)
Click here to see the intelligence rank of all 133 dog breeds.
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| How Smart is the Labrador Retriever? | Ranked 7th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the German Shorthaired Pointer? | Ranked 17th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Standard Schnauzer? | Ranked 18th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Airedale Terrier? | Ranked 29th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Bearded Collie? | Ranked 34th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Cairn Terrier? | Ranked 35th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Clumber Spaniel? | Ranked 37th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Affenpinscher? | Ranked 37th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Fox Terrier? | Ranked 40th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Saluki? | Ranked 43rd out of 79 |
| How Smart is the German Wirehaired Pointer? | Ranked 44th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the English Foxhound? | Ranked 46th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the American Foxhound? | Ranked 46th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Boxer? | Ranked 48th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Whippet? | Ranked 51st out of 79 |
The Three Parts of the Intelligence of the Saluki
As mentioned earlier, Prof. Coren ranked dogs based on what is called the `Working/Obedience` Intelligence.
The `Working/Obedience` Intelligence is one of the three parts of a dog`s overall intelligence.
All the three parts that make up a dog`s overall intelligence are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard or hunt dogs will have a high `guarding` or `hunting` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding or hunting.
- Adaptive Intelligence: This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not specific to a dog breed. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence (and therefore its overall intelligence) by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This intelligence type is the subject of this article. This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed. Furthermore, the working/obedience intelligence of one dog breed can be compared to that of another dog breed to see which dog is smarter
You can tell what type of instinctive intelligence a dog breed will have based on the dog group the dog belongs.
The Saluki belongs to the Hound Dogs group.
Dogs in the Hound Dogs group, like the Saluki, were bred to pursue and hunt warm-blooded animals. Hounds hunt by using their good sight or their good sense of smell. Dogs that belong to the Hound Group have strong prey drives and often will stop at nothing to catch what they are pursuing.
The natural breed-specific working/obedience intelligence is a heavy chunk of a dog`s overall intelligence.
According to Prof. Coren, 51 percent of a dog`s intelligence comes from its genes while 49 percent of a dog`s intelligence comes from the dog`s environmental circumstances. Environmental circumstances include how much training you give to a dog.
In short, it will be much easier to train a naturally smart dog.
However, we should mention that a dog breed should not be judged based on its intelligence alone.
There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get.
The most important factor to consider is how compatible a dog breed`s overall temperament is with your lifestyle.
The Intelligence of Saluki Compared to Other Dog Breeds
See how smart the Saluki is compared to some other dog breeds.
To see how smart the Saluki is compared to all other dog breeds, see this ranking of dog breeds based on intelligence.
Is the Saluki Smarter Than the Border Terrier?
The Border Terrier is smarter than the Saluki.
This is because the Border Terrier ranks 30th out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Saluki is 43rd out of 79 in the ranking of the intelligence of 133 dog breeds (133 and not 79 because some breeds tied for intelligence in the same spot).
Because of its intelligence rank of 43rd, the Saluki belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Salukis tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 30th, the Border Terrier belongs to the `Above Average Working Dogs` category.
This means that Border Terriers tend to learn new commands after 15 to 25 repetitions.
| Saluki | Border Terrier | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 43rd out of 133 dog breeds | 30th out of 133 dog breeds |
| Learning Ability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions | Tend To Learn New Commands After 15 To 25 Repetitions |
Learn more about how smart Border Terriers are here.
Is the Saluki Smarter Than the Pembroke Welsh Corgi?
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is smarter than the Saluki.
This is because the Pembroke Welsh Corgi ranks 11th out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Saluki is 43rd out of 79 in the ranking of the intelligence of 133 dog breeds (133 and not 79 because some breeds tied for intelligence in the same spot).
Because of its intelligence rank of 43rd, the Saluki belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Salukis tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 11th, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi belongs to the `Excellent Working Dogs` category.
This means that Pembroke Welsh Corgis tend to learn new commands after 5 to 15 repetitions.
| Saluki | Pembroke Welsh Corgi | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 43rd out of 133 dog breeds | 11th out of 133 dog breeds |
| Learning Ability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions | Tend To Learn New Commands After 5 To 15 Repetitions |
Learn more about how smart Pembroke Welsh Corgis are here.
Is the Saluki Smarter Than the Afghan Hound?
The Saluki is smarter than the Afghan Hound.
This is because the Saluki ranks 43rd out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Afghan Hound is 79th out of 79 in the ranking of the intelligence of 133 dog breeds (133 and not 79 because some breeds tied for intelligence in the same spot).
Because of its intelligence rank of 43rd, the Saluki belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Salukis tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 79th, the Afghan Hound belongs to the `Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Afghan Hounds tend to learn new commands after 80 to 100 repetitions or more!.
| Saluki | Afghan Hound | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 43rd out of 133 dog breeds | 79th out of 133 dog breeds |
| Learning Ability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions | Tend To Learn New Commands After 80 To 100 Repetitions Or More! |
Learn more about how smart Afghan Hounds are here.
Is the Saluki Smarter Than the Pharaoh Hound?
The Pharaoh Hound is smarter than the Saluki.
This is because the Pharaoh Hound ranks 37th out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Saluki is 43rd out of 79 in the ranking of the intelligence of 133 dog breeds (133 and not 79 because some breeds tied for intelligence in the same spot).
Because of its intelligence rank of 43rd, the Saluki belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Salukis tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 37th, the Pharaoh Hound belongs to the `Above Average Working Dogs` category.
This means that Pharaoh Hounds tend to learn new commands after 15 to 25 repetitions.
| Saluki | Pharaoh Hound | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 43rd out of 133 dog breeds | 37th out of 133 dog breeds |
| Learning Ability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions | Tend To Learn New Commands After 15 To 25 Repetitions |
Learn more about how smart Pharaoh Hounds are here.
Is the Saluki Smarter Than the Golden Retriever?
The Golden Retriever is smarter than the Saluki.
This is because the Golden Retriever ranks 4th out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Saluki is 43rd out of 79 in the ranking of the intelligence of 133 dog breeds (133 and not 79 because some breeds tied for intelligence in the same spot).
Because of its intelligence rank of 43rd, the Saluki belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Salukis tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 4th, the Golden Retriever belongs to the `Brightest Dogs` category.
This means that Golden Retrievers tend to learn new commands after fewer than 5 repetitions.
| Saluki | Golden Retriever | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 43rd out of 133 dog breeds | 4th out of 133 dog breeds |
| Learning Ability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions | Tend To Learn New Commands After Fewer Than 5 Repetitions |
Learn more about how smart Golden Retrievers are here.
Is the Saluki Smarter than a Cat?
Dogs have more neurons in their brains than cats. In fact, a dog has twice the number of brain neurons of a cat (500 million versus 250 million neurons).
This is according to a research study in which the scientist counted the number of brain neurons in dogs and in cats.
Brain neurons are used for processing information. Hence, it is likely that the Saluki will have a better information processing power than a cat
Thus, if we are to use the number of neurons in an animal`s brain as a measure of intelligence, then the Saluki is definitely way smarter than a cat because the Saluki has twice as many brain neurons as a cat.
However, intelligence is a very complex concept that may not be explained simply by how many neurons an animal`s brain has. Learn more here.
What is the IQ of the Saluki?
Before discussing the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of the Saluki, let us first define what Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is. IQ is simply a measure of how mentally advanced a person is relative to that person`s chronological age (the typical age that is calculated from birthday).
For example, a 2-year-old child with the mental capacity of a 4-year-old has an IQ of 200 (that is 4 divided by 2, multiplied by 100).
This is an old but simple definition of IQ.
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a dog has the mental capacity of a 2-year-old human child.
Let us assume that Salukis become full-grown and reach mental maturity at one year of age.
Also, let us make the bold assumption that, as Salukis get older, they do not get significantly smarter than a 2-year-old human child (You Can`t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks).
Thus, a one-year-old Saluki will have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old human child, and a 2-year-old Saluki will still have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old human child, and a 3-year-old Saluki will have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old human child, and so on.
Then, from the way IQ is defined, a one-year-old Saluki, which will have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old child, has an IQ of 200! This is not too surprising because Salukis mature and age faster than humans.
A one-year-old Saluki is twice as smart as a one-year-old human child.
Also, since a 2-year-old Saluki will have the intelligence of a two-year-old human, then the corresponding IQ of a 2-year-old Saluki is 100. Similarly, a three-year-old Saluki will still have the mental capacity of a two-year-old human, making its IQ 66, and so on.
These may sound odd. But this is because the concept of IQ was designed to test human intelligence and not Saluki intelligence. That is what you get when you use human intelligence as a reference to measure Saluki intelligence.
Conclusion
We hope this article has provided you with all the facts you need to know on Saluki intelligence.
To learn more about the Saluki, check out our article where we reviewed the Saluki breed.
If you do not own the Saluki yet, and you are planning to get one, check out our list of reputable Saluki breeders and article on Saluki price and buying advice.
