Last Updated: Apr 14, 2022
Quick Links: Table of Contents
- How Smart is the Scottish Deerhound?
- The Intelligence of Scottish Deerhound Compared to Other Dog Breeds
- Is the Scottish Deerhound Smarter than a Cat?
- What is the IQ of the Scottish Deerhound?
How Smart is the Scottish Deerhound?
The Scottish Deerhound is a dog breed that is known to be:
- Dignified
- Docile
- Friendly
- Gentle
- Polite
- Quiet
But, how smart is the Scottish Deerhound really?
The Scottish Deerhound is the 47th smartest dog when it comes to obedience and working intelligence.
Accordingly, compared to other dogs, the Scottish Deerhound belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
Scottish Deerhounds tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
These facts on Scottish Deerhound 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 Scottish Deerhound is the 47th 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 Scottish Deerhound 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 English Cocker Spaniel? | Ranked 18th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Weimaraner? | Ranked 21st out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Belgian Malinois? | Ranked 22nd out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Puli? | Ranked 27th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Airedale Terrier? | Ranked 29th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Pharaoh Hound? | Ranked 37th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Pointer? | Ranked 43rd out of 79 |
| How Smart is the American Water Spaniel? | Ranked 44th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the American Foxhound? | Ranked 46th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Tibetan Spaniel? | Ranked 46th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the West Highland White Terrier? | Ranked 47th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Scottish Deerhound? | Ranked 47th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Boxer? | Ranked 48th out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Ibizan Hound? | Ranked 53rd out of 79 |
| How Smart is the Norfolk Terrier? | Ranked 56th out of 79 |
The Three Parts of the Intelligence of the Scottish Deerhound
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 Scottish Deerhound belongs to the Hound Dogs group.
Dogs in the Hound Dogs group, like the Scottish Deerhound, 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 Scottish Deerhound Compared to Other Dog Breeds
See how smart the Scottish Deerhound is compared to some other dog breeds.
To see how smart the Scottish Deerhound is compared to all other dog breeds, see this ranking of dog breeds based on intelligence.
Is the Scottish Deerhound Smarter Than the Lhasa Apso?
The Scottish Deerhound is smarter than the Lhasa Apso.
This is because the Scottish Deerhound ranks 47th out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Lhasa Apso is 68th 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 47th, the Scottish Deerhound belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Scottish Deerhounds tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 68th, the Lhasa Apso belongs to the `Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Lhasa Apsos tend to learn new commands after 40 to 80 repetitions!.
| Scottish Deerhound | Lhasa Apso | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 47th out of 133 dog breeds | 68th out of 133 dog breeds |
| Learning Ability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions | Tend To Learn New Commands After 40 To 80 Repetitions! |
Learn more about how smart Lhasa Apsos are here.
Is the Scottish Deerhound Smarter Than the Pharaoh Hound?
The Pharaoh Hound is smarter than the Scottish Deerhound.
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 Scottish Deerhound is 47th 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 47th, the Scottish Deerhound belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Scottish Deerhounds 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.
| Scottish Deerhound | Pharaoh Hound | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 47th 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 Scottish Deerhound Smarter Than the Skye Terrier?
The Scottish Deerhound is smarter than the Skye Terrier.
This is because the Scottish Deerhound ranks 47th out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Skye Terrier is 55th 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 47th, the Scottish Deerhound belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Scottish Deerhounds tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 55th, the Skye Terrier belongs to the `Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Skye Terriers tend to learn new commands after 40 to 80 repetitions!.
| Scottish Deerhound | Skye Terrier | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 47th out of 133 dog breeds | 55th out of 133 dog breeds |
| Learning Ability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions | Tend To Learn New Commands After 40 To 80 Repetitions! |
Learn more about how smart Skye Terriers are here.
Is the Scottish Deerhound Smarter Than the Italian Greyhound?
The Scottish Deerhound is smarter than the Italian Greyhound.
This is because the Scottish Deerhound ranks 47th out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Italian Greyhound is 60th 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 47th, the Scottish Deerhound belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Scottish Deerhounds tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 60th, the Italian Greyhound belongs to the `Fair Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Italian Greyhounds tend to learn new commands after 40 to 80 repetitions!.
| Scottish Deerhound | Italian Greyhound | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 47th out of 133 dog breeds | 60th out of 133 dog breeds |
| Learning Ability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions | Tend To Learn New Commands After 40 To 80 Repetitions! |
Learn more about how smart Italian Greyhounds are here.
Is the Scottish Deerhound Smarter Than the Giant Schnauzer?
The Giant Schnauzer is smarter than the Scottish Deerhound.
This is because the Giant Schnauzer ranks 28th out of 79 in the intelligence ranking of 133 dog breeds, while the intelligence rank of the Scottish Deerhound is 47th 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 47th, the Scottish Deerhound belongs to the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Scottish Deerhounds tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
On the other hand, because of its intelligence rank of 28th, the Giant Schnauzer belongs to the `Above Average Working Dogs` category.
This means that Giant Schnauzers tend to learn new commands after 15 to 25 repetitions.
| Scottish Deerhound | Giant Schnauzer | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 47th out of 133 dog breeds | 28th 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 Giant Schnauzers are here.
Is the Scottish Deerhound 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 Scottish Deerhound 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 Scottish Deerhound is definitely way smarter than a cat because the Scottish Deerhound 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 Scottish Deerhound?
Before discussing the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of the Scottish Deerhound, 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 Scottish Deerhounds become full-grown and reach mental maturity at the age of one year.
Also, let us make the bold assumption that, as Scottish Deerhounds 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 Scottish Deerhound will have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old human child, and a 2-year-old Scottish Deerhound will still have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old human child, and a 3-year-old Scottish Deerhound 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 Scottish Deerhound, which will have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old child, has an IQ of 200! This is not too surprising because Scottish Deerhounds mature and age faster than humans.
A one-year-old Scottish Deerhound is twice as smart as a one-year-old human child.
Also, since a 2-year-old Scottish Deerhound will have the intelligence of a two-year-old human, then the corresponding IQ of a 2-year-old Scottish Deerhound is 100. Similarly, a three-year-old Scottish Deerhound 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 Scottish Deerhound intelligence. That is what you get when you use human intelligence as a reference to measure Scottish Deerhound intelligence.
Conclusion
We hope this article has provided you with all the facts you need to know on Scottish Deerhound intelligence.
To learn more about the Scottish Deerhound, check out our article where we reviewed the Scottish Deerhound breed.
If you do not own the Scottish Deerhound yet, and you are planning to get one, check out our list of reputable Scottish Deerhound breeders and article on Scottish Deerhound price and buying advice.