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Sure the internet is full of animals doing amazing things. But have you ever wondered whether your little mate is more hot mess than mensa? Well, here’s your Drool pet IQ test to give you the (hopefully adorable) answer.
Ok time to discover if they’re lumped with looks, blessed with brains or both with these 6 simple pet tests. So here you go…
1. Does your little mate respond to his/her name?
Yes = 20 points. Hopefully off to a good start here.
No = 0 points. Things aren’t looking good.
2. Does your pet sit when he/she sees you have a treat, even before you say it? Or jump ahead with any trick before you have asked for it eg. shaking hands or roll over?
Yes= 20 points.
No = 0 points
3. Can your dog ‘put 2 and 2 together’. For example, when you get trainers on do they get excited about a walk? Or when you pack suitcases do they seem sad and withdrawn?
Yes to either = 15 points
No = 0 points.
4. Does your dog recognise friends or family members they haven’t seen for more than 6 months and give a noticeable excited reaction?
Yes = 20 points.
No = 0 points.
5. Put 2 small treats on a plate and show them to your pet. Then, angle the plate so they can no longer see the treats. Give them one treat and then the other. Does your dog walk off or stick around for the third non-existent treat?
Walk off or loss of interest = 30 points
Stick around for the non-existent treat = 0 points
6. Put your dog outside thru one door. Call it from behind that door. Does it go around to another door to get in or stay there behind the closed door?
Yes = 30 points.
No. He/she stayed right there = 0 points.
So how did you do?
- Possesses beauty rather than brains: 30-50
- Average: 50-80
- Highly intelligent: 80+
Just remember, intelligence isn’t everything. In the animal world, just remembering your name and where you live can still have people thinking you’re adorable. Plus, highly intelligent pets are often more at risk of separation anxiety and other behavioural challenges.
But you can improve brain power by using these techniques…
- Increase his/her vocabulary: Use words that indicate where you’re going and what you’re doing. Eg. bed, upstairs, dinner etc. Over time, they should gain an understanding and interest in the world around them and increase their word power.
- Try memory exercises. A good one is to hide a treat in front of your dog, then walk them out of the room. Let them back in 1 minute later and see if they can find the treat. This exercise shows them that learning and memory have rewards!
