I had owned a Black Lab before, so I wanted a massive dog. My husband is allergic to animals, so he wanted a Poodle, same as his parents had. I pictured us dealing with monthly grooming bills. We got so far as to look at a few Poodle pups, but at $1250, I decided to look aTiny farther.

What I found surprised me. The breed that kept coming up in my research was the Labradoodle. A cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle, the Labradoodle has many advantages. Both breeds are highly intelligent, both are friendly, and both are great family dogs. The advantage to crossing the two is that the low dander of the Poodle seems to take dominance and the result is an allergy friendly dog, usually with the best traits of both breeds. I state usually, because hip dysplasia is an ailment common to both breeds and that could be an inherent weakness for the animal. Doodle pups are tested for both that ailment and for eye diseases that are common to both breeds.

Other facts about the Labradoodle, or LD, that surprised me were that though they were just recently introduced to America, Australians have been breeding and refining the breed since the 70s. The difference between an American LD and an Australian one is that the Australians used several breeds of dogs in their program. In an effort to standardize the breed, each breeder was granted to use only certain breeds in their mix. One breeder was permitted to include Portuguese Water Dogs in their mix. Another was granted only Wheaten Terriers to be added. Though the American LDs are still considered hybrids, the Australian LDs are now recognized as a breed by their kennel clubs. In 1997, the breed standard was written to Statethe only approved parentage of an Australian LD is the Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Curly Coated Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel, and Irish Water Spaniel. In 2004, the mix officially became a breed in that country.

There are certain terms used to define Labradoodles. An F1 is a first generation cross, or a Labrador to a Poodle. An F1B is a Labradoodle backcrossed to a Poodle, which usually results in pups with more of a Poodle coat, a Lab Poodle. An F2 is the offspring of two F1 LDs, and the offspring of two F2s would be referred to as “multi-gen”, or multi-generational.

Coats vary from Doodle to Doodle. An F1 may have one of three coats: a wool coat, a hair coat or a fleece coat. Wool coats and fleece coats don’t shed, hair coats do. I have a hair coated

Of course we would all like to believe that our dog is the smartest dog in the world but honestly there are some breeds that usually are more intelligent then others and of course, there are some dogs that are just plain stupid as stupid is… I had one like that when I was a child. I still loved him just the same though.

In this article I will give you the top ten count down of the most intelligent dogs in the world. Do not be too concerned if your dog does not appear in either of these lists, as sometimes it isn’t always an advantage to have an intelligent dog. As expected, the more intelligent dogs generally need more stimulation or they’ll get bored and this can cause problems, particularly if they’re left at home during the day when you’re at work.

So lets startour count down with the tenth most intelligent dog…

Tenth on the list is the Australian Cattle Dog
The Australian Cattle Dog was originally bred for herding cattle, just as their name suggests. Obviously to be tenth on the list they’re very intelligent, but they need to be stimulated, as one would expect from an intelligent dog. They are happy when they are working, as they need regular exercise and mental stimulation.

Ninth on the list is the Rottweiler.
Contrary to popular belief, the Rottweiler is actually a great family dog, and is not quite as fearsome as many people are led to believe. There are a highly intelligent dogs and respond well to training.

The eighth dog on the list of intelligence is the Papillon.
Like the Australian cattle dog the Papillon is very protective of its owner and makes a lovable and intelligent pet. And as with most intelligent dogs they’re relatively easy to train.

Number seven on the list is the Labrador Retriever.
These are one of the most popular family dogs because of their good nature, which allows them to socialize well with other dogs and more importantly, children. Like the previous dogs on the list, Labradors need exercise, and particularly in their case, without exercise they tend to gain excessive weight.

Number six on our list of intelligent dogs is the Shetland sheepdog.
Like the Australian Cattle Dog the Shetland sheepdog were originally bred for herding cattle and sheep. Obviously to do this well they need some intelligence and that is why they have ended at number six on our list. They’re not quite as good at socializing with other people or children but are excellent pets in their own family.

And at number five on that list is the Doberman.
It is important that the Doberman is trained early on in its life, as they can be quite temperamental. If they’re trained they can be great family dogs and really good with kids despite their reputation. They are highly intelligent, and like many intelligent dogs are very protective of their master and family.

Number four is the Golden Retriever.
It is often regarded as one of the most popular breeds of dog. They are great with kids and are a very loyal and loving dog. It isn’t uncommon to see Golden Retrievers winning dog competitions where intelligence is of importance.

At number three it is the German Shepard!
The German Shepard is a dog that’s often associated with police work and it is chosen for its police work due to its high intelligence. They make great family dogs and love children. They need to be kept busy with work or some form of stimulation otherwise they can become depressed and unhappy. They need to know who their master is from a young age to ensure both they and the family get the most out of their relationship.

The Poodle comes in at number two!
The second most intelligent dog might surprise a lot of people. Not only for the fact that they are highly intelligent, but also because they’re one of the easiest dogs to train. They love people, and because of this they don’t like to be left alone. They are very protective and can become quite vicious if anybody encroaches upon their property or territory.

And the number one all-time most intelligent dog of all is the Border Collie!
The Border Collie is another dog that’s often seen winning competitions. They are highly intelligent, but along with that intelligence comes the need for them to be stimulated regularly.
They are happiest when they are working or performing in competitions or dog trials. So there you go, if you have a Border Collie, you know you’ve the most intelligent dog in the world, provided of course, that you’ve trained it well.