Animals Working dogs: Smaller brain despite high intelligence

A recent study shows that dogs bred for complex tasks have smaller brains in relation to their body size than their conspecifics.

A new study has shown that in dogs, a larger brain does not necessarily go hand in hand with better cognitive abilities. On the contrary, in domesticated dogs it often seems to be the other way around.

The study, in which the Natural History Museums of Bern and St. Gallen and the University of Zurich were involved, analyzed 1682 dog skulls and evaluated questionnaires on dog behaviour. It was found that working dogs bred and trained for complex tasks have the smallest brains in relation to their body size. These breeds include retrievers, schnauzers and drovers.

In contrast, dogs that are mainly used as play dogs or loyal companions and do not perform complex tasks have the largest brain volume. These breeds include Pinschers, Terriers and Poodles. These results were published in the Biology Letters of the Royal Society.

The study shows that complex skills and cooperative behavior, characteristics of higher social cognition, do not correlate with larger brain volume in dogs. Rather, smaller brain volume in dogs appears to be associated with these skills. Interestingly, brain volume tends to increase in dogs with potentially aggressive or fearful behavior.

SDA