Smartest Dog Breed: Surprisingly Belgian Malinois considered most intelligent breed not Border Collie

The world's smartest dog breeds have been identified, and the findings may surprise you.

1,000 dogs were put through seven cognitive and three behavioural tasks by researchers at the University of Helsinki, including tests of their ability to read human gestures, their level of dependency, their ability to open a sealed box of food, and their ability to navigate a transparent V-shaped fence in search of a reward.

"Most breeds had their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Labrador retriever was very good at reading human gestures, but not so good at spatial problem-solving," Saara Junttila, the study co-author and a PhD researcher in canine cognition at the University of Helsinki, told MailOnline. 

(Also Read: Man shares picture of his grandfather's British Indian Passport from 1931, netizens call it 'treasure')

The Belgian Malinois may be the most intelligent dog, according to researchers, despite the fact that Border Collies are frequently considered to be the smartest dogs in the world.

Here’s a list according to the ranks of the world’s smartest dog breeds:

Belgian Malinois
The Belgian Malinois is actually one of four breeds of Belgian sheepdogs that were all bred for herding and were developed in different parts of the country. Belgian Malinois is one of the smartest pups in the world. The Belgian Malinois excels not only in herding, but also in protection and law enforcement; drug, bomb, and gas detection; search and rescue; tracking and more. 

Border Collie 
The Border Collie is a Northumbrian breed of herding dog of medium size. They are one of the intelligent dog breeds. After the research, Border Collie ranked second in the list of smartest dog breeds. The collie is a very social creature who loves his family dearly. They are perceptive canines who appear to have a unique grasp of their owners' emotions.

German breed Hovawart
The Hovawart is a medium to large size German dog breed. The Hovawart dog breed was developed in Germany and was employed as a guard dog as well as a tracking dog. This breed is now a popular family and companion dog. But they also serve as guard dogs and are used in search and rescue.

Labrador Retriever
Labrador is a British breed of retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom. As long as you are aware of their need for training and activity, labrador retrievers make wonderful family pets. These dogs were bred to work tirelessly, and they enjoy having things to complete, especially retrieving.

Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever, a vivacious Scottish gundog with exceptional beauty, is one of the most popular dog breeds in America. When not at work, they have an adorable love of life and are serious workers in the fields of hunting and field labour, serving as guides for the blind and in search and rescue.