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Is My Dog Smart?

  • Dog Training, Pet Tips

Obviously your pup is the cutest, smartest, best behaved dog to ever exist! But have you ever wanted to test just how smart your fur baby truly is? Just like humans, dogs can be smart in many different ways. Luckily, there are lots of fun tests to assess your pup’s intelligence!

The Three General Types of Intelligence

Instinctive intelligence is basically breed knowledge or breed intelligence, saying that different breeds of dogs have different strengths. Hounds are great at tracking scents; companion dogs can accurately respond to human emotions; guard dogs are protective and watch over things; and retrievers usually love to play fetch. These are just a few examples. 

Adaptive intelligence is what a dog learns through experience and problem-solving. If your dog has figured out how to best get your attention, knows where you keep their treats, and/or can tell whether you’re taking them on a trip to the vet or to the park, then your pup probably has a high amount of adaptive intelligence. 

Working or obedience intelligence is exactly what it sounds like! If your pup is top of the class at doggy daycare because he or she picks up on training tricks and commands easily, for example, then they have great working intelligence!

Basic Signs of Pup Intelligence

Every dog has a base foundation of intelligence in each of the above categories. Most dogs can sniff out a treat and know to come when called. Domesticated puppies pick up on adaptive intelligence skills throughout their lives very well, especially if they’ve lived with the same family since birth.

Other behaviors that indicate a pup’s strong baseline intelligence include:

  • Snuggling with you when you’re upset
  • Bumping your hand when they want petting
  • Initiating play with you
  • Solving puzzle toys

Fun Ways to Test Your Pup’s Intelligence

We’ve compiled a list of fun activities to help you understand your pup’s overall intelligence. 

Disclaimer:

Make sure not to try all of these tests on the same day! These tests are designed to be fun and challenging for your pup, but doing them all at once might make them feel overwhelmed or frustrated. Space these challenges out and make sure to always reward your dog with lots of pets and love (and treats!) afterwards. They deserve it!

  • The Towel Test: Put a towel or blanket over your dogs head and time how long it takes them to get out from under it. This tests their problem-solving skills and adaptive intelligence (finding their way out of a closed-in space). 
  • The Cup Test: Place 3 cups face down in front of your dog. Let them watch as you put a treat under one of the cups. Once they’ve seen you put a treat under a cup, distract them from the cups for about one minute. Try to initiate play with them in another room. After your pup seems to be distracted from the cups for about a minute, lead them back to the cups and see if they can remember which cup the treat is under. The goal is for them to guess the correct cup on the first try. This tests adaptive intelligence as well as instinctive intelligence. 
  • The Rearrangement Test: This is a great test if your dog has a favorite chair or bed. When your pup is out of the room, move their favorite furniture to another area of the room. Then, see how quickly they can find their go-to spot? This will test their problem-solving skills!
  • The Treat Test: Find a piece of furniture that your dog can fit only their paw under. Let them watch you place a treat underneath the furniture (make sure you place the treat within paws reach). The quicker they retrieve the treat, the better their problem-solving skills are!
  • The Door Test: If you have a fence, real or electrical, this is a great way to test your pups problem-solving skills! Let your dog out to play from one door in your house. Close that door, but open a different door for them to enter from. Did your dog whine at the original door for you to let them back inside? Or, did they try to problem-solve and find another door on their own? 

Conclusion

There are many ways for dogs to showcase their intelligence. There’s lots of fun ways to test their natural and learned intelligence as well. Whether a dog can ace every one of the above tests or needs a bit more encouragement from an owner, we can definitely make the assumption that he or she is still totally fur-bulous!

How did your pup do on our tests? Let us know in the comments below!

Benny DiFranco

Benny DiFranco

Hi! Thanks for reading this blog. I am the owner and founder of Columbus, Ohio's very own Hands N Paws. I started this business in 2018 with the purpose of giving more pet parents peace of mind. Looking forward to seeing you on the blog next time!

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Dog Walking Service 1
(614) 636-6644
Existing Client Login

Please review this agreement carefully. Your electronic signature on this indicates that you have read, reviewed, and agreed to the following Company policies.
Your signature also indicates that you grant Hands N Paws the permission to add your email address to our mailing list. This is not a binding agreement, however; if you wish, you can click “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of any of our emails to opt out of receiving them altogether. To re-subscribe at any point, please visit our website at www.myhandsnpaws.com and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. Enter your email address in the mailing list field and submit.
The terms of this agreement are as follows: “Client” refers to you, “Company” refers to us (Hands N Paws), and “Team Member” refers to the person from our team completing services with your pets. 

 

LIABILITY RELEASE

Should any of Client’s pets require emergency veterinary treatment, Hands N Paws will treat pets first and foremost, then make all reasonable efforts to contact Client and/or emergency contacts provided. Regardless, the Team Member on-site holds the right to take appropriate action to help all pets, including obtaining veterinary care. Client authorizes Hands N Paws to transport pet(s) to and from a veterinary clinic for treatment and/or to request “on-site” treatment if deemed necessary. Client authorizes Hands N Paws to make treatment decisions on their behalf (with the information available) for any treatment excluding euthanasia, especially if Client is not reachable and/or it’s a life-threatening emergency that calls for immediate action. Client agrees to pay any and all veterinary fees that result from this action.
Client also agrees to release Hands N Paws from any and all liability that may arise as a result of damage to property and/or injury to/death of pets that occurs outside of the Team Member’s control.
Client will also be held responsible for injury and/or damage caused to Team Member(s) as a result of previously undisclosed aggression in any of Client’s pets.

 

VACCINATION, LICENSING & ID POLICY

All pets are to be vaccinated and licensed as required by local laws and ordinances. Please visit the Ohio State Bar Association’s website for more details on these items by going to https://www.ohiobar.org/public-resources.
Please also check with your veterinarian for details on what vaccinations/shots your pet is required to have.
In the interest of safety, all dogs and cats are encouraged to have an ID tag or collar that states their name and a contact number while a Hands N Paws Team Member is working with them.

 

LOCKBOX POLICY

All Team Members will need guaranteed access to Clients’ homes during scheduled services. Client agrees to purchase a lockbox and place spare house key(s) inside the box for Team Members to use for accessing the home.
Please visit our website at www.myhandsnpaws.com and click Buy Your Lockbox to locate the proper lockbox for purchase.
Once received, lockboxes are to be programmed with a unique four-digit code and placed on a main door handle to Client’s home (or other secure place). Client is then required to enter their lockbox code and location information in his/her client account by logging in to Precise Petcare and going to Petcare > My Info > Home Access.
Client may also elect to provide a code for entry via garage door or electronic keypad. In this case, Client is responsible for entering all necessary codes in Precise Petcare.
Regardless, a lockbox is strongly encouraged to be purchased so as to avoid situations where power might go out, batteries to keypads die, and/or keys hidden under outside objects are not found, etc. Lockboxes guarantee that Team Members are able to access pets at all times during scheduled services.

 

PHONE NUMBER EXCHANGE POLICY

It is strongly discouraged that Team Members and Clients exchange phone numbers with each other in working together. Phone numbers are personal and Team Members have specific work hours.
Clients should direct all communications with Team Members in our app, Precise Petcare. Both parties can communicate via submitted journal reports, which Team Members send after completion of all services with pets. More information on this can be found by visiting our client support page at www.myhandsnpaws.com/client-support.
For any pressing/non-emergency communications, Clients are advised to call our office number at (614) 636-6644. Office hours are Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. We are closed on Saturdays, Sunday, and Federal Holidays.
PLEASE NOTE: Office hours differ from fieldwork hours. Office hours are the times in which we provide client support via answering phones, emails, etc. Fieldwork hours are the times in which we offer services/are working in the field with pets. Our fieldwork hours are 7am-10pm (and overnights), 365 days a year.

 

CAT POLICIES

Clients are NOT allowed to request that Team Members “ignore the cat” when providing care for other animals in households that have multiple pets. Regardless of the cat’s disposition, personality, or levels of need, Hands N Paws Team Members must provide some kind of attention and care to the cat during scheduled services. Similarly, Client must create a pet profile for the cat(s) and provide care notes accordingly.

UPDATING PET & CLIENT PROFILES POLICY

Our Team Members can only perform services correctly if they are equipped with the correct (and most up to date) pet care information. You will only be allowed to request services on the basis that pet and personal profiles are updated every 6 months (at minimum). Any Client who attempts to request services at the 6 month mark will receive an error message letting them know that they cannot submit a request if they haven’t made updates to their profiles. If there is nothing to update at the 6 month mark, simply reword a current piece of information and click Save at the bottom of the page.

SPECIFIC VISIT TIME POLICY

Client acknowledges that arrival times for services occur within a two-hour period. It is NOT possible for Team Members to arrive at exact times. This is why time frames appear, rather than exact times, in the dropdown menu when selecting a time for the service(s).
Client agrees to requesting services in the two-hour time frames offered.

 

SERVICES & PRICING

For detailed descriptions on our services, please visit our website at www.myhandsnpaws.com.

Dog Walking
*Rates below apply for up to 2 dogs; add $7 per additional dog
QUICK WALK – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD WALK – 30 mins – $25
LONG WALK – 45 mins – $35

Pet Sitting
*Rates below apply for up to 2 pets; add $7 per additional pet
QUICK VISIT – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD VISIT – 30 mins – $25
LONG VISIT – 45 mins – $35

Cat Sitting
*Rates below apply for up to 2 cats; add $7 per additional cat
QUICK VISIT – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD VISIT – 30 mins – $25
LONG VISIT – 45 mins – $35
Overnight Stay (8-10 hrs) – $80

*Rate applies for up to 2 pets; add $10 per additional pet.

 

 

HOLIDAY PRICING

A $20 surcharge is added to each service that is scheduled on the following Federal Holidays: New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve.

 

SERVICE REQUESTS

Upon submitting service request(s), Client will be informed as to whether Hands N Paws can take on the requested work via a confirmation or declination email/notification. Client understands that there is NO guarantee that any/all service requests can be approved; it simply just depends on Team Member availability. Clients are encouraged to submit all service requests as far in advance as possible!

 

SAME-DAY SERVICE REQUEST POLICY

Client understands and accepts the Company same day service request policy as outlined below:
– A $10 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 24 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.
– A $20 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 12 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.
– A $30 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 6 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.

 

OUT-OF-SERVICE-AREA REQUEST POLICY

Client understands and accepts the Company out-of-service-area request policy as outlined below:
– A $10 (minimum) convenience fee is added to each service if requested outside of our current service area.
Please note, this amount is subject to increase depending on how far a client lives outside of our current service area.

 

 

SERVICE CHANGE REQUEST POLICY (FOR TIME CHANGES ONLY)

Client understands and accepts the Company service change request policy as it applies to time frames as outlined below:

If Client submits a service change request, there may be a same-day applicable fee should the change be approved. Technically, changing a service time frame equates to cancelling one service and requesting a brand new one. With that, Hands N Paws assesses the change as it relates to our same-day policy detailed above.

If the change is requested (and approved) with 24 hours or less notice before service is newly scheduled to occur, the original service is canceled (same-day) and there is a $10 convenience fee added onto the “new service” base rate.

If the change is requested (and approved) with 12 hours or less notice before service is newly scheduled to occur, the original service is canceled (same-day) and there is a $20 convenience fee added onto the “new service” base rate.

If the change is requested (and approved) with 6 hours or less notice before service is newly scheduled to occur, the original service is canceled (same-day) and there is a $30 convenience fee added onto the “new service” base rate.

 

 

MEET N GREETS

All meet n greets are FREE (and required as part of proper client onboarding) for first-time Clients. To the extent that Clients wish to schedule additional meet n greets, after their first free one, they will be charged $50 per meet n greet.

To schedule a first-time meet n greet (for new clients), please go to www.myhandsnpaws.com and click Get Started.

To schedule additional meet n greets (for current clients), please log in to your client account, go to My Schedule > Request Service and select Meet N Greet in the service dropdown.

 

BILLING

All services are to be paid for via credit/debit card. We accept all major cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover). Card information can be added securely to each client account.

For services scheduled as ongoing, you will be auto-charged every Friday evening for the previous 7 days worth of work on schedule, including completed, canceled, and in-progress services.

For services NOT scheduled as ongoing, the day your services are accepted and confirmed is the day you will be charged 50% of your invoice total (as downpayment). Your invoice will be sent to you immediately. You have from then until the date of the last confirmed service to pay your invoice manually. If you choose to not pay manually, your remaining total will be auto-paid (via card on file) on the evening of the last service day.

If any auto-charges are declined, you will be notified immediately. In the first declined attempt, we give you a 24-hour grace period to correct the issue. In the second declined attempt, a late fee of 10% of the invoice total ($10 minimum) will be added. Please look out for emails regarding overdue notices.

Credit cards are required to be added to and remain on file in order for Clients to request any services with Hands N Paws.

Hands N Paws will be paid the amount discussed with no exceptions other than if our Cancellation Policy (outlined below) applies and Client receives a refund in either the form of Account Credit(s), or in emergency circumstances as transferable credit(s) back to their card.

Client may be charged additional fees if Team Members are instructed to, or sees the need to, purchase items for the pet while under Company care, including but not limited to: pet food or treats, litter or cleaning supplies, transportation to the vet and/or emergency expenses for general care of pet(s). Hands N Paws will retain and share receipts as proof of purchase.

 

 

SERVICE CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY

When Client schedules services with Hands N Paws, the Company has likely turned down other work so as to devote our time to the work requested from said Client.

Client understands and accepts the Company cancellation/refund policy as outlined below:

– 100% refund is issued as Account Credit if cancellation is made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled service(s).

– 50% refund is issued as Account Credit if cancellation is made at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled service(s).

– NO refund is issued for same-day cancellations/less than 24 hour notice.

PLEASE NOTE: Refunds are NOT transferable. Should you be eligible to receive an Account Credit (based on terms above), that will be auto-added to your account and applied to your very next invoice with us.

 

SERVICES TERMS

Hands N Paws agrees to provide the services stated in this contract in a reliable, caring, and trustworthy manner. In consideration of these services and as an express condition thereof, Client expressly waives and relinquishes any and all claims against Hands N Paws arising out of or relating to the provision of services hereunder, except those arising from gross negligence or willful misconduct on part of Hands N Paws.

Client understands and acknowledges that the environment in which they are requesting Hands N Paws to complete services is reasonably sanitary and safe. We assess home conditions during initial meet n greets. If we determine home conditions to be unsanitary and/or unsafe, we will make it clear to the Client that we cannot pursue a working relationship.

Should a Team Member sustain any injury, disease, or other harm in the course of providing services hereunder, the Client will indemnify Hands N Paws and hold it harmless with respect to all loss, expense, and damage caused thereby, except those arising from gross negligence or willful misconduct on part of Hands N Paws.

Client understands and acknowledges that he/she is responsible for letting Hands N Paws know of anyone who has access to their home and agrees to not contract with any other company and/or care provider during the duration of services booked with Hands N Paws. Client releases and holds Hands N Paws harmless of all loss, expense, and damage caused by anyone entering the Client’s home with their permission or access given to others during the terms of services rendered.

 

 

CONTRACT TERMS

This contract will take effect upon digital signature by Client (clicking “Agree & Submit” below) and will remain in effect until terminated by either party. Client may make online reservations for additional services at any time during the terms of this contract, as subject to Hands N Paws availability. All scheduled services will be governed by all the terms of this contract. We appreciate as much advance notice as possible for the work, but will make every effort possible to accommodate all requests.

Either party may terminate this contract at any time by written notice to the other. Hands N Paws is entitled to payment for all services rendered until notice of termination is received and for any transition services reasonably required to provide for the health and welfare of Client’s pet(s). Hands N Paws will not terminate during a period of scheduled service unless Hands N Paws determines, at their sole discretion, that a serious danger exists to the health or safety of a Team Member or pet. If such concerns preclude Hands N Paws from providing further care for the pet(s), Client agrees to pay for their pet to be boarded at a boarding facility or taken under the care of another party until Client returns. Every attempt will be made to notify Client and/or emergency contacts regarding such situations.

Client acknowledges that by signing below, he/she is providing written approval for the provision of services by Hands N Paws during any service period scheduled by Client and confirmed by Hands N Paws. Upon such scheduling and approval, Hands N Paws will be authorized to enter Client premises and perform services without additional signed contracts and/or written authorizations

 

 

AGREEMENT

I, Client, have reviewed this Client Agreement in its entirety. I will promptly complete all parts of my client account in Precise Petcare, and the information I provide will be detailed and accurate. My electronic signature here will indicate that I am agreeing to all the terms and conditions of this contract, exactly as they are outlined above.