Do dogs exhibit higher intelligence compared to wolves?

Dogs have evolved from wolves, but is one species more intelligent than the other?

Around 15,000 years ago, dogs emerged from groups of gray wolves, according to prevailing theories. However, the question of whether modern-day dogs are inherently smarter than their ancestral counterparts is a complex one. Experts suggest that the answer isn’t a straightforward “yes” or “no,” as both dogs and wolves have adapted their cognitive skills to suit their respective environments.

Juliane Bräuer, an associate researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany, emphasizes that animal cognition encompasses a spectrum of skills, falling into categories such as social cognition (related to interactions with other animals) and nonsocial cognition (dealing with how animals navigate the physical world). Wolves and dogs possess distinct cognitive abilities tailored to their unique lifestyles.

Rather than framing the comparison as a matter of intelligence superiority, Bräuer encourages a nuanced approach. She likens it to considering different subjects in school, highlighting the importance of assessing cognitive skills separately. In essence, dogs and wolves each excel in particular cognitive domains, reflecting their evolutionary adaptations and the demands of their respective environments.

One of the frequently employed experiments to assess cognition in dogs and wolves is the pointing test. In a study conducted in 2021, researchers devised a scenario with two cups placed upside down on a table, concealing food beneath one of them. They then tasked 44 puppies with finding the hidden food by providing cues like pointing, gazing, or placing a block next to the cup. After repeating the exercise with 28 wolf pups, the researchers observed that dogs were twice as likely to successfully locate the food compared to their wolf counterparts.

Hannah Salomons, a postdoctoral evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University and a co-author of the study, noted that this suggests an innate aspect of dog cognition that makes them particularly adept at comprehending human gestures and intentions.

In a separate study in 2017, researchers, including Juliane Bräuer, conducted an experiment involving shaking a cup with food in it. Both dogs and wolves identified the cup containing food. However, when an empty cup was shaken, the wolves remained stationary, while the dogs continued to investigate. Bräuer explained that this implies wolves may have a better understanding of cause and effect, likely shaped by their adaptation to hunting in the forest and being responsible for obtaining their food.

Friederike Range, an animal researcher and founder of the Wolf Science Center in Vienna, emphasized that these experiments are just a subset of numerous tests assessing cognitive skills in dogs and wolves. Their findings suggest that wolves excel in cooperative tasks with each other, while dogs, due to domestication, demonstrate proficiency in tasks involving humans.

Experts, including Salomons, caution against attempting to rank intelligence between dogs and wolves. They emphasize that such rankings are inherently challenging, as even within humans, diverse skill sets make direct comparisons challenging. The goal of these experiments is not to determine which species is smarter but rather to gain insights into the varied ways dogs and wolves navigate and understand the world.