Secret Genius. Is this the Smartest Dog in the Universe?

Are Shih Tzus the Einstein of the dog world or just too cute to care? Find out in this video and see if these loyal and affectionate dogs really can think for themselves! We'll compare their intelligence levels to other types of dogs and uncover the mental superpower that sets them apart. Get ready for an educational adventure with a side of cuteness!

[@shihtzucentral]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYXXgoenlpyXe5o Find out how Shih Tzu saved the Buddha

[@kathleenpaustian8143]

Agreed. The Shih Tzu is self-determined AND highly emotionally intelligent.

[@littlemissshihtzu]

My experience as the mom of a Shih Tzu our family fostered and adopted last year is that this breed is far more intelligent than they are given credit for! We continue to be surprised by her cleverness while enjoying the cuteness!

[@shihtzucentral]

Smart + cute+ great personality. Sadie Grace is a cute little character, hoping more people see videos like Sadie's Grace's and see how great these pups are and adopt.

[@littlemissshihtzu]

@@shihtzucentral Thank you so much! 🥰

[@ENFPerspectives]

Clever is different than obedience. It's like calling a law breaker intelligent

[@shihtzucentral]

They sure know how to outsmart us with that adorable little face! 🤓🐶💖

[@doreenlorenzo2501]

Our guy Max was so smart. He ran the household.He was handsome, smart, stubborn and a lover.He passed at 15 and we still cry over him.

[@nakitapalmer656]

Ikr!!😔 I lost mine 5yrs ago and it still hurts!! I missed that little bugger greeting me at the door when I got off of work!🥺🥺

[@ENFPerspectives]

An animal ran the household.

[@shihtzucentral]

Once a king of the house, always a king in our hearts. 🐶👑❤️

[@frankwoods4532]

My Shih Tzu Dexter is very smart. Some times too smart. Is he cute as hell? yes! Does he listen always? No! Is he shy? No! Is he Stubborn as hell? Yes! Do I love him? You better know it. He's my baby and he knows it.😊

[@shihtzucentral]

Our two are too smart like Dexter too! They get whatever they want, if that's not smart I don't know what is! Stubborn, ha ha that's just knowing what they want!

[@notperfectandneverwillbe4825]

Sounds like my little man Baxter! Stubborn as hell describes him very well. Also want to add manipulative too! If he wants something he knows how to play people. He also gets upset if people walk by and don't say how cute he is. He'll turn around and follow them to get them to talk to him.

[@bocssalcedo8723]

i think shih tzu are more intelligent... cuz they are more manipulative than us... they always got what they want hehehe

[@ENFPerspectives]

No not always

[@shihtzucentral]

Sounds like your Shih Tzu has you wrapped around their paw! 😂🐾

[@mileydisrojas5093]

Who ever designed that test did not know my Shiloh, loved, adorable, stubborn but extremely smart. He complies with all commands, solves puzzles and is an incredible service dog!

[@ENFPerspectives]

They obviously don't test every dog in the whole wide world.

[@shihtzucentral]

Shiloh's got the brains and the brawn-he's the whole package! 🐶🧠❤️

[@milapagsibigan972]

My Shih Tzu is super smart he can easily learned tricks and very affectionate too. I'm proud with my dog and I'm so lucky my only companion in life..

[@shihtzucentral]

We think Shih Tzu are better companions than most people 😍So lucky to have them in our lives!

[@shihtzucentral]

Your little genius on four paws sounds like the best kind of buddy! 🐾❤️🐶

[@ACRUZ-xw9qe]

Potty training issues is my only complaint. All other dogs I've owned have picked up potty training easily. My Shih Tzu is still struggling 3 years later.

[@shihtzucentral]

We hear that is common and it happened with Bella too. She was paper trained, kind of, and we kept positive reinforcement to potty but she would run to random spots in house and pee. We don't have carpets in house now. It took almost two years.

[@ACRUZ-xw9qe]

@Shih Tzu Central yes, and my doggie, she does good until it rains or it's cold outside. She literally hides and will potty inside (no carpet, just tile). Also, no matter what I do, she has sweaters, and I live in hot Florida, but don't let it rain or get cold.

[@ACRUZ-xw9qe]

@@shihtzucentral how old is Bella?

[@shihtzucentral]

@@ACRUZ-xw9qe Now she is 6 (we posted a throwback of her as a baby) so the last 4 or so years ok with the potty. Her brother has always been good about that. But so loveable!

[@shihtzucentral]

Hang in there-Shih Tzus might be stubborn, but their cuteness makes up for it! 🐾💕

[@California265]

They know exactly how to get what they want…..

[@shihtzucentral]

We call that smart!

[@shihtzucentral]

Little masterminds with those puppy eyes! 🐶💡

[@lindacavette2852]

I love my Shih Tzu ! She’s adorable and very smart. 💕

[@shihtzucentral]

A smart pup and a heart-melter-what a combo! 🐶💕

[@daviddevries2078]

At 6 weeks,ours was playing fetch,,being the runt of the litter she was only a pound and a half,,,and we had to b careful not 2 step on her as she liked to race us to the bathroom when we went,,she is a therapy dog and loves being carried and does not mind a crowd,,,

[@shihtzucentral]

🤩She was a super star pup from the get go! I can see her being a therapy dog; the emotional and intuitive mind of these pups is better than most people.

[@frederickpamaran4811]

They are the best!!! Smart, beautiful, and funny.

[@shihtzucentral]

Agree! Do you have any Shih Tzu?

[@frederickpamaran4811]

@@shihtzucentral I have a T-Cup Shih Tzu but sorry I don’t have any for sale, if that is what you mean.

[@shihtzucentral]

@@frederickpamaran4811 No, not what I mean :) I have 2 smaller, would call them teapots!

[@shihtzucentral]

Can't beat the charm of a shih tzu, they steal the show every time! 🐶😍

[@juniorelizondo4144]

When it comes to training they are not "intelligent" but that's because they are super independent and don't take to commands and training very well. Cats are similar in that aspect and are extremely intelligent. They are more like people and less like an obedient trained animal. They are definitely extremely clever and have their own characteristics.

[@shihtzucentral]

👍 that's a great observation re the cat similarity. What's interesting in our house is that our two Shih Tzu have a third companion, a tortie cat they are like the three muskateers and similar in behavior.

[@juniorelizondo4144]

@@shihtzucentral yeah my shih tzu gets along great with my moms cat. Better than most dogs actually. It's quite strange. Lol

[@shihtzucentral]

Gotta love a Shih Tzu's independent spirit-they’ve got their own minds, just like little floofy philosophers! 🐾🧠

[@5ivestring]

Our Shih tau seems to have a 20 second lag in processing commands. Friendly with everyone, loves when extend family comes over. But when it comes to my wife, he has to follow her every where, and if she makes the slightest sound like a cough or something, he is right there checking on her.

[@Lamby1010]

Our boy does that to me even follows me to toilet the kitchen or garage , I hear patter of feet whenever I move , funny thing he is 😊

[@zionenterin]

When you mentioned cough or sneezing he is right there, nope Angel will job down off the bed if I cough. She will look at me as if I have the plague. Once she excuse her gas right on me and I sniffed and waved my hand back and forth she jumped down. So now if I sniff my nose or inhale too much she will jump down from where ever we are sitting, or laying.

[@shihtzucentral]

He's got that slow-motion charm and a heart that's all eyes on your wife! 🐶❤️

[@mikku54432]

.... my late shih-tzu, my very first childhood dog, paced her own walks, knew the neighborhood route and made us turn according to how long a walk she wanted. If you walked her with another person and you left the person behind she'd insist on you not moving too far from the person you left behind until she saw them. She distinctly differentiated between her food bowl and her water bowl, she'd take the water bowl to you if she needed it refilled and bring the food bowl to the nearest human if her meal is late. When she had puppies, she'd take note of which puppy fed from her the least and take them to a cool place in the house where she liked to rest so she could privately feed the smaller puppies. She'd use a different tone of voice when barking to communicate with humans vs barking to communicate with other dogs. When she was already a senior and on her last two weeks of living, my grandma told me she didn't have long left and despite having long gone deaf and blind she stood up and walked everyday after that conversation like she was trying to convince everyone it wasn't that bad until her last two days when she no longer had the strength to. Her daughter... was really her mother's child when she also passed of old age. She picked up on me being in denial of her impending mortality after a visit to the vet's office and simply refused to show me how bad she was feeling while the other people in the house did see. If we didn't euthanize her due to her tongue having half rotten off from kidney + liver issues, she would have continued to pretend to be okay despite not being at all. She saw that I was happy when she ate so she made a whole show of eating something I gave her only to spit it out 30 minutes later when she thought I wasn't looking....

[@shihtzucentral]

Their emotional intelligence is high, what wonderful dogs you had in your life!

[@shihtzucentral]

Caption: Missing my wise old gals, always knew how to keep us on our toes. 🐾💕 Comment: They sure had a talent for keeping the surprises coming and the love overflowing. 🌟❤️

[@captainchill2072]

My shih tzu put 2 blueberrys and his blue ball ranked from the smallest to the biggest and they all had 2 cm from each other

[@shihtzucentral]

That is so cute! That would be a fun video to see.

[@shihtzucentral]

Looks like your little guy's got a knack for precision! 🫐🔵📏✨

[@randymcdaniel1244]

Throughout the COVID trauma I have been alone with my little Strudle for days at a time.... I was never alone. I truly dread the day that he has to go to heaven for on that day I will be.

[@shihtzucentral]

Randy, Strudel sounds like a wonderful companion. We were home too with our Shih Tzu 100% and now cannot imagine leaving them for work.

[@shihtzucentral]

Strudle’s the best sidekick-always keeping that loneliness at bay. 🐶❤️

[@elaineweaver805]

My Shih Tzu woke me up. I thought it was to tell me that she needed to go to the bathroom outside. Nope! She got my attention to take me downstairs. After we got downstairs, she kept on barking and barking. She alerted me to a burning smell in one of our rooms. Thankfully, she got me up in time !!! There was a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) battery that was burning. It was smoldering and that was the cause of the burning smell. She saved our lives from an electrical fireI I agree highly emotionally intelligent.

[@shihtzucentral]

That is incredible. My husband was a firefighter and says those fires are the deadliest.

[@shihtzucentral]

Your Shih Tzu’s a real hero-sounds like she earned all the treats today! 🐶❤️🔥

[@tfox1231]

My old dog Lily would always know when I was in pain and would come to snuggle. She would also gives toys and binkies to my little brother when he was a baby.

[@shihtzucentral]

Lily sounds like she would have been a great therapy dog!

[@shihtzucentral]

Lily sounds like such a sweet, caring soul-pure love in a furry package! 🐶❤️

[@gleefamily5573]

My shitzu is duuuuuummmbb but she is very loyal, she will be next to me like glue no matter if I’m mad or not I am her mommy, but jeez this little girl forgets simple training on a daily but thankfully she is almost a year old now😂 I’m waiting for her to turn 2 years old to see how smart adult shitzus are because she still a baby/teenager who rebels ALOT 😂 the only time she listens is when I’m haven a rough day and I also have to warn her (Not Today Princess, I’m sorry). I battle with depression a lot but taking her outside is fun but she doesn’t poop unless I walk her so I can’t just go outside and stand there😂 she’ll look at me like heeeyyyy what are we doing ❤😂

[@shihtzucentral]

Sounds like she’s got her own way of keeping you on your toes, but that loyalty is worth the world. 🐶❤️

[@cliffrn275]

My Butchie invented a “hide and seek “game. He would hide treats in incredibly clever places and coach me to where they were hidden.

[@shihtzucentral]

🤣 Butchie!

[@shihtzucentral]

Butchie’s got that sneaky genius vibe-bet he’s paws down the best coach ever! 🐾🕵️‍♂️🍖

[@olivia7sam]

My Shitzu will do a trick only if he sees you have something for him.

[@shihtzucentral]

Smart!

[@olivia7sam]

@@shihtzucentral He is. Thank you 😊

[@shihtzucentral]

Smart little guy knows how to work the system! 😂🐾

[@TheTishy44]

My Ozzie is loyal and loving. Wouldn’t have it any other way.

[@shihtzucentral]

The big hearts these little dogs have!

[@shihtzucentral]

Ozzie’s got the good stuff all wrapped up in fur! 🐾❤️

[@ideapops]

I think Shih Tzu are very smart, ours always get exactly what they want!

[@hollyibbotson5290]

I totally agree, I have three and I get the feeling that they've trained me well 😂

[@shihtzucentral]

@@hollyibbotson5290 We have 2 and they rule the house!

[@miriamparis1306]

My Shih Tzu is so sweet, loyal and charming. I adore this breed. The test mentioned is inappropriately applied to this particular breed. Who would get a Tzu for working class- their general size alone says no. Like testing for diabetes with a thermometer. Shih Tzus are companion as well as watch dogs-not to be confused with guard dogs. I have owned two at this point and my current one, Lily is 13; still in great shape physically but cataracts and loss of hearing prevail. If and when I lose her-I’M GETTING ANOTHER SHIH TZU•

[@shihtzucentral]

I agree, the test should have included emotional IQ. Shih Tzu make great therapy dogs and you are right very alert little pups! Say hello to Lily from us. 13 and heathy, that's such great news.🥰

[@shihtzucentral]

Indeed, Shih Tzus are all heart and cuddles, not guard duty! 🐾❤️

[@bethburton1314]

My babies know when my day is going bad and they will climb up next to me. Thet will also will Allert me if I'm not stable on my feet

[@shihtzucentral]

That is very sweet of your pups! They are in-tune with their Mom's emotions.

[@shihtzucentral]

Aww, those little heroes always know just when to snuggle in and save the day! 🐾❤️🐶

[@carolynbodnar2334]

My little darling is perfect

[@shihtzucentral]

🥰 Best companions, better than people!

[@shihtzucentral]

That’s a whole lot of cute packed into one fluffy bundle! 🐾❤️

[@Eodsgm369]

I was told the breed were the guardians of temples. My lil shiht Frank thinks he is that. I call him Lord Commander. Thing is, he thinks he's too good to do his business outside. He's fully aware of what to do and where to do it. He goes wee inside and then asks to go outside. He will even lift his leg and do nothing, come inside and then go. We've had talks about this and his baby brother is out pacing him in training. He has me wrapped around his paw.

[@shihtzucentral]

That is a great nickname for Frank! From our research, you are right about the guardians of the temples. They are very alert little dogs. Boti (the little Blond dog in some of the videos) has me wrapped around his paw too. I know I'm being manipulated, but honestly don't mind 🥰

[@shihtzucentral]

Sounds like Lord Commander Frank has his own royal rules! 😂👑🐾

[@loribaca2589]

My shitzu's are loveable and they are also brat. But i love them with all my heart.

[@shihtzucentral]

🥰 Isn't that an interesting combo? They get what they want and we still love them so much!

[@shihtzucentral]

Sounds like the perfect combo of mischief and love! 🐾❤️

[@RedRynoTT]

Dumb no, stubborn yes…

[@shihtzucentral]

Stubborn for sure! Next video we talk about this stubbon nature.🙃

[@shihtzucentral]

Stubborn is just another word for determined in Shih Tzu land! 🐾😂

[@rouxe901]

well, shih tzus are bred to be pampered by chinese emperors like pekingese which is also lower on that list. it makes a lot of sense that they have high eq

[@shihtzucentral]

Fit for royalty with the sweetest heart-Shih Tzus know how to steal the show! 👑❤️🐶

[@kaylanjurecka299]

This is not transparent info. Our Shih Tzu knows more commands than most dogs. He was even potty trained in 10 days!

[@shihtzucentral]

Wow! Ten days is very fast to potty train. You are right about the IQ test, we have two Shih Tzu and they know how to get what they want!

[@shihtzucentral]

Impressive pup! Training prodigy in the making. 🐾🥇

[@251Marmar1975]

I think the ranking of intelligence for dog is wrongly based. What is considered the intelligence is actually obedience! As a owner of 2 different breeds one from high ranked ( mini schnauzer) and one from the buttom of the list( Lhasa apso), defenetly my mini schnauzer was more dog and my Lhasa apso is more human type intelligent; but like shih tzo very stubborn. These less obedient breeds have more personality.more self confidence. And very high in complex intelligence or human type intelligence. They want to be treated as human not dog. They have higher vocabulary. Detect even faked emotions like cry etc.

[@shihtzucentral]

Totally agree! Our Shih Tzus know they're the real masterminds, just too smart to follow orders. 😂🤷‍♂️🐾

[@gn1107]

My 2 Shih Tzu are highly intelligent

[@shihtzucentral]

Two smart Shih Tzu are going to keep you on your toes!

[@shihtzucentral]

Smart pups get all the treats! 🧠🍖

[@jimwong2823]

My Teddy 😊😊way too intelligent to do stupid dog 😜😜tricks

[@shihtzucentral]

😂 that's right!

[@shihtzucentral]

Teddy’s using those smarts to save his energy for treats and naps! 🧠😆🐾

[@liljanavukanovska1300]

🍀🍒❤

[@shihtzucentral]

Feeling lucky and full of love today with my little fluffball! 🍀❤️🐶

[@Omenxiiii]

My 2 Shih tzus are smart. They know what to do they’re just stubborn and want to do what they want.

[@shihtzucentral]

😁 Sound like our Shih Tzu too!

[@nakitapalmer656]

Yessss!!! Mine used to con the hell outta me!!😄😄

[@shihtzucentral]

Gotta love those sassy little masterminds! 😂❤️🐾

[@anncata7368]

It #8 ranking dog is pronounced. Pap -e-0n The Ls are silent.

[@shihtzucentral]

Thanks for letting us know!🙂

[@shihtzucentral]

Haha, those shih tzus sure got the pronunciation game down-it's "shiht soo." 😉🐾

[@m.e.9418]

I'm not sure I give this video much credibility considering they don't know how to pronounce papillon

[@Utah57668]

My little girl is the smartest dog I've ever owned and I've had a few in my 68 years...totally disagree with their assessment.

[@shihtzucentral]

We do too.

[@shihtzucentral]

Guess their dog credentials need a little brushing up! 😂🐶

[@biknjak]

Sorry, but I don't see it. Of course, I am applying intelligence standards that apply to the breeds I'm familiar with (Border Collies and Golden Retrievers). Their intelligence seems to be ingrained and in addition to understanding, they have a high drive to please - which explains their high obedience and learning abilities. Our Shih Tzu is neither obedient nor too concerned about pleasing. It comes across as stubborn and/or dumb. Actually, more like the personality of a cat, come to think of it. I would have rather got a cat, but my wife loves Shih Tzu's, soooo....🙄

[@shihtzucentral]

Sounds like you have the Shih Tzu type that uses their intuitive intelligence to manipulate, and do what they want - def the dark side of the pup.

[@biknjak]

@@shihtzucentral I think you're right!

[@shihtzucentral]

@@biknjak we have two, and they def manipulate us. Probably my fault I am a pushover for then.

[@biknjak]

@@shihtzucentral Yep, my wife is more of a pushover with her, too. It's taken some work to convince the Shih Tzu that I'm the "dad". That little dog doesn't realize she's a little dog. She's not afraid of anything! I'm more used to the loyalty and obedience of dogs like our Golden. Oh well - they're all different!

[@jaimeliang2267]

My breeders parting words were “don’t let her get the upper hand”. So right. The reason Shih Tzus can be manipulative is because they are so smart. My Shih Tzu watches me all the time, all the while gaining knowledge of me. She knows what it means when I blink my eyes too fast. I am not able to fool her about anything and she is only a year old. There are a lot of different types of intelligence, both in people and in dogs. To say Shih Tzus are unintelligent is merely a failure on our part to understand what they bring to the table. I say that Shih Tzus should be properly classified as working dogs. Every one I have had has understood instinctively that their job is to take care of me and be the best companion I could want.

[@steveskuras2515]

Our Shih Tzu Caesar is very smart. I think this test confuses intelligence with compliance. My little guy has a mind of his own and he can be stubborn as hell. He's also very smart and communicates what he wants clearly and persistently. He's adorable and has been a fantastic companion for us for 15 years. We love him dearly and will be very sad when he goes

[@shihtzucentral]

Caesar sounds like a wonderful pup! You might be right about the test and Shih Tzu are definitely not compliant!

[@ENFPerspectives]

The test didn't confuse anything. It defines what it tested clearly.

[@shihtzucentral]

Smart pups always bend the rules their own way! 😂❤️🐾

[@lovemypuppy2857]

I had one. They're smart.

[@shihtzucentral]

They sure are-little furry geniuses! 🧠🐶