They are both dogs, so why are Huskies so stupid?

Hello, this is Science Popularization China. Today we are going to talk about humans' good friend, dogs. Speaking of dogs, you must be familiar with them. There are all kinds of jokes on the Internet. For example, the Husky is called "Erha" by everyone. "Erha" means that it is not very smart and always makes mistakes. Because of this characteristic, it is also called "the first of the three stupid sled dogs."

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

In addition to the sled series, there is also a sheepdog series, such as Scottish Shepherd, Border Collie, and German Shepherd. They are said to be very smart and clever. People often say on the Internet, "Oh, it's a pity that the sheepdog doesn't get a doctorate degree." Anyway, it seems that each dog has its own characteristics, and it seems to be true. Why is this?

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Dogs' IQ is related to breed

In fact, this is the result of our human breeding of dog breeds. Let's take the Scottish Shepherd and the Husky as an example. They are actually both working dogs, but the content of their work is very different. As we can see from the name, the main task of the Scottish Shepherd is to help us herd sheep, but the main job of the Husky is to pull sleds for people.

Different jobs require different qualities. The Scottish Shepherd has to guide the sheep, drive them back to the fence, or find the stray sheep and drive them back to the flock. These jobs require them to have strong adaptability. Therefore, people will keep the puppies that look "smarter". Over time, the Scottish Shepherd breed has become more flexible in thinking.

But Huskies are sled dogs, and their main function is to replace livestock such as mules and horses, which require them to have better strength and obedience. Therefore, people will also keep the puppies that look stronger, and over time, the Husky breed will focus more on strength.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

At this point, you may understand that different breeds of puppies have different divisions of labor, and the differences between different breeds are caused by long-term selection. Although puppies have different characteristics, you may not like some of them, but don't hurt them. Whether as pet dogs to provide companionship or as working dogs, dogs are our good partners.

Reviewer: Huang Chengming, Researcher, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences