The Border Collie has been hailed the smartest breed in a survey of British dog owners.

Typical working dogs topped the smart chart, as the Border Collie (39%) was followed by the German Shepherd (29%), Labrador (28%), Golden Retriever (18%).

Impressively, a quarter of border collies (24%) were found to be able to open doors, whilst nearly two-thirds (59%) have mastered a handshake.

Pugs were voted as the least intelligent, receiving 20% of the vote, with the Chihuahua not far behind (17%) and despite a recent surge in popularity, the Bulldog was also deemed one of the least intelligent with 10% of votes.

The poll by pet insurers, AnimalFriends.co.uk, also asked owners about their own pets and found that 38% of dogs won’t follow basic commands such as “sit”, “stay”, “come” and “down”.

And almost half (43%) of the 2,000 Brits questioned are afraid to let their dog off the lead in case they don’t return.

Despite these statistics, only one in five owners has had their dogs formally trained.

The Greyhound was the least likely to obey common commands including “fetch”, with just a quarter of greyhounds following the command “sit”.

Animal psychologist, Dr Roger Mugford, said: "[The Border Collie] is certainly one of the most trainable. It goes back to their heritage where eyes and ears have been very important to their work. 

"Border Collies also have a strong desire to please. I would draw a clear line between compliance and problem-solving ability, though. 

"Generally, all dogs are very clever at watching human nature and understanding why and what we do. They can learn how to manipulate people. They manage human behaviour.”

Owners in Gloucester were found to have the cleverest canines, boasting top tricks including howling to Happy Birthday and picking blackberries.

Gloucester was followed by York, Wrexham, Edinburgh and Worcester as the locations with the most intelligent animals.

Westley Pearson, Claims & Marketing Director from Animalfriends.co.uk, commented: “It’s no surprise that Brits believe Collies to be the smartest dog, due to the history of their evolution and domestication. It seems the UK has a good understanding of their dogs’ level of intelligence.

“It’s important to remember that especially active dogs like Collies and Golden Retrievers have an increased risk of injury due to their energetic nature. No matter what the breed or intelligence level, Brits should protect their dogs with proper insurance to ensure they live long and happy lives.”

Smartest Dog Breeds    

Border Collie                                   39%

German Shepherd                           29%

Labrador                                         28%

Golden Retriever                             18%

Least intelligent dog breeds      

Pug                                                  20%

Chihuahua                                       17%

Bulldog                                            10%

Shih Tzu                                            9%

Boxer                                                9%