A cursory Google search will tell you that poodles and miniature schnauzers are two of the cleverest breeds of dogs known to animal psychologists. 
Ergo, or so you’d think, schnoodles should also be right up there in the brainpower stakes. Unfortunately, they have been bred for their looks rather than smarts. Specifically, the intention was to create dogs that look like teddy bears. A laudable aim, undoubtedly, but I fear they may have sacrificed too much.
We have two black schnoodles who are sisters. They are certainly cute as buttons. One of them knows it, and accepts all the adulation coming her way as her due. That’s Poppy. Her sister Ruby is also cute but is unfortunately wracked with social anxiety. This makes her awkward around other dogs, and also very needy.
They aren’t blatantly stupid all of the time, but what reminded me of their parlous IQ status the other day was when Poppy was stretched out in front of the fire while we were watching TV. She likes to get close, but very quickly starts to overheat. As she’s lying there panting, you can just see the thoughts going through her pea sized brain. “Oh it’s so hot! I’m really quite uncomfortably hot! If only there was something I could do about being so hot! I guess I’ll just keep lying here by the fire until somehow it stops being hot!” Eventually, just before she erupts in a ball of flame, she’ll get up and move away…until she gets cold again and spots the nice warm fire…and the whole cycle repeats again. Rinse and repeat, several times during one episode of Loki. It’s funny but also a little disturbing. Ah well. I believe brainpower is overrated in a pet.
