The Husky's Adaptive Intelligence Part of the reason why Huskies are smart is because they're independent-minded dogs. In other words, they're intelligent enough to make decisions for themselves versus being led by a human. We call this adaptive intelligence, which refers to the dog's ability to learn and think on its own, while being able to solve problems. And in my opinion, it may be the most important aspect of dog intelligence. The unfortunate part is that this is the most difficult component to measure. 

Huskies are smart and they know it, which is also why they're also stubborn. They won't necessarily do your bidding for the sake of it. If you tell a Husky to "come," they'll ask "why?" 

For example, one Husky owner tells us just how smart her dog is: 

( Amanda M. (Husky Owner) It's somewhat rare that our husky will gladly follow when I tell him to come. He usually just sits by the cabinets (holding the treats) because as soon as I go near him he'll signal to me that he wants some treats. 

It's not like Amanda's Husky doesn't know what "come" means. He's smart enough to learn what works and what doesn't when it comes to getting treats. And as a result, it may come off as stubbornness or "low intelligence." 

On the other hand, Huskies are excellent communicators. It's why they're such vocal dogs. The thing is, not all dog breeds are good at communicating. It requires a lot of intelligence from the dog side to understand what you are saying and respond in a way you'll understand.

Communication is key when it comes to a human- and-dog relationship. It's why Huskies are such great working dogs that work closely alongside humans. This brings me to my next point in Husky intelligence.

The Working Dog's Intelligence in Huskies    

The final component of dog intelligence is instinctive intelligence and refers to the skill or ability that the dog was originally bred for. In the past, all dog breeds were bred to help out in society. They could have been herding dogs, guardians, or retrievers.

For example, Australian Shepherds are some of the world's top herding dogs. They have a special ability to drive or push livestock in different directions. They know exactly where to cut off the flock to make them move a certain way. This is the Aussie's instinctive intelligence. 

But how about the Siberian Husky? Huskies are some of the best working dogs the world has to offer. There's no denying this. Nearly all working dog breeds that do independent work are highly intelligent dogs, including the Siberian Husky. 

Huskies have a very specific skillset as well. They were originally bred to pull sleds in the cold for hundreds of miles. Tie them to a sled and they're able to do this with little to no human training, which requires this very special type of instinctive intelligence. 

Did you know Huskies can run 100 miles per day? Along with superb genetics, this is because they're so good at maintaining their stamina and pacing themselves throughout the journey. In other words, intelligent pacing. 

But because of their seemingly unlimited amount of energy, they're useful in many jobs. For example, during WWII, the army used Huskies as search and rescue dogs. They were also trained for transportation, communication and freighting. huskies are  very smart dog.