IQ is just an estimate of an animal's ability to successfully solve the problems that life presents compared to other animals in similar situations.  Animals, including humans, learn to solve problems through interaction with their environments. Through trial and error or observation, an individual learns to predict outcomes of his actions. Persistent individuals make several attempts before giving up, creating more opportunities to learn. For this reason, intelligence and persistence are complimentary traits in evaluating an IQ.

Someday, perhaps we will devise 50 specific test problems for dogs, score 5 million dogs of various ages and breeds, and come up with an IQ score for dogs. Until then, you can test your dog's problem solving ability with home made problems.

Test problems should be scored pass or fail. Any solution to a problem, other than giving up, is a correct solution. For example, failure to retrieve food by a dog that is not hungry is not an indication of lack of intelligence. Your creativity and knowledge of your dog will help you design appropriate problems.

Unique solutions are acceptable. For example, if you encourage your dog to reach you through a barrier but he goes around through another room instead, the goal of reaching you has been achieved and he has solved the problem. Also, note the number of times the dog approaches the problem before he succeeds in reaching the goal or loses interest. Remember, persistence is part of IQ.

The greater the ratio of problems passed to failed, the greater the dog's intelligence quotient. The greater number of attempts at each new problem, the greater your dog's persistence. The greater the dog's intelligence/persistence the more quickly he can learn to solve the problems of life including understanding new obedience tasks. Don't forget to consider your dog's breed as part of the testing selection. Dogs that are bred to herd are more likely to follow moving objects than to pick them up. Dogs bred to retrieve readily pick up objects but are most likely to bring them to you rather than manipulate them on their own. With encouragement, dogs can learn new behaviors.  

A sample test problem might be to allow your dog to see you wrap a treat in a paper cup. Give him the cup and see if he can successfully get the treat. It doesn't matter whether your dog tears the cup or folds it open. Other test problems might be wrapping a toy in a towel or having your dog wear a leash in the house to see if he will learn to avoid tangling hazards. All problems should be presented under your direct supervision. If a dog is frightened or injured during a learning experience he might become reluctant to approach new situations in the future.

Before you worry about what to tell the grandkids about your dog's IQ remember, a dog with a high very IQ will learn how to open the refrigerator when no one else is home so there is something to be said in favor of living with a dog of average intelligence.