Dogs are not as smart as we think they are

Lassie, the canine film-star, performed remarkable feats of derring-do, outwitting the villain in one particularly memorable sequence by floating down a river on a log, writes Richard Collins

Our heroine was, however, somewhat miscast. Rough collies have long snouts and small narrow heads, limiting the size of their brains. As a result, the members of this elegant breed are not the brightest dog-stars in the firmament. Lassie’s more proletarian cousin, the ‘border’ collie champion of sheepdog trials, is a much more capable operator.