Video goodness: Border collie plays three-card monte

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We knew border collies were smart, but we didn’t know any dog was this smart.

Storm, a border collie from the U.K. who is also adept at playing Yahtzee, really impressed us with his latest trick. Grabbing a playing card from a deck -- that’s already more than many dogs would be able to accomplish. Somehow selecting it after watching it be shuffled about with two other cards is an entirely different matter. (Skeptics, we accept the possibility that all three cards Storm’s owner shuffles here are the ace of hearts. Even if that’s the case, we’d still be impressed!)

Of course, border collies are known for their well-above-average intelligence. Psychology professor Stanley Coren, in his 1994 book ‘The Intelligence of Dogs,’ ranked dozens of dog breeds based on their ability to learn new commands. Coming in first? You guessed it, the border collie. (Rounding out the top 10 were the poodle, German shepherd, golden retriever, Doberman pinscher, Shetland sheepdog, Labrador retriever, papillon, Rottweiler and Australian cattle dog. At the bottom: borzois, chow chows, bulldogs, basenjis and Afghan hounds.)

Though he clearly knew border collies were good at learning new things, we bet even Coren couldn’t have anticipated Storm’s skill at three-card monte.

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-- Lindsay Barnett

Video: StormsAntics via YouTube