Dog owners are trying the 'wall experiment' to test dog's intelligence and Golden Retrievers are failing gloriously

Golden retrievers have a reputation for being somewhat dumb when it comes to problem-solving. To check if there's anything true to it, owners have turned to a so-called "wall experiment" — and surprisingly, most golden retrievers are failing at it. The test requires the owners to lift their dogs towards a wall and watch their reaction. Apparently, if a dog instinctively sticks its paws out before touching the wall, it means they're intelligent. However, those dogs that don't react and just let their head or body touch the wall without any resistance are labeled as dumb or less smart. In this article, we'll look at the top 5 funniest golden retriever moments from the wall experiment.

At first, we've Espen and Archie, two adorable golden retrievers whose owner doesn't usually hop onto trends except when she does for the viral wall experiment. The dog owner carried Espen and Archie one after the other and pushed them towards the wall to watch their reactions. Espen didn't react at all and let her entire body touch the wall without resistance. The owners tried again, but Espen just let her body loose, failing the test miserably twice. Then, it was Archie's turn, who, just like Espen, acted like a lifeless doll when pushed against the wall. The hilarious video was posted on @scoutgoldenretriever's Instagram page on December 22. 

Second, we've yet another golden retriever who didn't even take the effort to raise his arms against the wall. His owner carried him and pushed him towards the wall, but Mister Cruze (@cruze_thegolden) lay in his arm like a baby snuggling into his daddy-dearest. "Dog intelligence test gracefully failed," the owner captioned it. The video was posted on December 27.

However, not all golden retrievers are as dumb as they are often portrayed; some, like Winter (@winterthegoldenn), are not only intelligent but also very responsive. In a video posted on December 21, when Winter's owner carried her towards the wall, she immediately extended her paws to protect her body or face from touching the surface. The owner tried again, and Winter did it again, proving she’s the smartest competitor in the game. Meanwhile, Teddy (@teddythegoodgolden), another dog, mistook the wall experiment for a food-tasting competition. When his owner carried him towards the wall, he started licking it as if it were a candy. In the second attempt, however, he lay quietly in his owner's arms and did nothing. "We tried the wall test and learned absolutely nothing," Teddy's owner captioned the video posted on December 29.

Lastly, we have Cody and Cooper (@codythegoldenboy_), two brothers, who took a sweet little time to understand the game. First, it was Cooper, who, in his first attempt, failed the wall test. However, when his owner tried again, he did extend his paws to resist touching the wall. Cooper, who had already seen his brother take the experiment, had learned what he had to do if he was ever put to the test. As expected, Cooper let his body loose in his owner's arms, but the moment he was pushed towards the wall, he stuck his paws out before hitting it. The wall experiment has gone viral, but there is no scientific evidence to prove its accuracy. In fact, staff from Aldergrove Animal Hospital in British Columbia experimented on pug puppies, calling it entirely unscientific. "It's just for fun and doesn't really prove anything, but it's a 'test' to see if the puppy is either smart enough or aware enough to stop themselves, or if they are trusting the person holding them to stop them instead," a spokesperson for the hospital told Newsweek. 

You can follow SCOUT & ARCHIE (@scoutgoldenretriever), Mister Cruze (@cruze_thegolden), Winter The Golden Retriever(@winterthegoldenn), Teddy (@teddythegoodgolden), and Mr. Cody & Baby Cooper (@codythegoldenboy_) on Instagram for more golden retriever content.

More on Scoop Upworthy

Golden retrievers set modeling goals in artistic DIY Halloween costumes designed by their pet mom

This amazing bookshop is run by a golden retriever and she might ask you for belly rubs

Woman hilariously highlights the differences between her golden retriever and corgi and it's adorable