Are Macaws Smarter Than Dogs?

Last Updated on February 17, 2022

Macaws and dogs are favorite pets and preferred due to their affection and loyalty towards the owner. Let’s see whether the macaws are smarter than a dog? What are the qualities that make them different from dogs?

Macaws are smarter than dogs because they have a long memory and can communicate,  speak human words and phrases. Both macaws and dogs are intelligent and can learn different tricks through training. The emotive macaws blush like humans. Macaws need less space and do not need to walk like a dog.

In this article, I will discuss the communication skills of macaws and dogs in detail. What are the best qualities of macaws that prove them smarter than a dog? Are all macaws smarter than dogs? Let’s discuss this in detail.

Macaws are smarter than dogs.

Macaws are smarter than dogs because they are more intelligent and can follow the speech and, once they are trained, they become more socialized and content.

If you have the experience of keeping two different creatures together, you must know their behavior. Their needs are different, and you have different expectations from them.

It is tough to say who is smarter, the macaw or a dog because both are intelligent and famous pets. Both are known for their love and loyalty to their owner. But depending upon the situations and breeds, a macaw can do specific tasks more quickly and appropriately than a dog.

Macaws can be special only if they are well socialized and well trained. They can stay happy and comfortable with you and communicate their problems. They can express their feelings and emotions closely bonded with you.

Macaws vs Dogs

Both are affectionate and loyal to the owner and become good companions. Macaws need less space and can not be left unattended for a long time. But dogs need ample room to move and live happily.

Feed and feeding habits are different. Macaws eat almost all human foods except processed and overcooked foods, while dogs’ feed is very different. If you have a dog on your dining table, it would be difficult to share the food with your dog. A macaw can eat the food you are taking.

A macaw can speak and communicate sentences with its owner or visitors, while dogs can communicate through barking.

A dog can be destructive if not trained and bonded with the owner. It can hurt the macaws because they have very sharp canines. In other words, macaws can communicate with their owners using different terms.

The dogs need a walk daily to keep themselves happy and healthy, while the macaws do not need a walk. They can fly inside the cage if you do not have the time to take them out of the cell.

Remarkable Traits of Macaws

Apart from their gender,  both macaws and dogs are similar in affection and dedication to their owner, but the macaws have some traits that make them different from the dogs. These traits help you understand who is smarter, the macaw or a dog.

Following are a few traits that prove that macaws are brilliant.

Mimicking

Macaws have a unique character of mimicking human speech words that do not occur in dogs or other pets.  They can understand the speech and try to speak when they listen repeatedly.

They cannot converse with others but try to understand them by different actions. Their intelligence is like three-year-old human babies. They can get your attention by mimicking your words. They speak after you. That is entertaining, but it is a more interactive and healthy activity.

If a macaw needs its favorite food, it can tell you about its choice through different moves only if he knows where that food is present. It gets your attention first by flying around you and speaking near your ear. Once he catches your attention, it can pass to the sack of its favorite feed and try to open it with its beak. 

Doing this is trying to tell you that it needs that food. It will constantly steer at you until you offer that feed.

Strong memory

Macaw’s memory is powerful. Once it is taught, it will never forget the skills. It can speak more than 500 words and save them in its memory. They look impressive because they are knowledgeable and can express more than 100 phrases after training.

They can also recognize their face in the mirror and enjoy watching their body parts which they have never seen before. Their strong memory helps them identify the look of their owner and his family.

Easy to train

Macaws are small creatures and are easily handled with experience. They can be trained to stay calm and well socialized. Through slow and consistent training, they become more sensible and well-bonded.

You can train them to get used to you, their surroundings, and when they are well-bonded, they can listen and follow your instructions.

Ability to communicate

Their ability to communicate with others is more appropriate than dogs. They can produce different voices and move their feathers and bodies to show others what they want to say. Mimicry of different sounds and feather flapping are their tools by which they can tell their message to others.

They can attract others through their beautiful colors, especially when they find mates. Mating calls are made by producing high vocals, preen, and screech, and sometimes flying around the owner, bobbing their heads all are the different ways of communicating with others.

Emotional

When macaws are happy and excited, they communicate their feelings through different emotions, just like humans. They blush and fluff their facial feathers when satisfied with their mate or the owner.

They even dance when excited. Dogs lack this quality. They are loving and expressive, but macaws are more emotional. They get aggressive when under stress or when they encounter new unfavorable conditions.

Generally, you can say the macaws are expensive and get emotional when they are sad, angry, fearful, or happy and excited.

Macaws have strong senses.

Macaws can sense the danger in advance and prepare themselves to escape from the situation. They can recognize the predator from a long-distance or even find food from a distance.

Macaws can see a different spectrum of light, and their eyesight is three times stronger than a human.

Are all macaws smarter than dogs?

Not all, but some larger size macaws are smarter than dogs. The larger the macaw’s size, the more brilliant the macaw will be. Macaws perform well in the same situations as dogs. 

If you allow a macaw to see in the mirror, it can recognize it. But a dog can take it to another dog and may get away. Macaws can differentiate between shapes, colors, patterns, and numbers.

Conclusion

Macaws are smarter than dogs because they are beautiful with various colors, expressive and affectionate, with good communication power. After training, macaws can talk like humans more than 100 phrases. They are intelligent and can mimic different voices, problem-solve, and even blush, just like humans. Their sight is stronger, and they can speak more than 500 words. They communicate their emotions of love and anger via feather fluffing, blushing, and preening.

Also Read About: Are Macaws Good With Dogs?