I wouldn't say they're not intelligent. My husband and I prefer "basic" or "simple" LOL. But I think a lot of it has to do with breeding, training and early stimulation. We have one from a breeder friend who is almost eerily intelligent. She picked up on words and phrases in days, and is the most even tempered one in the house. She is also the most tempermentally balanced. I know her breeders started off with her litter doing the very early (days old) stimulation, and early focusing program she now uses routinely. Unfortunately my breeder friend, and a few others like her, are the minority. Most "breeders" just get 2 dogs with sellable potential (i.e. "Ch bloodlines", "working bloodlines", rustic lines etc) and breed them together and sell th pups as soon as they can get them out the door. they manage to get them housetrained, and get their shots, and that's about it. I have some presa's more vocal then others. Those I blame on the Majoreros :lol: . Some more biddable then others, but that's usually to deficent training. But the only REAL way to know the dog is a real guardian is for it to really guard- and I don't mean working trials neccessarily either. Husband had a friend who was a K9 cop. Had a malinois as a second partner (first GSD, retired). Mal was all trainedup, from supposedly good stock. They were out on a call, and the cop got attacked by the perp, drug down to the ground. Kept calling on the dog, but it just sat there and watched :roll: Needless to say, dog was relieved of duty after that...