They are smarter than all of us. We feed them, give them shelter, take them for walks or maybe even take them hunting etc. All they have to do is show some affection and wag their tail. Women have known this for centuries.
they dont have a concept of complex language like we do, but they do have the capability of recognizing certain sounds as well as be able to associate them with other things, therefore your still smarter then them, well maybe.