In fact, all predators having few enemies have the tendency to use more short- range efficient models, than long-range models. Thus, intelligence, which is an indicator of the capacity to build and operate long-range models, is not stimulated in predators. Animal intelligence is stimulated by the presence and interaction with humans, and also by an aggresive environment.
It is important to note that in spite of the fact that the lack of external danger is not a stimulus to develop the functions of the brain, the potential of the predators brain is relatively high. This is why, even if predators do not look too intelligent, they can surprise us in critical situations.
Dogs
Dogs seem to build very precise models of the external reality, including sensing the mood of the master. Their relatively high capacity to build models, gives them a possibility to communicate based on these models, including with humans.
Let's analize now a situation, as it was reportd in the newpapers. A shepherd was walking with his dog in the forest. A mother bear with cubs attacked him. The bear attacked the shepherd, but the dog attacked the cubs. The bear left the shepherd, to save its cubs.
The theory can explain this behaviour in several ways. A first possibility is that the master is integrated in the dog's PSM. The dog builds a defence model of the master, which, at the simulation of the bear attack, fails to find a successful solution. Simulating the attack of the cubs, the prediction appears that the bear will save the cubs and forget about the shepherd. This explanation is clearly a sign of intelligence (long-range model). It is a bit too complex for a dog (it is even surprising even for humans).
Another variant is that after the model to attack the bear failed, the dog attacked the cubs because it was less dangerous. This means that the master was not in the PSM.
Another variant exists in which the dog has participated previously in an attack of several dogs against a mother-bear, and in that attack, it saw that the bear runs with the cubs when the cubs are attacked. This variant again does not consider the shepherd. This seems to be the most probable explanation.
Another variant exists in which the shepherd is not considered, and the dog attacks anything weaker than itself.
Let's continue the analysis of dogs. It is known that dogs are very faithful to their master. This suggests that they can introduce the master into their PSM. However, the fact that some dogs can be faithful to several masters (successively) suggests that they can rewrite the PSM. This is really unusual.