Cats or dogs?

[Zhil]

Cats are our prisoners but dogs own us.

Wrong. A dog will see its owner as the leader of the pack. It will be obedient and subservient. Cats think of their owners as youngs and will bring home food and life animals to practice on. This small distinction in animal behavior explains why we can train a dog, but why you'll never be the boss over a cat.

[MoRmEnGiL]

Well cats are one of my soft spots. I just love them.

Here's Hera:

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This is my brother's amp btw, not mine :P

[pi4t]

My out loud response to the first and particularly the last pictures was 'aah!' My old cat used to sleep in a box all the time, too.

[Shengji]

Cats are our prisoners but dogs own us.

Wrong. A dog will see its owner as the leader of the pack.

When properly trained! Most badly behaved dogs are merely trying to assume leadership because their owners are giving off subservient signals - and most domesticated dogs don't have the ability to be a leader so have extreme reactions!

[Brethern]

Cats are our prisoners but dogs own us.

Wrong. A dog will see its owner as the leader of the pack.

When properly trained! Most badly behaved dogs are merely trying to assume leadership because their owners are giving off subservient signals - and most domesticated dogs don't have the ability to be a leader so have extreme reactions!

That's the owners fault not the dogs, besides the breeds I like the most.
Rottweilers, doberman's, jack russell's, retrievers, newfoundlands and german shepards are intelligent dogs that love working.

Secondly a dog will die to protect their owner a cat will just sit there wondering when it's going to be fed.

[jorgebonafe]

That cat sleeping in that little cat bed is

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But... she's gonna twist her neck badly

[Shengji]

That's the owners fault not the dogs, besides the breeds I like the most.
Rottweilers, doberman's, jack russell's, retrievers, newfoundlands and german shepards are intelligent dogs that love working.

Secondly a dog will die to protect their owner a cat will just sit there wondering when it's going to be fed.

I agree 100% - there is no such thing as a bad or a naughty dog, just bad owners!

I have a whippet, she was really badly abused by her previous owners - we actually forced our way in and demanded they sign her over, and I think by doing so, we saved her life! Poor thing had lost most of her fur because of scarring from where they cut her with a knife and she had spent her entire life in a cage designed for a Jack Russell. She was 1 when we rescued her, never been out of that room, terrified of literally everything and she's 2 now and is the most well behaved, friendly, well adjusted dog you're ever likely to meet - she actually went out during the fireworks recently to watch them - which for most dogs is unheard of, let alone a whippet and let alone a dog who has been through what she had.

Here's a pic of her, oh and don't worry, the previous owner's in prison now, mostly for drug dealing charges but also for animal cruelty too!

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Hehe, and your comment about cats reminds me of a joke:

How can you tell who loves you the most between your husband and your dog?

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Lock them both in a car boot overnight and see who is happy to see you in the morning!

[pi4t]

Secondly a dog will die to protect their owner a cat will just sit there wondering when it's going to be fed.

I'll have you know that cats can be pretty brave as well! Admittedly not so much in defending you directly (and let's be honest, could they do much anyway? Dogs were often bred for their ferociousness, cats only had to catch mice historically), but in protecting themselves and their territory they can be every bit as brave as dogs, and braver. I still remember when my cousins came round with their dog once, and the dog began to chase the aforementioned cat around the garden. I don't know what breed the dog was, (as I've never had the slightest interest in such things, for obvious reasons), but she was about twice as big as my cat. Round and round they went, everyone shouting at the dog to stop and the dog just ignoring her owners and us. And the signals given off by us didn't seem exactly subservient to me, Shenji! Anyway, they were going round and round, at full speed, and suddenly Edmund (my cat) decided he'd had enough, span round, and hissed in the dog's face! Suddenly the dog had turned round too, and was running at full pelt away from him.

That particular dog hasn't given us any more trouble, either at home or in her own house. Don't say a cat can't help you :)

Oh, and Jorge, I wouldn't worry. Cats are naturally able to curl up into that kind of position, and unless she's really silly she'll move if it's hurting her.

[jorgebonafe]

Oh, and Jorge, I wouldn't worry. Cats are naturally able to curl up into that kind of position, and unless she's really silly she'll move if it's hurting her.

Lol, yeah, I know XD But still, it gets on my nerves P Like seen cats crawl under doors or other tiny spaces... Its like.. wtf.... how is that even possible?

[Shengji]

And the signals given off by us didn't seem exactly subservient to me, Shenji!

Wolf packs, which is where dogs have inherited their behaviour from, work very differently to human society!

Classic errors include:
Allowing a dog to walk ahead of you - the leaders position

Letting a dog walk into a blind area ahead of you - for example letting dog enter a room ahead of you, especially if they barge past your legs - thats a play for dominance!

Acknowledging a dog when you've been away from in for more than 30 minutes - you should ignore it for at least 5 minutes, this is also the only way you should discipline a dog. How many owners pat their dog as they get in from work etc, let them jump up or fuss around them! How many owners shout and yell at dogs to tell them off - doesn't work, at best you will get some form of discipline due to fear, but they will not see you as a leader. A leaderless pack will make the dog step up!

Your cousins dog probably thought you were egging her on!

Totally agree with you about cats though!

[pi4t]

Your cousins dog probably thought you were egging her on!

Probably, but on the other hand, cats are generally able to tell if you're angry or pleased with them by your tone of voice. For example, on the few times our cats jumped on the table (when they were younger, they learnt not to quite quickly), when they were shouted at they'd jump off immediately and slink away, coming back when we'd calmed down.

Speaking of calming down, a cat can also be one of the most calming things you can find. A cat on my lap or beside me, purring steadily, has often changed me from raging fury to calmness or even smiling within just a few minutes. It's the reassuring constance of them, the way they give out the impression that they'll still be there long after you've gone downstairs or whatever (something which is generally true, too), the rhythm of the purr, and of course the knowledge that they like you and are happy in your company (again, shown by the purr). I don't know how much of that you get from a dog, but I doubt that you get much of it.

[Shengji]

Your cousins dog probably thought you were egging her on!

Probably, but on the other hand, cats are generally able to tell if you're angry or pleased with them by your tone of voice. For example, on the few times our cats jumped on the table (when they were younger, they learnt not to quite quickly), when they were shouted at they'd jump off immediately and slink away, coming back when we'd calmed down.

Speaking of calming down, a cat can also be one of the most calming things you can find. A cat on my lap or beside me, purring steadily, has often changed me from raging fury to calmness or even smiling within just a few minutes. It's the reassuring constance of them, the way they give out the impression that they'll still be there long after you've gone downstairs or whatever (something which is generally true, too), the rhythm of the purr, and of course the knowledge that they like you and are happy in your company (again, shown by the purr). I don't know how much of that you get from a dog, but I doubt that you get much of it.

Don't think I'm taking sides in this, I love my two cats as much as I love my dog, for the reasons you have mentioned and many, many more!

[Battosay]

Cats, definitely.

When I was 7, I was living with my dad and my gandpa, and we were all very close. When my grandpa died, I remember my dad coming in my room to tell me about it, and we both fell into tears on my bed, during at least an hour, untill my cats (mama cat and her daughter) came in my room, jumped on us, and and started cuddling us for hours.
I realized that they really understood that we were sad, and did their best to make us feel better.

I'm sure a dog could do the same though. And I like dogs too.
Still, I grew up with cats, so I'm a cat guy :)

[morvelaira]

There's a lot of generalizations going about both kinds of animals, some of which runs counter to what I have observed.

One thing to keep in mind, I guess, is that each cat and each dog is an individual, with their own personality - just like humans.

[The great randomo]

cats are generally able to tell if you're angry or pleased with them by your tone of voice.

Do you genuinely think dogs can't?

[Zhil]

Do you genuinely think dogs can't?

Dogs need to be trained for that usually, cats have a more base feel for loud noises meaning trouble. Young pups are just as likely to start tail wagging as to actually understand why you're yelling.

And yeah, the leader of the pack thing being discussed is THE important thing for any dog owner. My ex-fiancee's mother has a Jack Russell that obviously thinks of her as a mate, not a leader. When she's mad at him, he'll be sad and listen most of the time, but not if he's chasing something for example. He'll also show extreme signs of jealousy and he'll be sad when she's out of the house and just sit in one place, ears down, until she comes back.

I was strict with the dog, but fair, from the moment I first met him and it was obvious after a few years that he considered me to be a leader (maybe not the leader of the pack) over him. When the whole family was yelling at him, he didn't react, but I could get him to calm down and sit with just a finger snap :). I really loved that dog, it's a pity I'll never see it again.

[Flesh_Engine]

It's smaller than me and has no bloodties to me, it's all fair game ;)

Guess i'm just not a pet person, but if i absolutely had to choose; cats since they smell less than dogs, cover up their business and at least try to keep themselves clean.

[M!C]

@The great randomo

Can I put this in my list of polls when it's "finished"?

[Shengji]

Dogs need to be trained for that usually, cats have a more base feel for loud noises meaning trouble. Young pups are just as likely to start tail wagging as to actually understand why you're yelling.

Exactly - dogs consider you as family, part of the pack - if you yell at them, unless you have given them a reason to think you are going to hurt them, they trust you that you wont hurt them.

The ultimate discipline for a dog is to be ignored because to be cast out of a pack is usually death for a wolf. An alpha wolf will shun any wolf who has misbehaved and humans need to replicate that with dogs. Dogs are very intelligent and if they don't comply a command, 5 minutes of being ignored will make the dog think twice about misbehaving again!

Cats tend to have a more complex relationship with you. They never include you into their family and will always understand that you and they are different. They may well love and respect you, but they will always run if you act aggressively because they will never trust you as much as a dog does.

[The great randomo]

@ M!C
I would be happy to be included in your list of polls, as long as I am credited for it.

[M!C]

@ M!C
I would be happy to be included in your list of polls, as long as I am credited for it.

Sure thing, I'll wait till we get a few more votes here.

EDIT: Maybe you could add a duration for the poll? Doesn't need to be a week but it would be nice to have a definite final result ...

[pi4t]

Cats tend to have a more complex relationship with you. They never include you into their family and will always understand that you and they are different. They may well love and respect you, but they will always run if you act aggressively because they will never trust you as much as a dog does.

Well, of course they'll run if you start behaving like you're attacking them! Dogs, as I have stated, can be up to the size of a young child. They also come equipped with some pretty good fighting equipment. They can stand up for themselves if their 'trust' turns out to be misplaced. Cats, on the other hand, are a lot smaller and less well equipped for fighting. In a fight-or-flight situation, the cat will almost always choose flight if possible. It's not surprising they run.

Besides, as I said earlier, dogs will just instinctively trust you. Cats will trust you too, but you have to earn their trust. Of course, though, that means it's a much better feeling when a cat chooses to trust you than when a dog just trusts you because that's what it does. Some dogs would probably still be ready to trust you if you did (or at least came close to doing) what was done to Shenji's dog!

[DaveYanakov]

Cats are our prisoners but dogs own us.

Wrong. A dog will see its owner as the leader of the pack. It will be obedient and subservient. Cats think of their owners as youngs and will bring home food and life animals to practice on. This small distinction in animal behavior explains why we can train a dog, but why you'll never be the boss over a cat.

It is entirely possible to train a cat but you have to really work to build a relationship with the cat. Dogs if treated well will automatically love you as subservience to humans was bred into them back when they were originally domesticated. The idea that cats will never think of you as family is simply false. Some breeds, particularly siamese, are known for their protective behavior toward their owners.

[Zhil]

Dogs, as I have stated, can be up to the size of a young child.

Can you explain why dogs the size of a cat and smaller still behave the same? Also, I've seen cats attack and maul dogs twice their size and bigger and win the fight! Also, there's dogs larger than most grown men. My friend's dog is 6'8 tall if it stands on two legs

[BigShinyToys]

Dog Cat all same thing, taste like chicken ;)

Just kidding there.
I have had dogs since I can remember. One of them was named lily ( jack rustle ) and was Very quick so quick she killed 4 snakes . The fifth dugite was too quick and lily died after being bit RIP lily. was a good dog that one .