LucyDuke
staring at the clock
Why can't we all just get along?
Take that, cat lovers.
- Thread starter Puck Nutty
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Terxpahseyton
Nobody
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So here is why cats will for ever ever be inferior to dogs.
When I was a kid, my family got an Irish Wolfhound. They are the biggest dog race in existence. Now, Irish Wolfhounds are called Wolfhounds because they were bred to take out wolfs. Which explains their size. But it also had the effect that Irish Wolfhounds were not only really big, but really big and aggressive. Which lead to them almost going extinct when it became less of a necessity to have dogs which hunt and kill wolfs.
Almost, because finally, a rebreeding program was undertaken. The focus of this new program was to make Irish Wolfhounds tame dogs who are safe to be around.
They succeeded (mostly - I get into this right way).
Here is a picture:
And when they are angry
So we got ourselves such a new-breed tame Irish Wolfhound. And while being really big and accordingly scarry to other people, he was the most peaceful dog I have ever known.
No matter if people or other dogs or even birds - he showed no aggression towards anyone. The maximum of his aggression was taking a half-hearted bite at some fly bothering him. He didn't learn to properly bark until we got ourselves a second dog (a terrier - not the best of our decisions). He was the arch-type of the gentle giant.
So we thought.
Because there were two instances were our Irish Wolfshound seized to be big and gentle, but got big and threatening.
One instance occurred when my big brother took our dog to a local bar/club. It is not to be imagined like one of those big commercial establishments. It was a very "local" kind of thing, where everyone knows everyone and all is rather chilled compared to those ordinary commercial establishments. Just to explain why it was even feasible to take a dog there. So he took our dog there and being the big lazy comfy ass he was he laid down at some edge and chilled. Now there was this one guy my big brother wasn't on good terms with. I am a bit fuzzy on the details, but this guy was on to my big brother in a quit adversarial way. So this guy enters the room, he and my brother see each other and suddenly, our Wolfshound gets up and does something so far totally unknown - he bares his teeth like animals do if they want to threaten someone and makes a quit impressive snarl.
Now to be straight about this - this dog never ever did this before. Ever. But at this instance he does, clearly directed at the guy who is with odds with my brother. Moreover, my big brother isn't one to invent stories, so I hope you believe me if I say this is genuine. Well needless to say, the guy decides to leave the establishment.
The second instance was even more awesome. A lot more awesome.
Me and my family were on a camping trip through-out Italy using a camper vehicle. We had planned camping sites for every stop. But everyone who has been to Italy knows - Italian roads can be wondrous, a world of surprises and falls leads. At least by accurate German standards. So one time we got so lost, we ended up at a parking area and decided to spend the night there. We slept in the vehicle, our dog slept outside.
Another thing to keep in mind is that my mother is rather paranoid and has very light sleep. In deed, she objected to sleeping in an parking area out of fear that something might happen. Criminals ganging up on us or something like that. She even made my farther go take a round to have a look at a car on the same parking area. He reported that there was just some guy making out with a gall. My mother being my mother, she stayed restless regardless.
In the middle of the night, she heard people moving around our camper vehicle. And she noticed our Wolfhound, showing his shiny teeth and making sounds of an unmistakably threatening nature. The people went gone and the night passed.
Later I got to know about German reports concerning Italian gangs who would pump gas into camper vehicles on parking areas in the middle of the night, gas which would render the inhabitants unconsciousness, and who then would consequently rob the vehicles of everything worth to be robbed.
Long story short point: Dogs can be actual full-fledged buddies which will accompany you through thick and thin. Cats are ... pets.
Also, get yourself wolfhounds. They are the most awesome dog species to ever honor this earth with their presence.
Sadly, they don't grow very old though. (7 years is rather usual, 9 years really really old)
edit: another cool story about our awesome wolfhound: Once my family had rented a kind of wood cabin when we went to holiday in the Czech Republic. Somehow, our dog didn't like it. I don't remember why, but for some reason, he really needed to get into the cabin. But apparently it seemed very suspicious or rather scary to our dog and he refused to enter. And when he refused and decided to stay where he was, there was little my mom could do about it (the rest of the family was gone some place). Like a rock and that was it. So doing all she could, pulling, screaming, whatever - my mother got desperate and sit down and started to cry. What does the dog? He moves forward towards here and then walks into the cabin just like that. I'd like to believe that he did it for my mother when he saw how sad she was.
When I was a kid, my family got an Irish Wolfhound. They are the biggest dog race in existence. Now, Irish Wolfhounds are called Wolfhounds because they were bred to take out wolfs. Which explains their size. But it also had the effect that Irish Wolfhounds were not only really big, but really big and aggressive. Which lead to them almost going extinct when it became less of a necessity to have dogs which hunt and kill wolfs.
Almost, because finally, a rebreeding program was undertaken. The focus of this new program was to make Irish Wolfhounds tame dogs who are safe to be around.
They succeeded (mostly - I get into this right way).
Here is a picture:
And when they are angry
Spoiler :
So we got ourselves such a new-breed tame Irish Wolfhound. And while being really big and accordingly scarry to other people, he was the most peaceful dog I have ever known.
No matter if people or other dogs or even birds - he showed no aggression towards anyone. The maximum of his aggression was taking a half-hearted bite at some fly bothering him. He didn't learn to properly bark until we got ourselves a second dog (a terrier - not the best of our decisions). He was the arch-type of the gentle giant.
So we thought.
Because there were two instances were our Irish Wolfshound seized to be big and gentle, but got big and threatening.
One instance occurred when my big brother took our dog to a local bar/club. It is not to be imagined like one of those big commercial establishments. It was a very "local" kind of thing, where everyone knows everyone and all is rather chilled compared to those ordinary commercial establishments. Just to explain why it was even feasible to take a dog there. So he took our dog there and being the big lazy comfy ass he was he laid down at some edge and chilled. Now there was this one guy my big brother wasn't on good terms with. I am a bit fuzzy on the details, but this guy was on to my big brother in a quit adversarial way. So this guy enters the room, he and my brother see each other and suddenly, our Wolfshound gets up and does something so far totally unknown - he bares his teeth like animals do if they want to threaten someone and makes a quit impressive snarl.
Now to be straight about this - this dog never ever did this before. Ever. But at this instance he does, clearly directed at the guy who is with odds with my brother. Moreover, my big brother isn't one to invent stories, so I hope you believe me if I say this is genuine. Well needless to say, the guy decides to leave the establishment.
The second instance was even more awesome. A lot more awesome.
Me and my family were on a camping trip through-out Italy using a camper vehicle. We had planned camping sites for every stop. But everyone who has been to Italy knows - Italian roads can be wondrous, a world of surprises and falls leads. At least by accurate German standards. So one time we got so lost, we ended up at a parking area and decided to spend the night there. We slept in the vehicle, our dog slept outside.
Another thing to keep in mind is that my mother is rather paranoid and has very light sleep. In deed, she objected to sleeping in an parking area out of fear that something might happen. Criminals ganging up on us or something like that. She even made my farther go take a round to have a look at a car on the same parking area. He reported that there was just some guy making out with a gall. My mother being my mother, she stayed restless regardless.
In the middle of the night, she heard people moving around our camper vehicle. And she noticed our Wolfhound, showing his shiny teeth and making sounds of an unmistakably threatening nature. The people went gone and the night passed.
Later I got to know about German reports concerning Italian gangs who would pump gas into camper vehicles on parking areas in the middle of the night, gas which would render the inhabitants unconsciousness, and who then would consequently rob the vehicles of everything worth to be robbed.
Long story short point: Dogs can be actual full-fledged buddies which will accompany you through thick and thin. Cats are ... pets.
Also, get yourself wolfhounds. They are the most awesome dog species to ever honor this earth with their presence.
Sadly, they don't grow very old though. (7 years is rather usual, 9 years really really old)
edit: another cool story about our awesome wolfhound: Once my family had rented a kind of wood cabin when we went to holiday in the Czech Republic. Somehow, our dog didn't like it. I don't remember why, but for some reason, he really needed to get into the cabin. But apparently it seemed very suspicious or rather scary to our dog and he refused to enter. And when he refused and decided to stay where he was, there was little my mom could do about it (the rest of the family was gone some place). Like a rock and that was it. So doing all she could, pulling, screaming, whatever - my mother got desperate and sit down and started to cry. What does the dog? He moves forward towards here and then walks into the cabin just like that. I'd like to believe that he did it for my mother when he saw how sad she was.
Mr. Dictator
A Chain-Smoking Fox
I would like to cite the Pareto Principle [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle] and suggest the hypothesis that 80% of mankind's progress may come from the 20% of humans reasonable enough to accept feline dom- domestication. Of them. They're our pets, really. That's all.
Dogs are remnants of our hunting days. Quaint relics, yes, but the cats led us to the Nile and built the pyramids. They also needed a large sandbox.
The point is, the cats need humanity's help building a spacecraft capable of returning them to their home planet. I say we give them the chance.
Dogs are remnants of our hunting days. Quaint relics, yes, but the cats led us to the Nile and built the pyramids. They also needed a large sandbox.
The point is, the cats need humanity's help building a spacecraft capable of returning them to their home planet. I say we give them the chance.
Quackers
The Frog
Very interesting stories Sill. I have only once encountered that breed of dog in my life. I was in the park when this enormous creature galloped around us. My first thought was that it was the dog which stood at the entrance to hell in Greek myth. It was actually a little frightening because I have never owned a dog and have little knowledge of typical behaviour and the like. Also, when I was a wee lad I was afraid of dogs!
AlpsStranger
Jump jump on the tiger!
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- Feb 8, 2009
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Oh my God, it's ridiculous in my neighborhood. We have a few softhearted neighbors who feed our booming feral cat population.
Softhearted enough to feed them, not softhearted enough to take care of them=army of cats.
I'd never hurt a cat for no reason or anything but I find them irritating. Their fur is gross and irritates my nose and they always just hiss at me and run away. I think it might just be my gait or the way I carry myself or something, but every cat in the world apparently thinks it's under attack when I show up.
Because your cat's feral descendents keep shitting in my yard
Fixed.
SS-18 ICBM
Oscillator
Just makes sure you don't let them run free. If you can't, then they must be spayed or neutered, at least.
Terxpahseyton
Nobody
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Thanks
As far as typical behavior goes - the thing is that from my experience there is not much of typical dog behavior. Some whack their tail and come at you with the most innocent intentions. Others can be simply vile. I have been very closely acquainted with 4 dogs so far and they all were vastly different, unique individuals with unique characters if one compares them to each other.
But I suppose it is totally normal to feel uneasy when encountering an Irish Wolfhound. Just as normal as the bad jokes. I can not possibly tell how often I have heard someone say "That is not a dog! It is a horse! hahaha". After the 10th time you just want to slap people for their lack of originality. Though that may be lame German humor talking.
That said, not all dogs are buddies. From my experience, some "lack character" and are suck-ups who want to make friends with everyone, others are just about play and adventure. The Irish Wolfhound however is a real character dog, the dog coming most closely to a person from what I can tell. If you wanted to teach our dog tricks, he didn't care a dame about it. He wasn't going to be your toy. He was mostly just doing what the hell he wanted. The special thing was that what he genuinely wanted seemed to be a genuine buddy, his own mind, but loyal to the death. But if there ever was a time to stop advertising my favorite dog breed, I suppose it is now
PlutonianEmpire
King of the Plutonian Empire
This thread is one of the multiple reasons I hate America. And Most of humanity, for that matter. 
I hate you guys sometimes. <_<
I hate you guys sometimes. <_<
If you're worried about natural wildlife, then don't let them out. Problem solved.
My Chloe undoubtedly hunted when she was a stray. But since being adopted, she is quite content to eat dry cat food, and has no interest whatsoever in table scraps (unless I'm offering yogurt).
Maddy was literally born in a barn, but was socialized and adopted immediately after weaning. She's never hunted in her life, and I don't allow either of them outside.
They can sense when a human has hostile thoughts toward them. And they may dislike how you smell. It's entirely possible that your body language might bother them. It depends also on how you look at them.
Evie
Pronounced like Eevee
just over 50% of Americans being wrong? Why, that hasn't happened anytime in recent years!
Cats are infinitely superior. Just as much ability to be affectionate (provided you know what you're doing in terms of which cats you get, but that applies to dogs as well), just as much ability to be useful (chasing off vermin vs barking at potential intruders), and much better able to handle themselves if for some reason you can't be there for them at a specific point.
Cats are infinitely superior. Just as much ability to be affectionate (provided you know what you're doing in terms of which cats you get, but that applies to dogs as well), just as much ability to be useful (chasing off vermin vs barking at potential intruders), and much better able to handle themselves if for some reason you can't be there for them at a specific point.
NickyJ
Retired Narrator
Exactly. The cat I have is actually afraid of the outdoors.
If you're worried about natural wildlife, then don't let them out. Problem solved.
My Chloe undoubtedly hunted when she was a stray. But since being adopted, she is quite content to eat dry cat food, and has no interest whatsoever in table scraps (unless I'm offering yogurt).
Maddy was literally born in a barn, but was socialized and adopted immediately after weaning. She's never hunted in her life, and I don't allow either of them outside.
Ziggy Stardust
Absolutely Sane
An average cat has an ecological footprint of a vw golf. An average dog ... 2 suvs.
Anyway, I'm glad I don't go with the flow and belong to the exclusive 48% club.
Anyway, I'm glad I don't go with the flow and belong to the exclusive 48% club.
AlpsStranger
Jump jump on the tiger!
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I usually just try to pet them and they react. I give them a lot of crap in this thread but it's not like I'm actively hostile towards them. Don't get the wrong idea
Coming from a one-cat, one-dog household, I really like the lower maintenance of the cat, and you can play some pretty fun games with them. My parents' cat, which I have named Cat-tasm, will fetch toy mice and will sit at the top of the stairs, trying to catch mice you throw to her. Sometimes she jumps up a foot or two to catch the thing, it's great fun.
MilesGregarius
Half-baked Renegade
What true feline cares about the results of a popularity contest? What could be further beneath them?
Dogs, being the pathetic little attention sluts that they are, on the other hand...
Dogs, being the pathetic little attention sluts that they are, on the other hand...
rugbyLEAGUEfan
Deity
What's true love if it isn't reciprocated? The depth of the relationship between man and cat can't be compared to that of a man and his dog.
That doesn't mean cats are not amazing creatures worthy of admiration and our companionship, but when it comes to love the dog stands alone in this area.
That doesn't mean cats are not amazing creatures worthy of admiration and our companionship, but when it comes to love the dog stands alone in this area.