Why I like dogs better than cats

DerStrom8

Joined Feb 20, 2011
2,390
Ok, so we're on the same page. Species adapt. In the presence of excessive "idiot-proofing", the human species is now in a situation where less intellect is required to accomplish the same work, so we are adapting to the new intelligence requirement (getting stupider).
Cats adapt. put a kitten in woods of a national forest and it will become a one-cat killing machine. Cut a kitten's nuts off and stick it in a room full of stuffed bunnies and a never-depleting food supply and it will turn into an untrainable fat worthless blob.
Dogs adapt. Throw a puppy into post-natural disaster area and it will find a pack and rule the streets. Again, cut it's nuts off, yadda yadaa, it's fat and lazy, but can still be trained to do tricks and what not.

Why is being a pack animal also being considered to a trait of inferior intellect? It seems obvious to me that teamwork is a higher function. Put "works best alone" on your resume and see how many hits you get compared to your buddy who puts "team player"
Okay, I can see your point, but now the thread is starting to look like an argument between Einstein and Tesla. Who is the better scientist? Einstein is a genius in physics, Tesla is a genius in Electronics. You can't compare the two and decide that one is "better than the other". That's what this thread is turning into. A cat is smart in many ways that a dog is not, and a dog is smart in many ways that a cat is not.

Before we post again, perhaps we could think about where this thread is really going. We've turned a piece of innocent humor into an argument over which is better. I'm pretty sure this isn't what the OP had in mind, so perhaps we should rethink our responses a little better :rolleyes::D
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
See the post it was responding to.
I did. The post was about intelligence exhibited by dogs both in the wild and as domestic animals. Cats training humans has more to do with humans being delusional. The first sentence started, "Paranoid cat owners....."
 

DerStrom8

Joined Feb 20, 2011
2,390
I did. The post was about intelligence exhibited by dogs both in the wild and as domestic animals. Cats training humans has more to do with humans being delusional. The first sentence started, "Paranoid cat owners....."
No, the statement was that being trainable was a sign of high intelligence (it was being argued that since dogs can be trained and cats can't, then dogs are smarter than cats). The article states that cats are indeed "training" humans, which would suggest that they are smarter than them.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Okay, I can see your point, but now the thread is starting to look like an argument between Einstein and Tesla. Who is the better scientist? Einstein is a genius in physics, Tesla is a genius in Electronics. You can't compare the two and decide that one is "better than the other". That's what this thread is turning into. A cat is smart in many ways that a dog is not, and a dog is smart in many ways that a cat is not.

Before we post again, perhaps we could think about where this thread is really going. We've turned a piece of innocent humor into an argument over which is better. I'm pretty sure this isn't what the OP had in mind, so perhaps we should rethink our responses a little better :rolleyes::D
This debate isn't heated, just passionate, and I know joey is passionate about dogs, especially GSD.
To entertain your comparison to the great scientists, let's define what we mean by better. In other words, If we ask who is the better physicist, then the answer would be edison. So are asking who is the better pet? or who is the better hunter?

actually, I don't really think that's necessary. In every category I can think of, the dog comes out ahead.
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
DerStorm8 said:
The article states that cats are indeed "training" humans, which would suggest that they are smarter than them.
No, it said "Paranoid humans think they are being trained. All of the complex tasks dogs are able to perform require high intelligence, as described in my post, and has been documented. Paranoid humand thinking their cats trained them, or whatever paranoid episode ( abduction by aliens come to mind ) doesn't change that fact.
 

DerStrom8

Joined Feb 20, 2011
2,390
No, it said "Paranoid humans think they are being trained. All of the complex tasks dogs are able to perform require high intelligence, as described in my post, and has been documented. Paranoid humand thinking their cats trained them, or whatever paranoid episode ( abduction by aliens come to mind ) doesn't change that fact.
Did you even read the article? It has nothing to do with "paranoid humans thinking their cats trained them". It is scientifically proven, which is just as legitimate as your statement that science has proven that a dog's ability to be trained is a form of high intelligence.

And to Strantor, asking "which is a better pet" is just like asking "who is a better scientist". That was my point. It is too broad and there is no way to narrow it down. Personally I feel that a cat is a better pet--they're cleaner, and are friendly more often than not. That is why I said that I don't think this article is going anywhere. We all have our personal opinions. Why can't we just leave it at that? I'm never going to believe that a dog is better than a cat, just like you'll never believe a cat is better than a dog. Isn't it obvious that we're stuck?
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
By the way

DerStorm8 said:
the statement was that being trainable was a sign of high intelligence
There was alot of context and content lost in that statement. Taken out of context, you might show I was making an unsupported statement, when in fact, I had alot more to say.

it was being argued that since dogs can be trained and cats can't, then dogs are smarter than cats
Not by me. I simply tried to show how training and performing complex tasks exhibited high itelligence. I made no statement about who is smarter.
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
Did you even read the article? It has nothing to do with "paranoid humans thinking their cats trained them". It is scientifically proven, which is just as legitimate as your statement that science has proven that a dog's ability to be trained is a form of high intelligence.
I did read the article. The very first sentence in the article mentioned "Parnoid cat owners..." The article states that a cat's purr triggers an instinct in humans. Instinct is a primitive emotion, not a trained one. Also, it says cat's learn to use a particular cry to get food, so in fact, cats are being trained.
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
Are these your pets or links,a happy pair of warmth,dog and cat good post.

The cat looks a little like a bobcat. That would really be neat.
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
sadly not my pets. But I really like the picture. I am a dog person. When I was little we had a Giant Schnauzer. Cats are easy to care for but do not offer the same companionship and level of understanding. I will get a dog once I am not renting anymore (not for a while...) or renting in a pet friendly city ;)

p.s. my aunt's cat likes to pee in my shoe when we visit. Never fails, doesn't matter where I put the shoes...
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
As mentioned before, "training" is not the same as "evolving". I believe Mr RB did a fantastic job of explaining my exact point. Read back a couple of posts and maybe you'll see what I'm talking about :D
So selective breeding and evolution have aboslutely nothing in common? Selective breeding which has been done with dogs speeds up evolution 1000 fold. Your looking for those mutations that make it faster, smarter, or what ever trait you may want to help in its survival. Technically they have evolved dogs and pigs to ride around in paris hiltons purse. Thats a pretty damn good adaption. Being a dog cute enough and small enough to fit into a purse.

Thats why we have parrots in multiple colors that don't exist naturally. Thats why we have scaless boa's. Thats why we have albino aligators.... All evolution is, is mutations that function better then the original part giving it an edge on survival. And in todays world that evolutionary mutation can simply be a color. Like a blue lobster.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
And for my final argument that dogs are smarter and more evolved then cats! I didn't see NO CAT get lowered from a helicopter and go kill osama bin ladin!
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
I know people that has to look every where to find that alfull smell in a closet

some where.How do you clean your shoe.
 
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justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
they were leather sandals with cork insole. Wash with soap and water wash again and again... Surprised that insole survived. Take deep breaths before putting shoes on to try and forget that this thing ever happend... Got lucky that everything was still "fresh", smell went away.
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
evolution or evolutionary mutation? - the "metrosexual" a 30+ male dressed like a hipster, standing outside his condo talking on his ipod with a Chihuahua on a leash.
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
True story,young lady had her cell snatched,she called 911 when the police

arrived she showed them on her I-pod where gps said her phone was,they

went to location and arrested the thief,amazing new tech.
 
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