Of cats and dogs

[Skybird]

The difference between cats...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bmhjf0rKe8&feature=related

... and dogs...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRVNVjFny-w&feature=related

...is that dogs simply don't get it! :D

[Betonov]

I guess the dog realy doesnt get it, they're not the species that would abstain from embarising themselves due to pride :O:

[Reece]

All I can say is... I love cats!!:yep:

[Gammelpreusse]

LoL, gotta love that dog, totally unimpressed by that childish nonsense :cool:

[Growler]

The difference between cats and dogs.

With dogs, you feed them, pet them, give them a safe place to be; they look up at you and think, "Wow... you must be god!"

With cats, you feed them, pet them, give them a safe place to be; they look up at you and think, "Wow... I must be god!"

[Dowly]

The difference between cats and dogs.

With dogs, you feed them, pet them, give them a safe place to be; they look up at you and think, "Wow... you must be god!"

With cats, you feed them, pet them, give them a safe place to be; they look up at you and think, "Wow... I must be god!"

Precisely. :DL

[Sailor Steve]

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DAILY DIARY:

8:00 a.m. Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite!

9:30 a.m. Oh, boy! A car ride! My favorite!

9:40 a.m. Oh, boy! A walk! My favorite!

10:30 a.m. Oh, boy! Getting rubbed and petted! My favorite!

11:30 a.m. Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite!

Noon- Oh, boy! The kids! My favorite!

1:00 p.m. Oh, boy! The yard! My favorite!

4:00 p.m. Oh, boy! To the park! My favorite!

5:00 p.m. Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite!

5:30 p.m. Oh, boy! Pretty Mums! My favorite!

6:00 p.m. Oh, boy! Playing ball! My favorite!

6:30 p.m. Oh, boy! Watching TV with my master! My favorite!

8:30 p.m Oh, boy! Sleeping in master's bed! My favorite!




EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DAILY DIARY:
Day 183 of My Captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape,and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another house plant.

Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded; must try this at the top of the stairs.

In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair, must try this on their bed.
Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, not working according to plan.

There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to my power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant, he speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the high metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time ....

[Dowly]

Haha, good one Steve. :haha:

[Sailor Steve]

Haha, good one Steve. :haha:
Credit where credit's due: I actually copied that from someone else years ago. It's one of many things I like that I keep handy for threads like this.

The whole "kitten vs puppy" video thing is hilarious. :yeah:

[Ducimus]

I'd like to see a cat smart enough to do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE8SLv6GMXE


I love cats, but dogs are the best!

[Dowly]

I'd like to see a cat smart enough to do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE8SLv6GMXE


Is it smartness or something learned and trained? Is it free will or what the master says?

See, cats are more or less free, they just live with you. Dogs are more or less slaves, they do what you tell/teach them to do. ;)

[Growler]

Cats will keep us around as long as there are no easy-open tuna cans.

[Sailor Steve]

I'd like to see a cat smart enough to do this:
A friend of mine used to have a cat who figured out how to open doors. Then she figured out how to make another cat do it for her.

You know how dogs can be trained to "play dead". This same cat figured out what a dead cat looks like - eyes half open, tongue between the teeth - and then proceeded to trick humans. I thought she really was dead until I touched her. She was warm, and she couldn't hold the laughter in any longer - the tip of her tail started to twitch.

I love dogs, but tell me again how smart they are?

[Ducimus]

Is it smartness or something learned and trained?
Both. To be fair, border collies are the smartest dogs around.

Is it free will or what the master says?
Neither. Dogs are pack animals that follow a social order. You as the alpha. So you could say "master" in that regard. However, left unattended, a dog has the free will to explore or get into trouble.


See, cats are more or less free, they just live with you. Dogs are more or less slaves, they do what you tell/teach them to do. ;)

You know, the existence dogs and humans are intertwined. Dogs, or even "camp wolves" are one of the reasons why we survived as a species at the dawn of time. The use and effect of dogs for herding, early warning, and guarding can't ignored. Without the use of dogs, we wouldn't have advanced as we have, and without us, dogs as we know them wouldn't exist.

It's also been proven that dogs DO read our facial expressions. The only animal to do so. By reading our face, they know if were happy, sad, angry, etc.

As an aside, you'll never hear of a "service cat".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT7CKq3M3tQ

[DarkFish]

Is it smartness or something learned and trained? Is it free will or what the master says?As Ducimus says, both.

I don't have much experience with dogs, but a reasonable amount with horses. Though horses are generally seen as less smart than dogs, I know several that have figured out how to unlock the stable door. I also know some that "trick" you into doing something (using very primitive but amazingly effective methods, if you don't know what to do).

See, cats are more or less free, they just live with you. Dogs are more or less slaves, they do what you tell/teach them to do. ;)I wouldn't call dogs slaves. They are rather co-workers or maybe subordinates. Dogs are pack animals. They follow the lead of the pack leader (you) for the greater good of the pack itself (you + the dog). They are faithful animals just because of this. Do what the pack leader says, or you get thrown out of the pack. Get thrown out of the pack, and you're on your own and have a much slimmer chance of survival.

Cats on the other hand are solitary animals and very well conditioned to living on their own. They don't need a pack for greater survival chances, so they don't need to follow a leader.

[Platapus]

Difference between dogs and cats?

Dogs have owners
Cats have staff

[Sammi79]

It's also been proven that dogs DO read our facial expressions. The only animal to do so. By reading our face, they know if were happy, sad, angry, etc.

As an aside, you'll never hear of a "service cat".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT7CKq3M3tQ

We have genetically manipulated grey wolves into modern dogs over thousands of years, probably molding them to be as we want them more so than any other lifeform. Hemp and its female counterpart come a close second.

I can't watch that link here in UK, national geographic blocked it on copyright grounds. Is it 'Dogs Decoded' ? I found a link that works here : http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x1gwvh_xSilverPhinx_pbs-nova-dogs-decoded/1#videoId=xfsqnc

Saw it about a year ago. Absolutely brilliant. I grew up with cats so my preference for a pet would be feline - but, dogs have an intelligence that is compatable with our own, leading to a relationship that cannot be achieved AFAIK with cats. When I was 5 years old, a border collie (Welsh sheepdog) called Hecate taught me a game. She would start by bringing a small object and placing it at my feet, then looking expectantly up at me. Every time I would try to take the object - a matchstick or the like - She would snatch it away and do a victory circle, then come back to start the game again. She would put the object closer and closer, If I was sitting eventually she would place it upon my knee. If I beat her, it would be placed a little further back next time and so on ad infinitum.

On the other hand, in the same year my dear cat whose name is unfortunately not repeatable due to modern lingo meaning different things, when I let her outside one morning at about 6am (I was an early riser at 5 years) she walked off maybe 20 yards then turned and looked back. Mesmerized by her stare I walked after her. When she saw me following she carried on, if she got to far ahead she stopped and waited. After about 2 hours wandering through fields and hedgerows she dissapeared into a bush so I sat in the grass, 20 yards back and waited. A few seconds later, she reappeared, mouse in jaws, and trotted happily back and deposited the expired rodent at my feet as a gift! The feeling was immense, maybe the bestest gift I'll ever recieve. I ran home to show mom and dad my amazing present (which was still warm!) and was most dismayed when mom took it and threw it in the bin, muttering about diseases or something.

I have thought on that many times, did she think I wasn't getting fed enough? or perhaps she was trying to teach me how to hunt? any way you look at it it seems she was unimpressed by my parents parenting skills...

[Platapus]

I read an article, while sitting in our vets office, that dogs and humans are the only two animals who instinctively understand the concept of pointing.

If you point at something while in front of an animal, the animal will focus on the finger, but humans and dogs instinctively will also look at what is being pointed at (splitting the focus between the finger and the area being pointed at)

A most interesting article.

[Reece]

I love cats, but dogs are the best!You made a mistake, let me correct it for you:
I love dogs, but cats are the best!:yeah:

Dogs have owners
Cats have staffOr the original:
Dogs have masters
Cats have slaves

[Ducimus]

I can't watch that link here in UK, national geographic blocked it on copyright grounds. Is it 'Dogs Decoded' ?

No, it's a clip, from a National Geographic special program, "And man created dog". A very interesting and informative documentary.

I read an article, while sitting in our vets office, that dogs and humans are the only two animals who instinctively understand the concept of pointing.

If you point at something while in front of an animal, the animal will focus on the finger, but humans and dogs instinctively will also look at what is being pointed at (splitting the focus between the finger and the area being pointed at)

A most interesting article.

I saw another documentary that mentioned this study. Not even primates, (our closest relative) understand the concept of pointing. Humans do. Dogs do. Chimp's don't get it.

[Skybird]

Recent years' experimental research results forced scientists to reconsider the former assessement of birds' inferior intelligence, and their brain structure. In case of ravens and parrots, the intelligence is obvious, but many more bird species have scored surprising results in according reasearch and observation projects.

It is also more and more understood that the capability to feel emotions and to read emotional states in others, is far more spread amongst different species, than was thought possible just short time ago. Most prominent examples are not only dogs and parrots, but also gorillas who express sadness and even depression about the death of their babies, and demonstrated the abilkity to understand the suffering of a human in their middle if he is hurt and weak. We are talking about empathy here.

Man has been underesti,mated the intellectual and emotional capabilities of anmials in general, since very long time, me is convinced of. And maybe he did so because we would not like to think og using, abusing, killing and eating a species we recoignise as intelligent, emotional, sometimes even self-aware. I do not want to antropomorphise all animals, or become sentimental or esoterical, but that's what I think.

We want to see ourselves as the crown of all life on Earth, and the master of life on this planet, and we claim the right to deal with all life on Earth just as we pleases, our legitimation we claim to be that we can do things, so we have a right to do them. But honestly said, I think this attitude demonstrates more just how small we still are, and how little we know about the huge system that "life" really is. I often think we are a frog sitting at the bottom of a well shaft, seeing the small round piece of sky above us and thinking: "That is the world, and I see it all and understand it all!"

Three inevitable ingredients of science: imagination, scepticism, and openness. The rest is just correct handling of methodology.

P.S. I like my last sentence. I think this is the first time I make a quote by myself my new sig! :D

[Reece]

Hey I love your new sig Skybird!!:03:

[Dowly]

Tee hee, Reece's on heat. :O:

[Reece]

Tee hee, Reece's on heat. :O:What!!??:hmmm: Must have missed something!!:yep:

[Betonov]

Dogs look up to us, cats look down upon us, only pigs treat us as equals ~ W. Churchill

[Platapus]

Dogs look up to us, cats look down upon us, only pigs treat us as equals ~ W. Churchill

and they shouldn't. :up: