What Do You Think Is the Most Badass Animal?

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Dogs, because they will distract that bear, or robber to save you.

So badass.

This cat isn't having any of it.
You are far more likely to be attacked by a dog than both robbers and bears combined.
4.5 million American dog bite victims per year ,
345,031 cases of robbery, including aggravated robbery, armed robbery, mugging, highway robbery, carjacking and extortion, reported in 2013


https://dogbitelaw.com/dog-bite-statistics/all-dog-bite-statistics
https://www.reference.com/government-politics/many-people-robbed-year-90b30b6e353b80b4

 

[Glongpre]

Dogs, because they will distract that bear, or robber to save you.

So badass.

This cat isn't having any of it.
You are far more likely to be attacked by a dog than both robbers and bears combined.

That cat is a boss.

And I feel that the stat is skewed, because of the number of each. If you go into a neighbourhood, how many dogs will be there compared to robbers and bears?
Dogs are still animals, we like to think we control them 100% but we don't. That said, a dog that is well taken care of is less likely to attack unprovoked.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Dogs, because they will distract that bear, or robber to save you.

So badass.

This cat isn't having any of it.
You are far more likely to be attacked by a dog than both robbers and bears combined.

That cat is a boss.

And I feel that the stat is skewed, because of the number of each. If you go into a neighbourhood, how many dogs will be there compared to robbers and bears?
Dogs are still animals, we like to think we control them 100% but we don't. That said, a dog that is well taken care of is less likely to attack unprovoked.

Of course there are far more dogs than bears and robbers, however, even playful sweet dogs bite while playing, it is in their nature to do so. I raised 6 dogs growing up, and one had to be put down for attacking a baby. A smaller dog that had never so much as growled or barked at anyone out of nowhere attacked a baby and luckily everyone was right there to make sure the baby survived with stitches, unlike my sister's nephew who was actually eaten alive at 7 years old playing in his own yard by the neighbors 2 pit pulls that had gotten out. Yes, less likely, but no way you can really know until it happens.
I have cats now.. so much easier and they use and flush the toilet too.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Dogs, because they will distract that bear, or robber to save you.

So badass.

This cat isn't having any of it.
You are far more likely to be attacked by a dog than both robbers and bears combined.

That cat is a boss.

And I feel that the stat is skewed, because of the number of each. If you go into a neighbourhood, how many dogs will be there compared to robbers and bears?
Dogs are still animals, we like to think we control them 100% but we don't. That said, a dog that is well taken care of is less likely to attack unprovoked.

Of course there are far more dogs than bears and robbers, however, even playful sweet dogs bite while playing, it is in their nature to do so. I raised 6 dogs growing up, and one had to be put down for attacking a baby. A smaller dog that had never so much as growled or barked at anyone out of nowhere attacked a baby and luckily everyone was right there to make sure the baby survived with stitches, unlike my sister's nephew who was actually eaten alive at 7 years old playing in his own yard by the neighbors 2 pit pulls that had gotten out. Yes, less likely, but no way you can really know until it happens.
I have cats now.. so much easier and they use and flush the toilet too.

That's a pretty cool clip, though I am disappointed by the lack of professionalism from the humans talking like...I don't know, teenagers? Is that news cast always like that?
Anyhow, people often seem to treat raising cats completely different due to expectations and allow their felines to become withdrawn, fearful or just not able to trust humans. You can raise loving cats if you show them respect and affectionate care, it really isn't difficult, but people assume certain stereotypes and kind of feed that by playing into it. I love both cats and dogs, being brought up around various animals, but am disheartened to see assumptions feeding reality that leads to less positive lives for many pets. That pitbull incident sounds horrifying...some humans shouldn't be allowed anywhere near animals, when they don't see them as more than status symbols. There is a film called Tyrannosaur that touches on that subject amongst others, it isn't the focus, but it is certainly memorable and emotional.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Dogs, because they will distract that bear, or robber to save you.

So badass.

This cat isn't having any of it.
You are far more likely to be attacked by a dog than both robbers and bears combined.

That cat is a boss.

And I feel that the stat is skewed, because of the number of each. If you go into a neighbourhood, how many dogs will be there compared to robbers and bears?
Dogs are still animals, we like to think we control them 100% but we don't. That said, a dog that is well taken care of is less likely to attack unprovoked.

Of course there are far more dogs than bears and robbers, however, even playful sweet dogs bite while playing, it is in their nature to do so. I raised 6 dogs growing up, and one had to be put down for attacking a baby. A smaller dog that had never so much as growled or barked at anyone out of nowhere attacked a baby and luckily everyone was right there to make sure the baby survived with stitches, unlike my sister's nephew who was actually eaten alive at 7 years old playing in his own yard by the neighbors 2 pit pulls that had gotten out. Yes, less likely, but no way you can really know until it happens.
I have cats now.. so much easier and they use and flush the toilet too.

That's a pretty cool clip, though I am disappointed by the lack of professionalism from the humans talking like...I don't know, teenagers? Is that news cast always like that?
Anyhow, people often seem to treat raising cats completely different due to expectations and allow their felines to become withdrawn, fearful or just not able to trust humans. You can raise loving cats if you show them respect and affectionate care, it really isn't difficult, but people assume certain stereotypes and kind of feed that by playing into it. I love both cats and dogs, being brought up around various animals, but am disheartened to see assumptions feeding reality that leads to less positive lives for many pets. That pitbull incident sounds horrifying...some humans shouldn't be allowed anywhere near animals, when they don't see them as more than status symbols. There is a film called Tyrannosaur that touches on that subject amongst others, it isn't the focus, but it is certainly memorable and emotional.

I have never really understood why people think cats are hard to train, antisocial or any of those things. I have always treated animals like family and they have always been very easy to get along with. My cats are not declawed and do not even scratch anything they are not supposed to because I told them not to and gave them something and told them that was okay to scratch. They understand far more than people realize and love to be social with other cats when raised that way. I usually do not even have to tell them twice not to do something and they wont do it again.

Yea, I remember reading a while back that humans captured and forcefully domesticated dogs and cats just started hanging out with humans and were not forced or captured so it happened more naturally. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs too, just it is pretty impossible to make sure a dog never bites, especially when they get old and grouchy, it is just unpredictable since they have to overcome their natural instinct to bite to not bite.

What happened to my sister's nephew was pretty horrific. The owners of the dogs that killed him were sent to prison, but the reality is for many of these attacks, the owners just do not understand, they are just ignorant of what happens when you keep dogs like that. So many people here just allow dogs to go out without a leash or just try to keep dogs in a fence or the house when dogs can dig, break fences or even jump over some of them. My friend's Doberman actually jumped THROUGH the glass window breaking it to attack a rottweiler and his owner walking down the street, and no one knows why. I am not really sure what people could be thinking to keep a dangerous dog like pits. Even the small gentle family raised around children dogs can still bite, they just usually do a lot less damage because they were not specifically bred to kill as some breeds are. People often want to always dismiss it as the owners, but in the case with dogs such as Pits, it is the breed. All dogs can bite but pits were bred to kill.

http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs-pit-bull-myths.php

 

[Droopie]

I have never really understood why people think cats are hard to train, antisocial or any of those things. I have always treated animals like family and they have always been very easy to get along with. My cats are not declawed and do not even scratch anything they are not supposed to because I told them not to and gave them something and told them that was okay to scratch. They understand far more than people realize and love to be social with other cats when raised that way. I usually do not even have to tell them twice not to do something and they wont do it again.

Yea, I remember reading a while back that humans captured and forcefully domesticated dogs and cats just started hanging out with humans and were not forced or captured so it happened more naturally. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs too, just it is pretty impossible to make sure a dog never bites, especially when they get old and grouchy, it is just unpredictable since they have to overcome their natural instinct to bite to not bite.

What happened to my sister's nephew was pretty horrific. The owners of the dogs that killed him were sent to prison, but the reality is for many of these attacks, the owners just do not understand, they are just ignorant of what happens when you keep dogs like that. So many people here just allow dogs to go out without a leash or just try to keep dogs in a fence or the house when dogs can dig, break fences or even jump over some of them. My friend's Doberman actually jumped THROUGH the glass window breaking it to attack a rottweiler and his owner walking down the street, and no one knows why. I am not really sure what people could be thinking to keep a dangerous dog like pits. Even the small gentle family raised around children dogs can still bite, they just usually do a lot less damage because they were not specifically bred to kill as some breeds are. People often want to always dismiss it as the owners, but in the case with dogs such as Pits, it is the breed. All dogs can bite but pits were bred to kill.

http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs-pit-bull-myths.php

That ease with training cats is pretty unusual. I've had about four cats and only the most recent one has been responsive to training, and I think that has more to do with his own personality than anything I've done with him. He just doesn't like destroying things, and any time he's knocked something over, he's realized we don't like it and is more careful in the future. He's a good cat. My other cats were not like this. They scratched the furniture just as much as their scratching posts and weren't distracted by redirection or training. They did not train easily, and I think this is a very common problem for cat owners.

Can you train a cat to never bite? No--I don't think that's something you can teach of any animal. But biting is very, very rarely an unprovoked behavior, and should be predictable provided your animal is well-trained. If the dog bites, it is almost always the owner's fault.

It sounds like the people you hang around with don't know how to control their animals. That does not mean dogs, or any type of dog, should not be kept as a pet. It means they need to learn the responsibility of caring for an animal. The animal should not be blamed for someone else's inability to take care of it.

Aggression is learned in pit bulls just as it is in any other breed. They are not inherently aggressive animals.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I have never really understood why people think cats are hard to train, antisocial or any of those things. I have always treated animals like family and they have always been very easy to get along with. My cats are not declawed and do not even scratch anything they are not supposed to because I told them not to and gave them something and told them that was okay to scratch. They understand far more than people realize and love to be social with other cats when raised that way. I usually do not even have to tell them twice not to do something and they wont do it again.

Yea, I remember reading a while back that humans captured and forcefully domesticated dogs and cats just started hanging out with humans and were not forced or captured so it happened more naturally. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs too, just it is pretty impossible to make sure a dog never bites, especially when they get old and grouchy, it is just unpredictable since they have to overcome their natural instinct to bite to not bite.

What happened to my sister's nephew was pretty horrific. The owners of the dogs that killed him were sent to prison, but the reality is for many of these attacks, the owners just do not understand, they are just ignorant of what happens when you keep dogs like that. So many people here just allow dogs to go out without a leash or just try to keep dogs in a fence or the house when dogs can dig, break fences or even jump over some of them. My friend's Doberman actually jumped THROUGH the glass window breaking it to attack a rottweiler and his owner walking down the street, and no one knows why. I am not really sure what people could be thinking to keep a dangerous dog like pits. Even the small gentle family raised around children dogs can still bite, they just usually do a lot less damage because they were not specifically bred to kill as some breeds are. People often want to always dismiss it as the owners, but in the case with dogs such as Pits, it is the breed. All dogs can bite but pits were bred to kill.

http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs-pit-bull-myths.php

That ease with training cats is pretty unusual. I've had about four cats and only the most recent one has been responsive to training, and I think that has more to do with his own personality than anything I've done with him. He just doesn't like destroying things, and any time he's knocked something over, he's realized we don't like it and is more careful in the future. He's a good cat. My other cats were not like this. They scratched the furniture just as much as their scratching posts and weren't distracted by redirection or training. They did not train easily, and I think this is a very common problem for cat owners.

Can you train a cat to never bite? No--I don't think that's something you can teach of any animal. But biting is very, very rarely an unprovoked behavior, and should be predictable provided your animal is well-trained. If the dog bites, it is almost always the owner's fault.

It sounds like the people you hang around with don't know how to control their animals. That does not mean dogs, or any type of dog, should not be kept as a pet. It means they need to learn the responsibility of caring for an animal. The animal should not be blamed for someone else's inability to take care of it.

Aggression is learned in pit bulls just as it is in any other breed. They are not inherently aggressive animals.

I have raised cats, dogs, ferrets, lizards, frogs, turtles, rabbits, goats, pony's, scorpions, birds, spiders, deer and more.. Cats are not difficult to train, I have trained numerous different breeds and mixed breeds, it is just a matter of how you train them is different than other animals. You just do it in a different way than you train dogs. I grew up in the country with many animals, so have experience with a great variety of different types. Most of my cats growing up were outdoor country cats ( like more than 30), but have had 8 different indoor cats of different breeds, and currently still have 3 right now and have been able to train them all pretty easy, it just takes consistency and I think it has much to do with how you instruct them and show them what is expected and not yell at them or punish them harshly. Cats are not trained in the same manner as dogs.

Myth #1: It's the owner not the breed
http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs-pit-bull-myths.php

Nature vs. nurture
Every animal behaviorist and veterinary expert who responded fell on the same side of this debate. Yes, some dogs naturally have a more aggressive temperment. But pit bulls and Rottweilers were only the larger breeds on the list; surprisingly, many small breeds also appeared.
Dachshunds
Jack Russell Terriers
Cocker Spaniels
Pekingese
Beagles
Chihuahuas
While these smaller dogs are less likely to be responsible for a fatal attack, they?re just as likely, if not more likely, to bite or attack. The real key for any dog is training.

Colleen Safford, one of New York City?s most well-known dog trainers and the mother of three young kids, tells us that within each breed, and indeed, within each litter, there is a wide range of temperaments. Some breeds were certainly bred for specific tasks, some of which may require that they be more aggressive (and bred to be that way).

She explains, ?Nature and nurture go hand in hand. I tell all my clients we cannot ignore a dog?s natural tendencies (as an individual within a breed), but the larger part of how dogs develop over time is through their early learning experiences and associations. Like humans, however, all dogs are born with their own set of strengths and weaknesses.?
http://www.sheknows.com/pets-and-animals/articles/986001/the-truth-about-aggressive-dog-breeds

There are aggressive breeds just as there are increased damage caused by the breed. When a cockerspanial bites a grown man he can usually fight it off pretty easy, but when an American Pit bull bites a man, they could be killed because those were bred to be able to take down large animals, even bulls and bears. There is a huge difference about the amount of damage those animals do compared to others, thus why there are so many deaths and serious injuries caused by them.

That is a myth about biting. Dogs do not bite because of their owners, they bite because that is their instinct to do so. Dogs do not rarely bite, they usually bite, and often, they usually do not do much damage and bite even in play and often do not necessarily even have to bite other animals or people, but can also just bite toys or objects instead and are trained to suppress this instinctive behaviors and not to bite. Depending on the breed and environment of the dog, they just either bite more or bite less.

No, the people I hang around know very well how to keep " their pets", people are just far more frequently ignorant in general about what those pets are capable of. Most people do not think their dog jumping through a glass window in their home and breaking it like something out of Cujo would even be possible. It IS possible if the dog feels that threatened and is large enough to do so in the same manner that a mother can lift a car to save her child. You wouldn't think a mother could lift a car to get it off their child, but they do these things when emotionally moved enough to do so, and there is no way to really predict that as well.

Small children and infants should never be left alone with a dog, no matter how trusting you are of that dog. Dogs have emotions too, they can become angry, sad, protective and jealous and you are not able to really know all of what may set them off ahead of time. They can be the most loving and loyal family member, and then out of nowhere bite someone because they were jealous, angry, startled, possessive, scared or when they are ill or old. It should never be taken for granted that they "don't act like they are going to bite someone" or that you " know that your dog would "never do that" and leave them alone with children too small to defend themselves or get away. These things often happen when you least expect it. Just like humans, they can have things like a brain tumor or health issues that may change their personality as well, and in the case of a dog, that can be devastating if it just so happens when a child is alone with them.

From 2005- 2015
In 2005, there were 29 dog attack fatalities in the US, 13 of those fatalities did not confirm Pit bulls, either the dogs breed was unknown or another type of dog such as Rottweiler ( next most common for attack) German Shepherd or other known large, aggressive dog. In the remaining 16 fatalities, they were confirmed Pit bulls involved.

2006, there were 31 fatalities, 17 of those were confirmed pit bulls.
2007, there were 34 fatalities, 20 of those were confirmed pit bulls.
2008, there were 23 fatalities, 14 of those were confirmed pit bulls.
2009, there were 31 fatalities, 14 of those were confirmed pit bulls.

2010, there were 37 fatalities, 15 of those were confirmed pit bulls.
2011, there were 33 fatalities, 20 of those were confirmed pit bulls.
2012, there were 35 fatalities, 20 of those were confirmed pit bulls.
2013, there were 31 fatalities, 26 of those were confirmed pit bulls.
2014, there were 34 Fatalities, 21 of those were confirmed pit bulls.
2015, there were 34 fatalities, 27 of those were confirmed pit bulls.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States

There are a great number of large dog breeds in the US, however, it is of no coincidence that the vast majority of fatalities from dog attacks in the US are caused by American Pit bulls and Rottweilers. The difference is when these dogs bite they inflict horrific damage and are far more likely to result in death vs other types of dogs biting you. Dog are living creatures and like with all living creatures we cannot control their every action as they will often do the unexpected. Our jobs as those who take responsibility to care for them is to ensure that no one can be harmed and do not leave dogs alone near those who cannot defend themselves and make sure we do not allow animals that can actually kill or seriously injure someone around people or other animals that they can kill or seriously injure. Being responsible means to make sure that NEVER happens, not that it only happens 30 or so times a year....

 

[Vicarious Reality]

I like dinosaurs

 

[Glongpre]

snipple

Why you gotta be so anti-dog? Haha but I don't know what this has to do with the OP. Dog's are still badass.

A shark will bite stuff too, and yet I don't see you bringing up a bunch of stats on them.

Unless you are trying to say cats are more badass than dogs, in which case I would say, according to that one video, they can be. I am still impressed by that cat.

And Pits and such were bred to attack and guard. As long as people breed them to be this way, they will continue to be dangerous when they go instinctual. But then something must be said about the kind of owners who get this dog, and for what purpose. And that likely contributes to how that dog acts as well.
And cats attack people as well, they just aren't big or strong enough to do anything really significant.
Shit, now I am going off topic.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Dogs, because they will distract that bear, or robber to save you.

So badass.

This cat isn't having any of it.
You are far more likely to be attacked by a dog than both robbers and bears combined.

That cat is a boss.

And I feel that the stat is skewed, because of the number of each. If you go into a neighbourhood, how many dogs will be there compared to robbers and bears?
Dogs are still animals, we like to think we control them 100% but we don't. That said, a dog that is well taken care of is less likely to attack unprovoked.

Of course there are far more dogs than bears and robbers, however, even playful sweet dogs bite while playing, it is in their nature to do so. I raised 6 dogs growing up, and one had to be put down for attacking a baby. A smaller dog that had never so much as growled or barked at anyone out of nowhere attacked a baby and luckily everyone was right there to make sure the baby survived with stitches, unlike my sister's nephew who was actually eaten alive at 7 years old playing in his own yard by the neighbors 2 pit pulls that had gotten out. Yes, less likely, but no way you can really know until it happens.
I have cats now.. so much easier and they use and flush the toilet too.

That's a pretty cool clip, though I am disappointed by the lack of professionalism from the humans talking like...I don't know, teenagers? Is that news cast always like that?
Anyhow, people often seem to treat raising cats completely different due to expectations and allow their felines to become withdrawn, fearful or just not able to trust humans. You can raise loving cats if you show them respect and affectionate care, it really isn't difficult, but people assume certain stereotypes and kind of feed that by playing into it. I love both cats and dogs, being brought up around various animals, but am disheartened to see assumptions feeding reality that leads to less positive lives for many pets. That pitbull incident sounds horrifying...some humans shouldn't be allowed anywhere near animals, when they don't see them as more than status symbols. There is a film called Tyrannosaur that touches on that subject amongst others, it isn't the focus, but it is certainly memorable and emotional.

I have never really understood why people think cats are hard to train, antisocial or any of those things. I have always treated animals like family and they have always been very easy to get along with. My cats are not declawed and do not even scratch anything they are not supposed to because I told them not to and gave them something and told them that was okay to scratch. They understand far more than people realize and love to be social with other cats when raised that way. I usually do not even have to tell them twice not to do something and they wont do it again.

Yea, I remember reading a while back that humans captured and forcefully domesticated dogs and cats just started hanging out with humans and were not forced or captured so it happened more naturally. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs too, just it is pretty impossible to make sure a dog never bites, especially when they get old and grouchy, it is just unpredictable since they have to overcome their natural instinct to bite to not bite.

What happened to my sister's nephew was pretty horrific. The owners of the dogs that killed him were sent to prison, but the reality is for many of these attacks, the owners just do not understand, they are just ignorant of what happens when you keep dogs like that. So many people here just allow dogs to go out without a leash or just try to keep dogs in a fence or the house when dogs can dig, break fences or even jump over some of them. My friend's Doberman actually jumped THROUGH the glass window breaking it to attack a rottweiler and his owner walking down the street, and no one knows why. I am not really sure what people could be thinking to keep a dangerous dog like pits. Even the small gentle family raised around children dogs can still bite, they just usually do a lot less damage because they were not specifically bred to kill as some breeds are. People often want to always dismiss it as the owners, but in the case with dogs such as Pits, it is the breed. All dogs can bite but pits were bred to kill.

http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs-pit-bull-myths.php

It could be that the people wanting Pitts are often trying to achieve a certain appearance to others as a person to fear. I know in this country at least, there is a distinct correlation between the people that look to own Pitts, and their unsavoury reasons for seeking them in the first place. Other breeds that have bad names do have many examples of gentle, harmless types when brought up around more accepting environments. But I personally have no experience with dealing Pitts as of yet, so cannot assume, and with such a terrible occurrence for your sister's child, with lax regulation in that area of law, I understand the need for as much knowledge and caution as possible. It pays to be careful there, it's a shame that it often takes a tragic loss before owners learn of their full responsibility behind their choices.

That Doberman sounds nuts...a family member of mine had a massive Doberman that lived a long, happy life...the only person he was agitated by was the postman, poor guy/lady! But those dogs can jump impressively and it doesn't surprise that glass won't stop them. Still must have been a mad experience, though there has to be something that lead to such a sudden reaction. Not all owners are willing to be completely honest and open about themselves or their pets.

With the cats, they have a lot more expressions to read than dogs. I think I read somewhere it's an estimated 100 more than dogs, pretty much due to their circular ear movement, which change due to what they intend to percieve in the environment, based on whatever stimulus they're experiencing. Which dogs do also, but nowhere near capable of achieving or requiring the same variation due to their evolutionary need. And from experience, it is possible to read particularly unique expressions from cats to better evaluate what they're feeling. It is like a more mutual respect than the constant, undying emotional co-dependence that some dog owners seek, then often regret further down the line. Both are potentially lovely companions, but they serve different human desires that many people aren't of aware of till sufficient introspection has occurred. Am certainly rambling now, sorry!

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

snipple

Why you gotta be so anti-dog? Haha but I don't know what this has to do with the OP. Dog's are still badass.

A shark will bite stuff too, and yet I don't see you bringing up a bunch of stats on them.

Unless you are trying to say cats are more badass than dogs, in which case I would say, according to that one video, they can be. I am still impressed by that cat.

And Pits and such were bred to attack and guard. As long as people breed them to be this way, they will continue to be dangerous when they go instinctual. But then something must be said about the kind of owners who get this dog, and for what purpose. And that likely contributes to how that dog acts as well.
And cats attack people as well, they just aren't big or strong enough to do anything really significant.
Shit, now I am going off topic.

I am not " anti dog" I love dogs, I am just not going to ignore what they are capable of and pretend that I should leave them alone with children. I love Lions, Tigers and bears too, and view them pretty much the same way. They can be loving loyal and amazing animals, but never should you forget what they are capable of, even when they give you a hug.
Lions, just like dogs are very loving, fiercely loyal, intelligent animals, but depending on their capabilities, can rip someone apart so of course should not be taken for granted. Now given there is a huge difference between the damage a Chihuahua and pit bull can actually do, so the caution that has to be taken between both greatly varies, but yes they both will bite and you would't leave alone with a infant.

(I don't see the need to bring up sharks stats because no one attempts to say that sharks are harmless and tries to leave sharks alone with children or let them roam around their neighborhood freely. HAHA)

Cats are pretty ingenuitive animals. They will use tools, set traps or jump like a ninja like that one in the video to get the job done. They tend to think ahead more than dogs do. Some of the crazy things I have seen cats do is insane. One tomcat we had growing up lured 2 German shepherds to chase him into a tree and he jumped down and blinded one entirely and half blinded the other jumping out of the tree onto their faces. He was riding the dogs face while the dog was trying to flee scratching out it's eyes. The neighbor who owned the dogs actually called my house and told them he was going to sue my family over the damages to his dogs, that he let roam freely onto our property that were attacking our animals, when my mother told him that she could legally have his dogs put down in this state for the attack on our animals and he shut up about it. Yes one of his dogs was blinded for life and the other half blind over the attack.

Cats can cause devastating injuries as well, but are far less likely to unless they are fighting for their lives or defending their loved ones as well so it is far less likely to happen since they will usually try to flee if not in their own territory if possible instead. In their own territory,however, that this their property and they very well may fight to the death to defend it.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Dogs, because they will distract that bear, or robber to save you.

So badass.

This cat isn't having any of it.
You are far more likely to be attacked by a dog than both robbers and bears combined.

That cat is a boss.

And I feel that the stat is skewed, because of the number of each. If you go into a neighbourhood, how many dogs will be there compared to robbers and bears?
Dogs are still animals, we like to think we control them 100% but we don't. That said, a dog that is well taken care of is less likely to attack unprovoked.

Of course there are far more dogs than bears and robbers, however, even playful sweet dogs bite while playing, it is in their nature to do so. I raised 6 dogs growing up, and one had to be put down for attacking a baby. A smaller dog that had never so much as growled or barked at anyone out of nowhere attacked a baby and luckily everyone was right there to make sure the baby survived with stitches, unlike my sister's nephew who was actually eaten alive at 7 years old playing in his own yard by the neighbors 2 pit pulls that had gotten out. Yes, less likely, but no way you can really know until it happens.
I have cats now.. so much easier and they use and flush the toilet too.

That's a pretty cool clip, though I am disappointed by the lack of professionalism from the humans talking like...I don't know, teenagers? Is that news cast always like that?
Anyhow, people often seem to treat raising cats completely different due to expectations and allow their felines to become withdrawn, fearful or just not able to trust humans. You can raise loving cats if you show them respect and affectionate care, it really isn't difficult, but people assume certain stereotypes and kind of feed that by playing into it. I love both cats and dogs, being brought up around various animals, but am disheartened to see assumptions feeding reality that leads to less positive lives for many pets. That pitbull incident sounds horrifying...some humans shouldn't be allowed anywhere near animals, when they don't see them as more than status symbols. There is a film called Tyrannosaur that touches on that subject amongst others, it isn't the focus, but it is certainly memorable and emotional.

I have never really understood why people think cats are hard to train, antisocial or any of those things. I have always treated animals like family and they have always been very easy to get along with. My cats are not declawed and do not even scratch anything they are not supposed to because I told them not to and gave them something and told them that was okay to scratch. They understand far more than people realize and love to be social with other cats when raised that way. I usually do not even have to tell them twice not to do something and they wont do it again.

Yea, I remember reading a while back that humans captured and forcefully domesticated dogs and cats just started hanging out with humans and were not forced or captured so it happened more naturally. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs too, just it is pretty impossible to make sure a dog never bites, especially when they get old and grouchy, it is just unpredictable since they have to overcome their natural instinct to bite to not bite.

What happened to my sister's nephew was pretty horrific. The owners of the dogs that killed him were sent to prison, but the reality is for many of these attacks, the owners just do not understand, they are just ignorant of what happens when you keep dogs like that. So many people here just allow dogs to go out without a leash or just try to keep dogs in a fence or the house when dogs can dig, break fences or even jump over some of them. My friend's Doberman actually jumped THROUGH the glass window breaking it to attack a rottweiler and his owner walking down the street, and no one knows why. I am not really sure what people could be thinking to keep a dangerous dog like pits. Even the small gentle family raised around children dogs can still bite, they just usually do a lot less damage because they were not specifically bred to kill as some breeds are. People often want to always dismiss it as the owners, but in the case with dogs such as Pits, it is the breed. All dogs can bite but pits were bred to kill.

http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs-pit-bull-myths.php

It could be that the people wanting Pitts are often trying to achieve a certain appearance to others as a person to fear. I know in this country at least, there is a distinct correlation between the people that look to own Pitts, and their unsavoury reasons for seeking them in the first place. Other breeds that have bad names do have many examples of gentle, harmless types when brought up around more accepting environments. But I personally have no experience with dealing Pitts as of yet, so cannot assume, and with such a terrible occurrence for your sister's child, with lax regulation in that area of law, I understand the need for as much knowledge and caution as possible. It pays to be careful there, it's a shame that it often takes a tragic loss before owners learn of their full responsibility behind their choices.

That Doberman sounds nuts...a family member of mine had a massive Doberman that lived a long, happy life...the only person he was agitated by was the postman, poor guy/lady! But those dogs can jump impressively and it doesn't surprise that glass won't stop them. Still must have been a mad experience, though there has to be something that lead to such a sudden reaction. Not all owners are willing to be completely honest and open about themselves or their pets.

With the cats, they have a lot more expressions to read than dogs. I think I read somewhere it's an estimated 100 more than dogs, pretty much due to their circular ear movement, which change due to what they intend to percieve in the environment, based on whatever stimulus they're experiencing. Which dogs do also, but nowhere near capable of achieving or requiring the same variation due to their evolutionary need. And from experience, it is possible to read particularly unique expressions from cats to better evaluate what they're feeling. It is like a more mutual respect than the constant, undying emotional co-dependence that some dog owners seek, then often regret further down the line. Both are potentially lovely companions, but they serve different human desires that many people aren't of aware of till sufficient introspection has occurred. Am certainly rambling now, sorry!

Yes, it is sad that people often get animals for the wrong reasons rather than actual concern for the animal. Animals should not be seen as a status symbol or ever got " for protection" but instead as a companion, a friend and family member you would never want harmed. Most loving dog owners would never want their dog to be injured or harmed trying to protect them so they train them to not do so under any circumstances. I would be horrified if any of my pets were killed trying to protect me. All that will happen to a dog trying to defend their owner is the dog will be needlessly harmed or killed in most cases. I would not want my dog being shot over me, I care for animals too much to have that happen.

Yea, my friends doberman was usually a very friendly dog, I used to bathe it and he was a big spoiled baby with lots of toys. It was very protective by nature though. It looked like he would " march around the perimeter" like a guard with his head up daily and take notice and alert to any little thing out of the ordinary, and that is what they think happened that day. The guy was new to the neighborhood with a massive rot and was walking him on the sidewalk in front of their home when he burst through the glass. It was out of the ordinary, and the first time the guy had walked the dog in front of their home. Their doberman must have taken it as direct threat and felt he had to defend at all costs. It was terrible, and luckily the guy didn't sue them for damages and was just as shocked as they were considering he kept his huge rot in the house as well thinking that was enough but after seeing that he added protection to ensure his dog could not break out his windows as well and their doberman was put down in accordance to state law here.
Most people think that the house is enough to hold them and do not give the windows a second thought when they really should if it is a large and muscular dog. They are far more powerful than people realize.

Cats are more intelligent than most realize, they use tools, set traps and think ahead. They do not view you as their boss and that makes it harder for some people to deal with. It is a mutual respect, and they really understand much more than most realize. They will be resentful if they feel you are belittling them and intentionally ignore people they do not respect. Some have a harder time dealing with them due to them being more complicated, but once you learn to communicate well with them and reach an understanding they are easy. The best you can hope in terms of "obedience" I think is them viewing you the same as they do their mother cat. If you interact with them the same way their mother does and raise them from kittens, they are usually far more cooperative than if you come in later and they view you as " some schmuck who thinks their cool" . In that case, it isn't going to go very well for you.. that is when they do things like piss in your shoes on purpose to keep you in check. My friends girlfriend's cat used to torture him on purpose and it was so obvious about how he felt about him. You could just see the look of contempt on that cats face when it looked at him., He had no respect for him and thought he was total schmuck. and didn't even try to hide it.

 

[Droopie]

Most of my cats growing up were outdoor country cats ( like more than 30), but have had 8 different indoor cats of different breeds, and currently still have 3 right now and have been able to train them all pretty easy, it just takes consistency and I think it has much to do with how you instruct them and show them what is expected and not yell at them or punish them harshly. Cats are not trained in the same manner as dogs.

It would make sense that the issue is in the fact that many people expect cats to be trained in the same way as dogs, which is why most people are unable to train their cats successfully.

Most people do not think their dog jumping through a glass window in their home and breaking it like something out of Cujo would even be possible. It IS possible if the dog feels that threatened and is large enough to do so in the same manner that a mother can lift a car to save her child.

Why was the dog in a position where it felt that threatened?

From 2005- 2015
In 2005, there were 29 dog attack fatalities in the US, 13 of those fatalities did not confirm Pit bulls, either the dogs breed was unknown or another type of dog such as Rottweiler ( next most common for attack) German Shepherd or other known large, aggressive dog. In the remaining 16 fatalities, they were confirmed Pit bulls involved.

[snipping out the statistics to save posting space]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States

There are a great number of large dog breeds in the US, however, it is of no coincidence that the vast majority of fatalities from dog attacks in the US are caused by American Pit bulls and Rottweilers.

Well I spent a bit of time looking up counterarguments for this, but most of them I found were dubious at best. So that follows up on this bit from your post earlier:

I am not really sure what people could be thinking to keep a dangerous dog like pits.

Because we're misinformed.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Most of my cats growing up were outdoor country cats ( like more than 30), but have had 8 different indoor cats of different breeds, and currently still have 3 right now and have been able to train them all pretty easy, it just takes consistency and I think it has much to do with how you instruct them and show them what is expected and not yell at them or punish them harshly. Cats are not trained in the same manner as dogs.

It would make sense that the issue is in the fact that many people expect cats to be trained in the same way as dogs, which is why most people are unable to train their cats successfully.

Most people do not think their dog jumping through a glass window in their home and breaking it like something out of Cujo would even be possible. It IS possible if the dog feels that threatened and is large enough to do so in the same manner that a mother can lift a car to save her child.

Why was the dog in a position where it felt that threatened?

From 2005- 2015
In 2005, there were 29 dog attack fatalities in the US, 13 of those fatalities did not confirm Pit bulls, either the dogs breed was unknown or another type of dog such as Rottweiler ( next most common for attack) German Shepherd or other known large, aggressive dog. In the remaining 16 fatalities, they were confirmed Pit bulls involved.

[snipping out the statistics to save posting space]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States

There are a great number of large dog breeds in the US, however, it is of no coincidence that the vast majority of fatalities from dog attacks in the US are caused by American Pit bulls and Rottweilers.

Well I spent a bit of time looking up counterarguments for this, but most of them I found were dubious at best. So that follows up on this bit from your post earlier:

I am not really sure what people could be thinking to keep a dangerous dog like pits.

Because we're misinformed.

Dogs are territorial, the dog saw a stranger man and an unfamiliar large aggressive dog in it's deemed territory and defended it as far as we could tell why the dog attacked the guy walking his dog. The man walking his dog said that his dog had barked at a squirrel just prior to the attack. Not sure what else there is to tell about that. The Doberman was usually quite friendly and a big spoiled baby with lots of toys. When I would give that dog a bath he was not aggressive in any way normally. The only sign prior to that was that the dog walked the perimeter of the house on " guard duty" on his own.

 

[beyondbrainmatter]

This guy:

Spoiler

Deinococcus radiodurans [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinococcus_radiodurans].

 

[Telefonegun]

Honey badgers? Some tiny organisms? No, there is no "bad assery" in surviving the outer space even basic RNA can survive space, but why would you call it bad ass..

I have visited many wild life sanctuaries and parks around the world and the most bad ass animal that I have seen is the wolverine. There is a reason why Marvel named their most bad ass comic book character Wolverine and not a honey badger. It was in Alaska, there was this tour on big predators and you could see many of them from a safe place near (a log cabin with a big bullet proof glass windows). The guides would drop carcasses of animals etc mooses and people could watch how they get eaten. And there I saw it, a lone wolverine fending off multiple grizzly bears and packs of wolves. At first the wolves tried to get peaces of the moose but the wolverine wasn't having it and they left empty when the grizzlys arrived. I still remember the sound a grizzly made when the wolverine attacked it. The guide told that a bears only makes that noise when encountering wolverines. The bears only got to the carcass when the wolverine left, and the first one to eat was huge one. It must have weighted atleast 900lb. The guide told stories about how the American natives worshipped wolverine as their "maker god", and that even polar bears have been found dead when they have attacked wolverines.

Later on that trip while admiring the view on the summit of the Denali I found myself thinkin "that wolverine, holy shit".

I don't see this experience topped over until you can visit a real life Jurassic Park.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

The creature that single-handedly causes more human deaths than any other animal in Africa.

Other than humans. And mosquitos.

I'll give you the humans, but not the mosquitos, since it's the diseases they spread that cause the deaths, not the insects themselves.
A mosquito can do little to no harm to a human by itself.
That hippo, however, sure as hell can (and its bite probably gives you several nasty infections on top too).

Anyway, I'll put in another vote for tardigrades. Little bastards are virtually unkillable.

I'll also throw in koalas as a wildcard. They might look cute and fuzzy, but underneath that adorable appearance hides a destroyer of worlds.

Spoiler: Kind of like this

 

[Thaluikhain]

The creature that single-handedly causes more human deaths than any other animal in Africa.

Other than humans. And mosquitos.

I'll give you the humans, but not the mosquitos, since it's the diseases they spread that cause the deaths, not the insects themselves.
A mosquito can do little to no harm to a human by itself.

So...if I were to infect someone with a deadly disease, they should put the disease on trial, not me?

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

So...if I were to infect someone with a deadly disease, they should put the disease on trial, not me?

No, because a disease (or more precisely, the pathogen that causes the disease) cannot be held legally liable.

You, as a human being, do however have a legal responsibility to act with caution and care, and if you were to infect someone with a pathogen that can cause a lethal disease, then that could be grounds for getting sued and put on trial, depending on whether or not there is intent, among other factors. For example, you're a HIV carrier who is fully aware of that, have unprotected sex with someone without informing them of your condition, and end up infecting them. That could be grounds for a negligence claim. If you get some, say, ebola infected blood and intentionally inject someone with it, that would most likely be attempt at murder. If the infection happens accidentally and/or unwittingly though, that would complicate matters a lot.

As for mosquitos, they are the vector for the spread of infectious pathogens, not the cause of death. That would be the diseases those pathogens cause. The distinction may not matter much to the common joe, but it is there.

 

[pookie101]

im another for ants, but specifically the african siafu.

they are different from every other species of ant on the planet for the simple reason they see every other species on the planet that doesn't get out of the way as prey. every few months they swarm in columns of up to 50 M individuals and move through farm fields and peoples houses, normally cleaning up pests, etc

they have been known to kill people who are either bedridden or infants, usually by suffocation