There are many debates in the world that will never be resolved.
Is Coke better than Pepsi? Is a chicken sandwich better than a bacon cheeseburger?
These are questions that have plagued mankind for a long time, and we may never know the answer.
But here at Doggie Training Centre, there is one thing we know - that in a cats vs dogs debate, we'll argue why dogs are better than cats in many ways.
In this ultimate guide, we will explore all the reasons why dogs make better pets than cats.
So sit back, relax, and prepare to be convinced that dogs are the superior pet!
Let's begin with the first reason why dogs are better than cats...
Dogs are loyal and always happy to see you
One of the best things about dogs is their unending loyalty.
Dogs will always be happy to see you, no matter what time of day or night it is.
They'll wag their tails and jump for joy when they see you, which is a sight that never gets old.
You could have come home from a really bad day - maybe your boss scolded you at work, you didn't do well for an assignment or your experiment failed.
All of that seems to melt away the moment you come home and your dog turns your face into mush as they wag their tails and bark at your return.
There are some cats who also greet their owners when they return with affection, but it's not as common as dogs who do.
Remember the story of Hachiko? That Akita Inu never left the station where it waited for its master who never came home.
That loyalty to the owners will be somewhat rarer in cats, indeed.
This leads us to the next point....
Dogs are great at listening
Another great thing about dogs is their ability to listen.
Dogs are always eager to please, and will hang on your every word in order to make sure they're doing things the way you want them to.
Do they always understand what you're saying? probably not, but dogs DO understand quite a big chunk of what we tell them (source)
But dogs being dogs, they'll never divulge your secret or get mad at your day's ranting - they just stare into your eyes lovingly as they lay on you.
Dogs provide companionship
One of the best things about having a dog is dogs provide companionship.
Dogs are always happy to go for walks with you, play fetch in the park, or just cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie.
Dogs provide an unending source of companionship, which is something that many cat owners find to be sorely lacking in their lives.
Here's also the fun part - if you have a dog and a cat at home, there is a high chance that your dog will also provide companionship to the cat.
That's just a dog being a dog - a lovebug for everything living in the house.
Some cats can be very affectionate, but they're not as constant in their love as dogs are - they'll disappear for days at a time and only come around.
If you have dogs after having a cat, the cat probably has a 50-50 chance of liking the dog - usually the dog will be terrified of the cat.
Such cats are also relatively rarer than dogs, who are mostly affectionate most of the time.
Simply put - if you want a pet that lazes with you (or on you) on a couch or on a bed, dogs make better companions on this.
Dogs are easier to train than cats
One of the biggest advantages that dogs have over cats is that they are much easier to train.
Dogs respond well to commands and learn quickly what you expect of them.
For most dogs, their ease of training starts right from birth, with their desire to please their owners (especially the case for Golden Retrievers).
Being easier to train also allows many different possibilities of dogs being in our lives and society at large, which is further discussed below.
Cats, on the other hand, can be very stubborn and often don't want to do what you ask them to.
This can make training them a frustrating experience - something most dog owners will never have to worry about.
Dogs tend to get lost less often
You'll (mostly) never have to worry about your dog getting lost or running away because they're always by your side.
Dogs are very loyal and will stay close to you no matter what.
There have been many cases of dogs being abused by their owners, but still stick by their side out of love, though many developed anxiety or increased aggression later on (source)
Although not all time as some dogs do get lost every now and then while having too much fun on their sniffing adventures...
Cats, on the other hand, are known for being independent and often wander off when they're not feeling like being around people.
Normally not a big deal, this can be a real problem if you live in a rural area or somewhere without many sidewalks - cats can easily get lost in such an environment.
Or worse - cats can be mistaken as feral and killed if they actively hunt and kill small livestock around farms.
Dogs are great for exercise
Dogs are great for exercise, because they need to be active.
Basically, dogs need to be exercised regularly in order to stay healthy both physically and mentally.
While some dog breeds are certainly more sedentary (like Chihuahuas), most dogs would prefer to run around the parks and smell things (or other people) and generally interact with the world.
When dogs need exercise, they'll get your attention by whatever means necessary.
The good part about dogs needing exercise? if they need to exercise, they'll need you to walk them.
If you need to walk them, it means you'll need to exercise.
This means you'll be maintaining your health and weight, compared to people who don't have dogs to force them out of the house for regular, daily walks.
The added benefit is that many dog owners find that their bond with their pet is greatly increased through regular walks and playing together.
A win-win for both parties!
It's a lot rarer to see people walk their cats than dogs - cats generally come and go as they please, and find their way around without human involvement.
As a fun fact, people are also beginning to walk dogs more because it makes them happy to see their canines happy (source)
Dogs can be trained to perform tricks or help out around the house
Dogs can also be trained to even help out around the house with household chores!
They can help you out with the groceries, bring in the mail or even help you cook dinner!
For example, many dogs can learn to help fetch you the newspaper from the mailman in the mornings - they'll be happy and eager to please you, as well as to meet a new person (the mailman).
There are also cases where owners train their dogs to help 'clean up' all their toys - by putting them back in their toy bin after use.
If you can train your cat to do some of that, please show us videos - we'd love to be wrong about this!
Dogs make great guard dogs
In general, dogs are great with guarding your home.
In centuries past, dogs have often been used as livestock guardians to defend against other predators like coyotes, bears and foxes.
They were also used to keep vigil in a camp, often barking and alerting the camp if there was danger approaching.
In desperate situations, dogs will protect their owners - with their lives, if need be.
so, do dogs protect their owners?
Yes. Very much so.
The same is true today - in some parts of the country, dogs are still being used as guard dogs.
In your homes, you'd realize that when someone unknown comes near your home at night, your dogs will automatically start barking to alert you.
This can be really useful for keeping your home safe from intruders.
So not much has changed in that respect all those centuries ago - such is the loyalty of dogs.
While dogs bark and get defensive when there's something wrong, cats just hide in general.
In fact, most cats will just hide under a bed or in a closet when they hear something strange going on.
This leaves your home vulnerable to thieves and other criminals.
Can cats protect you? Possibly!
But less reliably than when compared to a dog, most likely.
Let's just say... Cats don't make great guardians.
Dogs have far more beneficial uses to society than cats in general
While cats may be good for rodent control, that is about the extent of their usefulness.
Dogs have been successfully trained to do a great many things in society.
For example, many of these dogs today are trained and brought into the service of the military, and the police departments as k9 police dogs.
Other dogs benefit from being trackers and therapy dogs, bringing healing and comfort to people in need.
While emotional support cats are gaining popularity, you'll be hard pressed to find a military working cat... At least one that does tracking or even taking down bad guys with bites.
Dogs come in many shapes and sizes
Essentially, there is a dog for everyone.
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, which means that there is a dog out there for everyone.
Whether you're looking for a small lapdog or a big and burly guard dog, you can find the perfect pup to fit your needs.
Want a tiny yapper that loves you and hates people's ankles? Get the tiny, mighty Chihuahua!
If you prefer a tiny lapdog but fluffier and less bitey, consider the Pomeranian.
Or perhaps you prefer a cuddly bear. We recommend a St. Bernard, or a Great Pyrenees dog.
Want a loud hunting dog? You can find that in the adorable flappy ears of beagles.
Or if you're looking to fill your home with EVERY shape and size of dog, the dogs won't mind too - more dogs for the winter dogpile!
Cats, on the other hand, are generally pretty much all the same size but with different colors.
You could definitely argue that you can keep bigger cats like Servals or even Leopards - some people certainly do!
But not many states and regulations allow for that, and usually, these big cats may not do well with other big cats in a home.
Man's best friend
Dogs didn't earn the title of man's best friend for nothing - they have been around us for several thousand years, right from the end of the last ice age, about 11,000 years ago (source)
In fact, we've been with dogs for so long, dog DNA has been revealed to mirror us humans! (source)
Cats came far later into the picture, estimated to be when we started farming and entering the agrarian age at about 6,000 years ago (source)
We've come a long way with our canine buddies, and we still have a long time more to share our stories together.
Dogs just wanna have fun
Ultimately, a dog is like having a furry toddler of varying sizes.
And the dogs just wanna have fun.
They seemingly understand that life is short - much more so than ours, and want to spend every moment with us if time lets them.
Dogs rarely remember a grudge against people - even formerly abused dogs open up and love again, choosing to have fun with us in the present, rather than live in the past if trained properly again (source)
Dogs are better than humans
We've also heard this quite often - and it's no wonder.
Dogs have been displaying characteristics and behaviors that we humans have admired for a long time - courage, boundless love, and enjoying life to the fullest.
There are many reasons why dogs are better than humans, but we'll just pick the most important one.
They show us who we CAN be, rather than who we are. That alone made many people change for the better, and healed people.
Cats on the other hand show us an independent streak - an attitude that we call selfish.
It is also this attitude that most people take today - cold, proud and selfish toward other humans.
There is nothing wrong with that - but being aloof in society is sadly seen as a negative trait (even if it actually isn't!)
It's no wonder many people believe that dogs are better than cats, because many of us believe some dogs are better than humans.
Conclusion
Ultimately, we wrote this in good fun. To compare cats and dogs like this is like comparing apples to oranges.
However, we always hear this debate about dogs being better than cats, or cats being better than dogs.
That's also why we decided to do a 'dogs are better than cats' essay, but more lightheartedly.
In the end, the most important conclusion you should draw is - if you love cats, you should have cats as pets, and vice versa.
Remember that even though we do mention that dogs are extremely loyal, some cats are loyal too - as loyal as dogs.
In fact, a kitten raised among a pack of dogs at home would also make a cat think it's a dog!
Besides, no one gets a cat for it's dog-like characteristics - cats have a personality that dogs can't hope to match, and that's why cats can be better than dogs for some.
Or better yet, if you love both cats and dogs, get both! Though you might have a little bit of issues getting them to like each other initially before they merge into a fluff pile together.