Werewolves and pets

[Lupin]

Do you think that dogs should bark angrily whenever a werewolf in human form passes? I've seen that kindof thing a lot in movies; angry dogs, hissing cats, ect. I dont really think that a werewolf would keep any pets themselves. What do you think?

I dobut dogs would bark any more than normal if a werewolf in human form passes by. The famly dog shouldn't have any problem accepding a WW as the alpha dog, it already accepded a weird pink two-legged thing as one, at least a WW is a bit more canine. As for cats, my cats wouldn't care if I turned into a werewolf, just as long as I kept feeding them on a regular basis.

[Scott Gardener]

Cats and dogs are startled by something that's new or different.

Dogs would want to know right away how the heirarchy was, whether the person was above or below. The same is true with normal humans, and even with other animals. Not all dogs chase cats; a dog living with a cat will figure out pack relations with the cat. If the dog decides he's above the cat, he'll harass the cat in classic cartoon fashion from time to time. If not--be it the dog's inferiority complex or the cat's claws, the dog will yield and leave the cat alone or be friendly. A being who looks human but smells like a canine would easily get worked into the heirarchy, and most dogs probably would put an assertive being above them in the chain of command.

Cats are more introverted in general, but they also have a social heirarchy. I suspect they'd notice right away that something was different, but probably wouldn't prejudge, unless the cat already was predisposed towards thinking badly of either humans or canines. A cat who was once severely injured by a large dog might smell the canine within the lycanthrope and react accordingly. Otherwise, the usual rule of being overly friendly to people who hate cats and shying away from someone actively trying to pet the animal would apply.

[Jamie]

I see that most of us are assuming that pets and animals would know that something was up with a werewolf because they sensed both a human smell and a wolf smell on an individual.
If that is the only thing that animals are sensing about a werewolf, then pets, at least, would be most likely to react with curiousity. For example, there used to be a dog next door that I had often played with and petted. One time, I tried to pet him right after I had come from a place where I had been playing with a ferret. The dog at first tried to come to me like normal, but when I was close he got a puzzled and somewhat apprehensive look on his face. He hung back for a few seconds longer than normal, then he got frantic about sniffing my hands. He wanted to sniff and sniff and sniff, and he looked thoughtful while he was doing it. Of course, he'd probably never smelled anything like a ferret before. I suspect that, if I had had wolf smell on me instead, he would not have been quite so curious because it would be similar to the smell of another dog, something he knows about.
I've seen a similar, but less extreme, reaction in cats. When cats they don't know have been rubbing against my ankles, they are initially hesitant, but then they really want to sniff.
Of course, these are all pets that I've encountered before. I suppose that if I were meeting an animal for the first time and I had a strange smell on me, it might cause them to be more hostile or frightened. Also, it might not, depending on pet personality. Some animals are apt to be hostile or frightened towards anything new, and others are very laid-back towards just about everything.
Of course, any reaction might not show unless the werewolf got close, say within 5 feet, because until then an animal would probably assume that the human smell was coming from the human, and that the wolf smell was blowing in from a wolf that they could not see. The werewolf would have to get quite close before it would become obvious that both smells were coming from the same place.
The only other idea that I can remember seeing on this topic is that animals would know, not because of any smell, but because of the theory that animals are "psychic" or "sensitive" (you know, the whole theory that animals can see ghosts, spirits and fairies better than humans). In this case, it is generally thought that there is something devilish about the aura of a werewolf and that all animals are therefore terrified of it because they sense evil. This idea belongs to the realm of magical lycanthropy, and is generally associated with evil werewolves, so I would not expect it to be a part of Freeborn. If it appeared at all, it would be the smell idea, or it would not be explained, it would be a mystery.
If it was the smell idea, werewolves would be able to reduce or eliminate the risk of being exposed by bathing right after each shift, unless they exuded wolf smell in human form for some reason, in which case they wouldn't be able to help it.
Also, for plot purposes, strong reactions from all animals would be a dead giveaway of who was a werewolf and who wasn't, and most of us have already agreed in Human-form telltale signs that anything too obvious will be bad for the movie. So if animals did have reactions, they should be either mild or just present in some animals, so that they could be explained away.

[Lupin]

I've seen a similar, but less extreme, reaction in cats. When cats they don't know have been rubbing against my ankles, they are initially hesitant, but then they really want to sniff.

I have similar reactions with my cat, though it isn't so hesitant. If it smells something new on me, it will come up and sniff and sniff and sniff. There have been a couple of times where I have no idea that I touched anything at my cat will just come up and start sniffing.

[Terastas]

I have similar reactions with my cat, though it isn't so hesitant. If it smells something new on me, it will come up and sniff and sniff and sniff. There have been a couple of times where I have no idea that I touched anything at my cat will just come up and start sniffing.

The same thing happens with my mother's dog. Usually whenever I go back home for the weekend, it will run up to see who it is, then run back into whichever room it came from when it sees that it's me (my mother pampers the living crap out of that dog, so naturally it likes her a lot more than me). The only exception is when I grab a bite to eat just before going home; when I do that, she'll sniff at my hands before darting into the other room.

A werewolf might attract a lot of curiosity due to his unique smell, but except in the case of cats or small dogs that have a bad history with other canines, he'd be able to brush it off to his human piers as owning a dog or having salami for lunch. That might be a good incentive for someone to consider owning a dog -- if somebody's pet freaked out on you, it'd be pretty hard to blame it on your steak and cheese.

[Vicious]

I think whatever form i take, my cat would always know me. Such bonds can be strong.

[Fenrir]

My pets hate me so no matter what iam they will expect to be fed and then just walk away and hiss at me , and what do you mean **ck humanity I personally like humanity they made pizza and KFC and Chik-fil-a and steak!

[Shadow Wulf]

My pets hate me so no matter what iam they will expect to be fed and then just walk away and hiss at me , and what do you mean **ck humanity I personally like humanity they made pizza and KFC and Chik-fil-a and steak!

I work at KFC

[Fenrir]

I love KFC it's so good especially the popcorn chicken

I wish i could get a job somewhere like KFC or Chick-fil-a (i don't think anybody here knows what that is but if you have the chance you should go there ) so I can get money

[Lupin]

My pets hate me so no matter what iam they will expect to be fed and then just walk away and hiss at me

I wouldn't put up with that at all. Doesn't matter what form I'm in.

Chick-fil-a (i don't think anybody here knows what that is but if you have the chance you should go there )

I actually ate there last week.

[Fenrir]

Well actually one hates me(my sisters, i have a strange feeling she taught it do so) and the other just sleeps on me and won't move it gets anoying.

Yay i love chickfila it's so good

[Terastas]

I personally like humanity they made pizza and KFC and Chik-fil-a and steak!

*shrugs* Two out of three aint' bad (sorry, but KFC/Taco Bell does nothing good to me).

[Doruk Golcu]

Hmmmm... I always thought the 'animals freaking out' thing to be a reaction to a big predator nearby...

[Terastas]

Hmmmm... I always thought the 'animals freaking out' thing to be a reaction to a big predator nearby...

Or pretty much just anything they feel is invading their space. Dogs have a tendency to be territorial, especially since humans don't mark their territory in ways a dog can understand. That's why some dogs freak out and bark their heads off at every freakin' little thing.

[mielikkishunt]

I'm more concerned if my Borzoi(FKA Russian Wolfhounds) would try to take one down



That is (partially) what they were bred to hunt in the Mother land: big bad wolfies

[Celestialwolf]

A dog might bark at a werewolf, but that's simply because they bark at other canines period.

I lagree with that. Dogs would also bark at werewolves while they are in human form too IMO.

[Terastas]

TTT. Repeat topic deleted.

[Lupin]

You know there's a thread merge function you could have used there.

[Terastas]

You know there's a thread merge function you could have used there.

Yeah, but the only significant development in that thread was the link to this one.

[Curan]

Barking dogs are usually used in werewolf films as a tool of expression (I don't know the english word for "Stilmittel") of the evil beeing within the human shape of a werewolf.

Before the shifting occourses the werewolf is in human shape, thus his cells are almost human. That way the werewolf ought to have a common human scent. That's why I think that dogs, in spite of shown in werewolf films that often, wouldn't bark to werewolves in more intensity as to common humans.

[white]

However, keep in mind that a werewolf might have residual wolf scent from shifting, although unless the werewolf is in gestalt or full wolf form, pets etc. would probably just react like the do any time they smell another dog on someone.

[Curan]

However, keep in mind that a werewolf might have residual wolf scent from shifting, although unless the werewolf is in gestalt or full wolf form, pets etc. would probably just react like the do any time they smell another dog on someone.

Yes, I cpmpletely agree with you.

[Veruth]

However, keep in mind that a werewolf might have residual wolf scent from shifting, although unless the werewolf is in gestalt or full wolf form, pets etc. would probably just react like the do any time they smell another dog on someone.

Yes, I cpmpletely agree with you.

Yep, That's about what I was thinking too.

[bloodwolf_345]

Twisting this about a bit, if a person owns a pet and is later transformed into a Werewolf, wouldn't the new Werewolf still smell the same whether in human form or not. Animals tell alot by scent. Honestly I do not think that if pet sensed that there was a "foriegn animal" in the area and it sensed it was bigger/more powerful/dangerous, it would act subbordinately.

[Furya]

Do you think that dogs should bark angrily whenever a werewolf in human form passes? I've seen that kindof thing a lot in movies; angry dogs, hissing cats, ect. I dont really think that a werewolf would keep any pets themselves. What do you think?

DEFINATLY!