# Do you think we could train or tame dinosaurs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140 "2025-02-10T17:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/1 "2025-02-10T17:31:12Z")
I have seen a few alligator acts where a guy puts his head in the beastie’s mouth but I’m not sure how well trained they really are. I don’t think I have seen one dance or do much in the way of a trick. Has anyone even tried to tame a Komodo dragon? On the other hand - birds can be taught to do an amazing variety of things. So which camp might the dinos fall into? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/2 "2025-02-10T17:38:18Z")
The ratites like ostriches and emus, are the birds closest to dinosaurs. They don’t exhibit much brightness like the Corvids (crow family) but yet are somewhat trainable. So I would guess some could take to training. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/3 "2025-02-10T17:41:46Z")
No reptiles are considered truly _domesticated_ in the way dogs, cats, horses, etc. are, correct? Even the (relatively) popular pet iguanas, bearded dragons, and snakes are considered tamed individual animals that are habituated to human handling, right? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/4 "2025-02-10T18:02:12Z")
But that raises the question of are dinosaurs closer to birds or reptiles. Science is leaning towards, closer to birds. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/5 "2025-02-10T18:07:11Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Science is leaning towards, closer to birds. Dinosaurs are a big group and modern birds derived from ancient theropods, but ornithischian critters like ankylosaurs & triceratops are about as far apart from that branch as they can be and still have “They’re both dinosaurs” be true. I wouldn’t read too much into “But we domesticated chickens and can teach ravens to do neat things”. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/6 "2025-02-10T18:07:42Z")
I rather doubt it. All the creatures we have really domesticated are mammals as far as I can see. I don’t know about the alligator acts… maybe the animal is drugged? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/7 "2025-02-10T18:10:59Z")
There was a documentary on this exact question [![](https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/a918b0f71219fc134efb644c093a4e9b553ce5c6/c=12-0-545-300/local/-/media/2016/01/24/USATODAY/usatsports/pratt-rapter.jpg?width=1200&disable=upscale&format=pjpg&auto=webp) ](https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/a918b0f71219fc134efb644c093a4e9b553ce5c6/c=12-0-545-300/local/-/media/2016/01/24/USATODAY/usatsports/pratt-rapter.jpg?width=1200&disable=upscale&format=pjpg&auto=webp) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/8 "2025-02-10T18:11:00Z")
Tame? Probably not any. Train? To do what? No doubt they can be trained to come for dinner when called in some manner. Anything useful? Very unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/9 "2025-02-10T18:12:46Z")
I would be so looking forward to the remaining Pythons writing the “Dead Psittacosaurus Sketch” ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/10 "2025-02-10T18:13:48Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > All the creatures we have really domesticated are mammals as far as I can see. Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons, all famously lactate and give birth to live young. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/11 "2025-02-10T18:25:45Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons, all famously lactate and give birth to live young. 🙂 If you’re joking, I don’t get the point? We raise those for food. I don’t think you could call them domesticated or trained? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/12 "2025-02-10T18:34:47Z")
Parrots and such are pretty domesticated and definitely trainable. [Birds are dinosaurs](https://xkcd.com/1211/), so maybe one of the later branches would be trainable. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/13 "2025-02-10T18:35:36Z")
Agreed. Also Ravens and Crows have been successfully trained and do a lot of self-training also. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/14 "2025-02-10T18:39:42Z")
You can raise trilobites as pets. [Sort of](https://www.rocksandminerals.com/fossil/triops.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/15 "2025-02-10T18:43:11Z")
Domesticated, in the context of animals (or plants), generally means that humans breed the critters in captivity, modifying the genetics of the original species to better fit human needs. All the birds I listed are absolutely domesticated. Trainability isn’t terribly relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/16 "2025-02-10T18:47:32Z")
Corvids and parrots are social animals with a high degree of intelligence – more intelligent than, say, dogs. As far as I know, social animals are the trainable ones. Elephants, dolphins … Solitary animals are trainable only with difficulty if at all (example: cats). Given the enormous time span and vast variability of species in the age of dinosaurs, it would seem quite plausible that some species were both social and trainable, and small enough that the risk involved would be acceptable. I also think that the ones that fly or swim would not be my first choice, as we don’t inhabit those realms. Give it go, why not. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/17 "2025-02-10T18:50:16Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Domesticated, in the context of animals (or plants), generally means that humans breed the critters in captivity, modifying the genetics of the original species to better fit human needs. All the birds I listed are absolutely domesticated. Trainability isn’t terribly relevant. Well, OK. But I think you are getting a bit off the point of the OP. I think I’m going to leave the discussion now because I don’t want to get into semantic arguments about what ‘training’ or ‘domestication’ mean. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/18 "2025-02-10T18:51:39Z")
Corvids first started to evolve around 15-20 million years ago while dinosaurs as we traditionally know them went extinct over 60 million years ago. They’re also pretty unique in terms of avian intelligence. Using them as a basis for how smart or trainable theropods were feels a bit like saying we’re evolved from little shrew things so you must be able to train a prehistoric opossum how to do taxes. I’m not saying it’s impossible that late theropods were “intelligent” or trainable, etc but I don’t think that pointing to modern crows really makes the case. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/19 "2025-02-10T18:54:30Z")
Which is why I mentioned the ratites. Not known for being intelligent and yet people have still managed to both domesticate and train some of them. They are probably the best approximation to late bird-like dinos. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140/20 "2025-02-10T19:00:31Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Which is why I mentioned the ratites. Sure, likewise training various falcons and stuff who otherwise aren’t known as super-bright problem solvers. I’m sure that, out of all the theropods, some would take to being trained to do something. I was more the crow comparison I was hitting the brakes on. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-we-could-train-or-tame-dinosaurs/1014140.md?page=2)