# If a person is injured and can't move, is a dog or cat smart enough to go for help? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103 "2005-01-17T00:01:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/1 "2005-01-17T00:01:02Z")
Just curious if (in real life) a dog or cat is really smart enough to go for help if their owner is injured or incapacitated, or would they just be confused? ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/2 "2005-01-17T00:10:33Z")
Well, a lot of disabled people have dogs that have been trained to get help when the owner is injured, so yes. I saw a documentary awhile back about a dog that went and got his owner when her baby started having trouble breathing. No cite right now, but it was on the discovery health channel. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/3 "2005-01-17T00:21:37Z")
My brother-in-law’s father recently had a stroke while working in the garden. He was unconscious and not breathing. The neighbor’s dog started barking and raising hell until the neighbor came out to see what the problem was. If not for the dog, BIL’s father probably would’ve died. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/4 "2005-01-17T00:27:19Z")
There are some people with severe medical conditions who have helper dogs who are trained to dial 911 when their owners are in distress. IIRC, the dog is trained to push a button not unlike the “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” devices. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/5 "2005-01-17T01:02:12Z")
“Woof, woof!” What’s that you say Lassie? Timmy fell down the well? “Woof, woof!” And both of his legs are broken? “Woof, woof, woof!” And he’s wearing a french maid’s outfit? Good girl, Lassie! Let’s go get him! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/6 "2005-01-17T14:56:30Z")
Dogs, probably. Cats… not so much, I think. My friend is convinced his cat is waiting for him to die so she can just eat him. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/7 "2005-01-17T15:18:05Z")
A couple of years ago, there was a guy here in Philly who died and his iguanas started gnawing on his body. I’ll let someone else do the search on that; I’m working. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/8 "2005-01-17T16:27:01Z")
**jinwicked** has the right idea. My beloved cat would probably enjoy it. She could finally have the entire bed and living room chairs to herself, and there are plently of gullible humans who can open the plastic cat food bucket. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/9 "2005-01-17T16:57:16Z")
Not my dogs. I fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle and all they did was look at me and bark. If I had been outside, maybe the barking would attract my neighbors out of annoyance alone. Inside, it did nothing but annoy me. They didn’t bring me the phone, but one did bring me his food dish as I had managed to fall around dinner time. Then again, I don’t have the world’s smartest dogs. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/10 "2005-01-17T18:02:39Z")
Dogs are definitely smart enough to know when their owner is in danger and get help. Also, I think they did some recent studies and found that some dogs can even warn their masters if they’re about to have a seizure, and prevent the person having the seizure from hurting themselves, and even get help for that person ([link](http://www.epilepsy-cf.org/seizure_dogs.htm)). Cats are probably smart enough, too, but like many people have stated, they’re just waiting 'til their owners die so they can eat them. I know mine are. Seriously, I’ve heard that cats can’t be trained the same way dogs are trained in order to function as “seeing-eye” or “service” dogs, so whether they’re smart enough or not, it doesn’t matter if you can’t train them. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/11 "2005-01-17T18:16:46Z")
A dog is smart enough to go for help, a cat is smart enough to go for Pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/12 "2005-01-18T21:38:20Z")
When I was growing up, we lived in a two-story house. My paternal grandmother lived with us and had a room on the ground floor because she couldn’t get up and down the stairs. She had a mild heart attack in the middle of the night and our collie dog rousted my parents and led them downstairs to her. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/13 "2005-01-18T21:53:21Z")
Depends on the dog. Cats…well, as much as I love mine, I seriously doubt they’d have the sense to go for help. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/14 "2005-01-18T21:55:43Z")
> [@jinwicked](#): > > My friend is convinced his cat is waiting for him to die so she can just eat him. At least his cat has the manners to _wait_. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/15 "2005-01-18T21:56:43Z")
My dad, who is otherwise not particularly fanciful, swears that their dog has purposely awakened him several times when his blood sugar dropped seriously during the night. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/16 "2005-01-18T23:54:51Z")
> [@jinwicked](#): > > Dogs, probably. Cats… not so much, I think. > > My friend is convinced his cat is waiting for him to die so she can just eat him. Your friend is right you know. I think my dog Buck would. When he saw Jake (a pup at the time) was injured he ran back to the house and barked furiously until we went to check it out. I also think my daughter’s dog Bear, a choc lab, would too. He is so smart it scares me. And he has a wicked sense of humor too. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/17 "2005-01-19T01:46:41Z")
I remember reading once; If a dog is traped inside it’s home with a dead master; a dog will usually wait 7-10 days before it will resort to eating his or her master. A cat will wait for an average of 3 days… ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/18 "2005-01-19T01:52:02Z")
Come to think of it. My cat likes to do this circle 8 thing around my legs when I’m trying to walk. She especially does this in the morning when I’m just waking up and not to aware of my suroundings. I’m convienced now she’s trying to make me trip and break my neck. F’n cat! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/19 "2005-01-19T02:33:36Z")
> [@The Mermaid](#): > > Your friend is right you know. > > I think my dog Buck would. When he saw Jake (a pup at the time) was injured he ran back to the house and barked furiously until we went to check it out. I also think my daughter’s dog Bear, a choc lab, would too. He is so smart it scares me. And he has a wicked sense of humor too. How can a dog have “a wicked sense of humor”. Not that I’m doubting you. I’m just curious as to how it would manifest itself. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103/20 "2005-01-19T03:07:28Z")
Cat? No. It would give its owner a patronizing look for being so utterly stupid and then resume licking its paws. Dog? Depends on the breed. A german shepherd or border collie might figure out how to hail help. A beagle? Um, no. Buddy the Beagle isn’t smart enough to figure out how to bark so that we’ll let him back inside the house when it’s -20 degrees out. 'Nuff said. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-is-injured-and-cant-move-is-a-dog-or-cat-smart-enough-to-go-for-help/285103.md?page=2)