If you had the meanest dog fight a cat of equal weight, would the cat shred the dog to bits?

Answer 1

ok, forget about dogs - go for a wolf and a cougar.

80 kg grey wolf (the upper range)
with a running speed of 35 mph (upper range)
doesn't jump
has fangs
is a pack hunter like all canines
typical prey weights between 100 and 300 kg

vs. a

70 kg cougar (the upper range)
with a running speed of 43 mph
can jump 20 ft horizontally and 8 ft vertically from stand still
can jump 40 ft horizontally and 16 ft vertically from a run
can jump 12 ft into a tree WITH A DEER IN ITS MOUTH
has claws and fangs
is a solitary hunter like all felines except lions
typical prey weights between 90 and 135 kg

I'd give it to the cougar hands down - I just don't see any argument.

Yes, wolves take down bigger prey (sometimes 1400 kg moose), but not by themselves. The cougar takes down similar prey (except for the really big stuff) alone. Take away the strength of numbers like you would in a one on one encounter and the cougar would school the wolf 9 times out of 10 - claws, speed, fangs compared to just fangs.

My guess would be, but I don't know that a cougar is stronger pound for pound than a wolf as well. Cougars take their food with them even climbing trees with it, wolves eat it on the spot.

Being solitary stealth hunters, there primary sense is eyesight. A wolves is smell which doesn't help as much in a up close fight as eyesight would.

On the other hand, big cats don't like other predators so the encounter would likely never happen in the first place. A cougar sees one wolf, its looking around for the rest of the pack that if given the chance would easily take a cougar out.

Both are formidable, but I would rather hear the howl of a wolf than the growl of a cougar - the wolf is calling for support while the cougar is getting you to run so it can enjoy working up a sweat and screw with your head a bit before dinner.... if you are lucky enough to get such a signal in the first place.

Answer 2

It would depend on who got a hold of who's throat first. A cat is well endowed except in the jaws. Once the dog clamped down on the throat, it would be all over. The dog would tear out the cat's throat in a heart beat while the cat was doing its darnest to rip open the dog's belly.

Answer 3

If all other factors are relatively equal, the cat has the advantage. The dog has a set of teeth, but the cat has teeth plus four paws equipped with claws.