What if Dragons were real and tameable

[Karnak 187]

There have videos about this, but I wonder, what if dragons were real and tameable like horses, camels and elephants? Imagine warriors on the backs of dragons flying into battle. If they are say as fast as the ones in how to train your dragon and as fearsome and cool looking  as say the ones from Reign of fire(terrible film, but cool looking dragons.)

Would airplanes even be invented?

 

In other words they may breath fire, but they are just animals.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Karnak

[Fhaolan 4,484]

Airplanes would probably still be invented, in fact it might have been earlier than it was for us. Since it would be known that a flying creature could carry the weight of people, most of the resistance to the *idea* of airplanes would be gone, and it would be mostly a 'can we make an engine light enough' problem to overcome. In addition, if dragons were real, that means physics would be slightly different to allow for such a big flying animal, and mechanical flight would have been easier to achieve.

In the same way tractors replaced draft animals, cars replaced carriages, airplanes would still replace dragons. Unfortunately. So in the modern era there would be people breeding and using dragons for sport and entertainment, just as they do with horses now.

[Karnak 187]

7 hours ago, Fhaolan said:

Airplanes would probably still be invented, in fact it might have been earlier than it was for us. Since it would be known that a flying creature could carry the weight of people, most of the resistance to the *idea* of airplanes would be gone, and it would be mostly a 'can we make an engine light enough' problem to overcome. In addition, if dragons were real, that means physics would be slightly different to allow for such a big flying animal, and mechanical flight would have been easier to achieve.

In the same way tractors replaced draft animals, cars replaced carriages, airplanes would still replace dragons. Unfortunately. So in the modern era there would be people breeding and using dragons for sport and entertainment, just as they do with horses now.

I wonder how the geopolitical landscape would look.

[Telferi 6,906]

I think we would mostly use them as pets That would be really cool tho

[Karnak 187]

I can see quite a bit of different borders with dragons on the frontline. The first to tame them would gain the first air force.

[Altastrofae 933]

Taming a— to keep as a pet?!?! I'm out.  I'm sorry but no

[Karnak 187]

Pets, nah. Only military purposes. 

[Denim&Venöm 19,274]

They would be used as air cavalry up until the 19th century, where the automatic rifle and cannon would start to dig into their numbers. Though they wouldn't be as effective as you think. Depending on their intelligence, they'd still be wild animals. Fall off a horse and you'll probably survive. Different story with a dragon. 

Frankly, I don't think too many cultures would try to tame them, at least not until the 17th century, when scientific enlightenment began. Prior to that, dragons would've enforced preconceptions of devils and demons, seen as apex predators at least. And what do humans do to predators?

That's right. They hunt them. 

[Karnak 187]

18 minutes ago, Denim&Venom said:

They would be used as air cavalry up until the 19th century, where the automatic rifle and cannon would start to dig into their numbers. Though they wouldn't be as effective as you think. Depending on their intelligence, they'd still be wild animals. Fall off a horse and you'll probably survive. Different story with a dragon. 

Frankly, I don't think too many cultures would try to tame them, at least not until the 17th century, when scientific enlightenment began. Prior to that, dragons would've enforced preconceptions of devils and demons, seen as apex predators at least. And what do humans do to predators?

That's right. They hunt them. 

Agree to disagree.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

I doubt that dragons would have been used for military purposes because there wouldn't anybody dumb enough to attempt to tame one in the first place.

And even if people were dumb enough to try, dragons wouldn't see much military use since they wouldn't be practical enough that people would bother taming more than an handful of them. Just imagine the amount of meat it'd take to keep one of the beasts fed. And what if a dragon decided  to lash out against those who'd try and tame it? 

Edited February 25, 2018 by Yamet
Poor wording

[Total Lunar Eclipse 516]

If dragons were real, animal rights groups would lobby against using them for military, law enforcement, and other working purposes just like they already do with elephants, horses, and dogs. So there would be controversey around it.

You would not be allowed to ride them in the air legally due to the greater risk of accidents when flying. You could ride them on the ground like a horse though. 

A very expensive horse. If they're big enough to ride, they're big enough to eat as much as a horse, but instead of grains and grass feed they'd need meat, which is more expensive than what horses eat. You'd also be liable for damages when they attack or breath fire on things. Even tame animals are still animals after all.

That's if they're legal to own at all given the public safety risk. Tameable and domesticated are two very different things. It'd be a much bigger deal than, say, wolf hybrids or owning tigers. 

Also would be illegal based on laws regarding ownership of flamethrowers.

They would have to live in sanctuaries or be kept as pets by rich people in places where there's looser exoticslaws.

Unless they are smaller, non-fire breathing types of dragons.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Total Lunar Eclipse

[Vulcan 3,255]

I would wager that if they were tameable then dragons might go the way of Wild Dogs... Wherein through generations of selective breeding they might be as small as German Shephards... Their fearsomeness and intelligence might even allow them to compete with Canine units as security.  

The tameable carrier dragons could be a major game changer for world trade as it would allow fast transport through oceans much earlier than technology would have permit. 

[Karnak 187]

5 hours ago, Yamet said:

I doubt that dragons would have been used for military purposes because there wouldn't anybody dumb enough to attempt to tame one in the first place.

And even if people were dumb enough to try, dragons wouldn't see much military use since they wouldn't be practical enough that people would bother taming more than an handful of them. Just imagine the amount of meat it'd take to keep one of the beasts fed. And what if a dragon decided  to lash out against those who'd try and tame it? 

Wow, that was was useless.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Karnak

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

Just now, Karnak said:

Wow, that whole was useless and close minded.

Mind explaining how? 

[Karnak 187]

Just now, Yamet said:

Mind explaining how? 

Not to you.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

Just now, Karnak said:

Not to you.

Why? I'm sorry if what I said offended you somehow. 

[Denim&Venöm 19,274]

1 hour ago, Karnak said:

Not to you.

Dude, take it easy. No need to get offended by a hypothetical opinion. It's just a fun little discussion. 

[TBD 17,256]

If so, well then I guess we would be opening a "how to train your dragon" session.

[Feather Spiral 1,892]

I'd say at least some cultures would've tried to tame them, possibly starting with a simple commensalist relationship (eating their trash, sharing their campfire...). Success would've been just a matter of time, since OP specified they'd be tameable.

From then on, we can draw some parallels with other, real tamed animals.

Over time, different breeds would've emerged for specific purposes, all selected to be obedient but autonomous. Some with larger wingspan and more stamina for patrols/recon, small ones for hovering, sharp fangs and/or claws and strong fire for fighting, thick muscular limbs to demolish buildings... Eventually, as technology took over some of these tasks and demand for companions grew, smaller dragon breeds without fire breath could've been made.

Depending on how early the taming process began and how quickly it progressed, we'd have a more or less wide variety of dragons in the present time.

On 2/25/2018 at 9:03 AM, Denim&Venom said:

And what do humans do to predators?

That's right. They hunt them.

Wolves and wild cats are two of the earliest tamed animals (not sure about how I phrased that one but I hope you get me) which happen to be predators. I'm also sure Ancient Egyptians worshiped certain animals, including predators (like crocodile or lion), which represented deities.

That's all way before the time of scientific enlightenment you mentioned, too.

It really depends on culture, and it's a safe bet that some animist peoples, for example, would simply fear and worship dragons from a distance. Others surely would've tried taming them and eventually found success, as I explained above.

Edited March 1, 2018 by Feather Spiral

[Denim&Venöm 19,274]

1 hour ago, Feather Spiral said:

I'd say at least some cultures would've tried to tame them, possibly starting with a simple commensalist relationship (eating their trash, sharing their campfire...). Success would've been just a matter of time, since OP specified they'd be tameable.

From then on, we can draw some parallels with other, real tamed animals.

Over time, different breeds would've emerged for specific purposes, all selected to be obedient but autonomous. Some with larger wingspan and more stamina for patrols/recon, small ones for hovering, sharp fangs and/or claws and strong fire for fighting, thick muscular limbs to demolish buildings... Eventually, as technology took over some of these tasks and demand for companions grew, smaller dragon breeds without fire breath could've been made.

Depending on how early the taming process began and how quickly it progressed, we'd have a more or less wide variety of dragons in the present time.

Wolves and wild cats are two of the earliest tamed animals (not sure about how I phrased that one but I hope you get me) which happen to be predators. I'm also sure Ancient Egyptians worshiped certain animals, including predators (like crocodile or lion), which represented deities.

That's all way before the time of scientific enlightenment you mentioned, too.

It really depends on culture, and it's a safe bet that some animist peoples, for example, would simply fear and worship dragons from a distance. Others surely would've tried taming them and eventually found success, as I explained above.

I was going buy how predators like wolves and bears were hunted to near extinction in Europe and North America. 

And that's not counting the poaching side of things, dragons being hunted for pelts or other recources.

[碇 シンジン 27,433]

I'm pretty sure they are real at least to some extent or will be real one day.

[Gestum 2,493]

If there was giant flying lizards who breath fire around then humanity would not get the chance to tame any animals before becoming extinct. And even if we were lucky enough to not go extinct we would still be hunters and gatherers because the dragons would destroy pretty much any permanet settlements.

 

 

[Kappa 68]

That would be awesome

[EpicEnergy 23,224]

That would be very cool!  

[Stardust 641]

There would be a lot of chaos and they would probs have to establish laws and stuff. Would be cool tho