The badger has been nicknamed“doormat”because of its broad, squat form and its hairy back.Actually it is a courageous fighter.In pioneer days it was considered great sport to turn a pack of dogs loose on this furry foe, but few dogs were willing to challenge the badger a second time.

　　When attacked, the badger digs a protective hole；if cornered, it releases a strong odor from glands near its tail.The badger's height——only about nine inches——places its throat below the line of attack of most dogs, and the back of its neck is protected by coarse hair.

　　In a fight, the badger's front claws are for midable weapons.It can leave a dog limping after one well-placed bite of its sharp teeth.Only the low-slung dachshund can easily get a deadly throat hold on the badger；this dog was once much used in“badgering”。Fortunately for the badger, the popularity of this sport has decreased considerably.

　　獾——勇猛的斗士

　　獾，因其宽宽的、矮墩墩的形体和毛茸茸的背部一直被人们浑称为“门垫”。实际上，它是一名勇猛的斗士。在拓荒者年代，放出一群狗与这个有毛皮的对手相斗被认为是极精彩的娱乐。然而，极少有狗愿意向獾作第二次挑战。

　　獾在受到进攻时，便刨一个洞藏身；在它走头无路时，就从靠近尾部的腺体释放出一种浓烈的气味。獾的高度——仅9英寸左右，使其喉管处于大多数狗的进攻线以下，它的颈背有粗糙的毛保护着。

　　在搏斗中，獾的前爪是锐不可挡的武器。獾瞄准了狗的腿部，用利齿咬上一口便可使它成为跛足。只有形体矮小的猎獾狗，能轻而易举地咬住它的喉管而致它于死地。这种狗曾广泛用于“狗撩獾”运动中。对獾说来，幸运的是，这项运动的风靡程度已大大下降了。