A dog in a bug out situation

[CURLEY.FX4]

Just pondering the pros/cons of supporting a canine, in my case a good ole Blue Tick in a bug out situation. To me, my dog Waylon would be an asset as far as the constant sense of alertness a dog provides. I understand at the same time the liability because he is still a dog his barking could bring unwanted attention, although thats never been a problem camping and what-not. Just looking for a general consensus on packin the pooch if the SHTF...

[USMCSergeant]

This will all depend on the type of dog you have. My husky is about as stubborn as any proverbial mule, although he does sit and shake...etc, if he's distracted by anything that's down the drain. He has ADD, and endless energy. Restraining him in a bug out would be calorie consuming and mind numbing. He kills squirrels on occasion and a rabbit, but all I find is fur. I think he buries the rest.

But if you have a dog that trained to hunt, or a dog that is very loyal / protective, I can see the benefits.

[CURLEY.FX4]

I completely agree, breed is most definitely a factor. Lap dogs need not apply. My dog is the outdoors-mans dog for sure being he is a loyal hunting companion and assertive in a protective sense. But I guess the discussion lies in the people with the average backyard dog, is it worth bringing "that" dog along for the long haul?

[Cherokee John]

My two dogs are bred by local aborigines to hunt wild boar in very hilly, low lying bush. They can track, guide me to trails, stand watch, lead me to small game like squirrels and don't overly bark at anything other than other dogs in the area who are aggressive and people creeping up on me. They carry small packs and can walk all day. I feed them raw food so I could feed them on the run. They're about the size of cocker-spaniels so they don't eat that much.

They are smart (both females of course) loyal and fearless. I've trained them to bug out in seconds, they'll even carry their own leashes! In a real SHTF situation they'd be dead in 3 years because heart worm is prevalent in this area (Asia) which I guess would be okay since I'd probably get malaria or dengue fever during that time as well and wouldn't last long either.

How much does Waylon eat? Could he scavenge by himself? In an urban situation I can pick up my dogs and carry them over walls and obstacles or put they in a ruck and climb for a short distance. Could you do that with Waylon? Does he swim? How old is he? Lots of things to ask yourself I guess.

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[Teqnikal]

I completely agree, breed is most definitely a factor. Lap dogs need not apply. My dog is the outdoors-mans dog for sure being he is a loyal hunting companion and assertive in a protective sense. But I guess the discussion lies in the people with the average backyard dog, is it worth bringing "that" dog along for the long haul?

In world war Z didn't they breed small but aggressive dogs for hunting zombies? I know most small dogs seem useless, but some were bred for specific reasons. Dachshund's were bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers. All though, both of my smaller dogs would be useless in a bug out situation, they will still be coming with us, something to comfort us.

[AKFTW]

I think the amount of training your dog has is the answer to this question. If you can get him/her to be quiet when necessary, follow scents, or even carry a small amount of equipment, those are all useful skills that will really make them "man's best friend" in a bug out- if they are not capable of restraining their impulse to bark at every leaf and can't be led except by leash, they could be a liability.

[Seakers]

I agree the "Rat" dogs would be not even be good eating and are useless for anything else. But you can also train your dog as well on what you want it to do including guarding, hunting and keeping quiet when commanded to do so. It will be much Easyer to train a puppy then an older dog. But certain breads are better then others for possabilitys of helping gather other types of burried food like wild onions or potatoes exc. But this is also dependent on your AO and type of dog.

[Paladin1]

I specifically picked my dog to be an asset in a PAW situation so he's part of the team.

His primary job is to be a force multiplier. I can't stay awake 24/7 so he is the first alert system. He is also the first line of defense if needed, buying me time to act. Also, he gets left with the family for their defense if I would need to scout ahead.

He does eat a considerable amount, but that should slow down in the next few months. Right now he is not quite 9 months old and is over 100lbs and eats an amazing amount of food. The good news is he's a natural scent and sight hound so hunting comes natural for him.

He tracked a deer to it's bed just yesterday and when it took off he went after it without ever barking. When I recalled him he came back from across the field.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

Depends on the dog. There's not really a superiority of breed with any of the regular working breeds. Terriers and other small dogs were bred for small game. Train them and they will do it. Poodles were hunting dogs as well (no really, google it and you may beging to understand the origin of the poodle cut) while hounds were mainly bred to tail and bay, hinds were bred to keep the hounds alive if they found something nasty(google that too. Hounds go for the throayt, and usually die that way against bigger/better predators. Hinds go for the backside of back of the neck until the hunter arrives.), shepherds for herding, etc.

Granted, many of the breeds can no longer work, but as Paladin said, selection is key. A hunting poodle would be awesome in Florida, but I doubt I can touch one that would be worth a damn without selling my car.

Bluetick? Depends. Is he worth a damn? I know a lazy pair of no-good Blue Tick bitches that are routinely put to shame by a damn good Jack Russell and his best friend, a Bassett. It's like watching the Hilton sisters vs. Les Stroud and Bear Gryllis.

(The JR occasionally eats his poop.)

[RESCUE-K9]

I have two shepherds and I plan on taking them both. I believe the benefit out weighs the risk.

[CURLEY.FX4]

So it's fair to say that the dog is a generally accepted tag along when the SHTF. I agree that the benefits of the added alert system trump the basic burden. In my case Waylon can sustain himself giving the appropriate setting, so his dependence generally should be at a minimum..

[omega_man]

I hate to say it; but, I would be a mess without my dog. I would find a way to make it work. She does go hiking with us and she's good off the leash. She would be great at security, but lousy at food procurement--but the extra set of senses and companionship make up for that (We do keep an extra stash of dogfood as part of our preps).

[Seakers]

Yep my puppy hunts kills squirls and birds on her own like her mother did, she is finally 9 months old but she is a great guard and let's me know what is around, other then that even when she plays she is quiet and very smart she has picked up on digging for food and animals hiding in the earth. She loves being outside and don't care about the rain ( she bites at it playing), she loves to swim and dose it when I let her. But I think I could let her go on her own and she would be fine. She is 55lbs and has started to slow down on what she is eating.

Yes I know most breads are bread for different things like poodles ( not the pocket type either), were bread for hunting and such but that was in other AO not where I'm located. So to me they would be useless because the snakes around here would get a free meal from the "Rat" dogs here.

[USMCSergeant]

Looks like I need to start training my husky more than just shake and sit.. LOL. The stubborn-ness is amazing though, it may be that he's a little over a year old and still has those puppy qualities. When we run together he has learned not to pull. His instincts are to pull, and so getting him to run beside me was quite a task.

I forgot to mention that in November of last year I watched him come very close to catching a small doe. Our property is underground fenced, and luckily for the doe she ran in the direction of the closest line. He was right on her ass when she went over and he stopped before receiving a correction. What he would have done if he caught it? No idea, but I have a huge freezer ready in case he ever snags one. LOL

[Doctorr Fabulous]

Looks like I need to start training my husky more than just shake and sit.. LOL. The stubborn-ness is amazing though, it may be that he's a little over a year old and still has those puppy qualities. When we run together he has learned not to pull. His instincts are to pull, and so getting him to run beside me was quite a task.

I forgot to mention that in November of last year I watched him come very close to catching a small doe. Our property is underground fenced, and luckily for the doe she ran in the direction of the closest line. He was right on her ass when she went over and he stopped before receiving a correction. What he would have done if he caught it? No idea, but I have a huge freezer ready in case he ever snags one. LOL

See about training him to do things that are like work. Working breeds like to work. My current lust is a kuchi (the Afghan bear-dogs) and I know I'm gonna have to work him or I'll have a hyperactive pup that is stronger than me trying to catch alligators. My sister's Malemute was hyperactive too, but when I came over I tried my best to wear that dog out. Tug-of-war was the best. After an hour or so, Rose would just follow me around and lay dow at my feet. Sister was amazed, until the next day when Rose was back to trying to play tug-of-war wiith anything smaller than a car.

Got a sled dog? I envision a pulk sled with dog harness in your future, and a very happy pup.

[USMCSergeant]

Good tips there, I'm sure he'd like to be put to work.

[Seakers]

Yep a tired dog at night is a happy dog, tug of war can also be training if done properly along with throwing a ball. A ball can be related to fetching game and such after they get what you want them to do ( dropping the ball and not letting them chew on it is also a strong key). Then if they are not afraid to swim they can be trained to retrieve water foul. And do other things. Tug of war can help in a case you get hurt and need pulled out this can save your life if they have the strength to do such a task. But it must start out as play then they can be trained to do such tasks, then they think it is just in fun and will be happy to do such!

By the way if you have one dog trained to do such things and you get a puppy training the 2nd or how ever many you have becomes easyer to train because most dogs learn buy watching other dogs.

Happy training and enjoy your dogs/ puppy's!

[ForgeCorvus]

If your dog isn't part of your plan then you shouldn't have a dog. You wouldn't think of leaving an elderly relative or one of your kids behind would you ? Well your dog is a dependent too, and should be at least as well trained as a toddler (in fact probably better trained)

Personally I like terriers, they're only small on the outside

[Buck]

A lot of Dog related stuff lately. That's a good thing!
My dog is a search and rescue K9 in training. German Shepherd, in tip-top shape, smart as a whip, sharp as a tack and used to spending long hours working with me in wilderness, urban and disaster settings. She goes where I go. The only down fall is that because of her job, she is socialized and friendly to the point that there is no hint of aggression in her but she still barks when someone is around. She will be used for patrolling and detection, I'll take it from there. The spousal unit's dog comes in to play as well. She's 105 lbs of Doberman that will warn then protect Momma no matter what. That's the plan. I've bragged on my Shepherd on here enough so I'll close with just this. Puppy Genius!

[velojym]

Our dogs are a German Shorthaired Pointer, and a rather large collie/something mix. When there was a rash of burglaries in our old neighborhood, every non-dog household in the nearby cul-de-sac was hit, and not a single dog owning house was touched. Our dogs are very good at alerting when there's something not-right.

This works well for non-SHTF life, but I wouldn't want them drawing attention to us when looter gangs are combing through the neighborhood. What seems to work for them, at night, is to keep them closed up in our bedroom. In that mode, if either one of them detects something, they'll walk up to the bed and poke at my wife or myself with their noses. Twizzler will even rear up and push with his paws. This actually helped a lot after my daughter was born 3 months prematurely. When Mrs V stopped breathing at night, Twizzler would wake me and I'd shake her awake.

I think dogs are an invaluable tool/companion... and if worse comes to worst... even food (don't wanna think about that, though). Just gotta make sure they do what they're supposed to, and won't attract the wrong sort of attention to your location.

[Cherokee John]

Ya'll got BIG dogs. Less is more for me. Anything bigger then a coyote would hold me back. I'm walking right next to you though, about being loyal to our dogs. I'm sure you'll all make it work if you have to. Good Luck!

[Xx_Black-out]

If your dog isn't part of your plan then you shouldn't have a dog.

This. But as it's been said, you must consider the amount of food a dog can eat!

[TacAir]

Dog can be a plus and minus. Yes the are dependent in some ways as a child, and may require medication for continued health (heartworm meds is just but one example).

They can be a force multiplier, alerting you to danger - or they can charge off into the woods barking, then come running back with a bear behind them....

Training - professional training - either in person or by book, is a key to a good working dog. Really tho, if we would just admit it, a dog is a boon companion who makes life just a bit better, no matter the situation.

[ForgeCorvus]

If your dog isn't part of your plan then you shouldn't have a dog.

This. But as it's been said, you must consider the amount of food a dog can eat!

Hence terriers.
A Rottweiler weighs 85 to 130lbs (depending on gender and bloodline), a Staffie 25 to 40lbs and a Scottie (what we have) 18 to 22lbs, food consumption is proportional to size after all.
BTW of these three only two of them were bred as killers (the terriers), our Scottie bitch has pulled me off my feet a couple of times (while playing with tug-toys) and I'm 5'10" and weight in at about 220lbs (roughly ten times her body-weight )

My wife is more likely to leave me behind then the dog