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Snowflake

Snowflake

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
388
Location
Scotland
Ok you'll have to help solve a prepping domestic that me and my partner Seven are having. The thing is He want's to take our dog when we bug out and I don't.
.
He think's the dog's good for guarding...And she is.

I think She would give away our location by barking at threats, She would scare off animals during hunting, She could be a drain on our resources, And as much as I love my dog if it came down to it I would eat her.

So am I realistic or just sick?.

Sorry Dog lover's.
 
Snowflake, I think you have some valid concerns and I would agree if it came down to my family starving I too would eat my dog. As for hunting you could leave the dog at your base camp with other family or friends. Personally, I find hunting along to be more beneficial and successful. Having a dog as an early warning indicator I feel is invaluable because even if you and your party are vigilant in pulling some sort of security eventually someone will fall asleep or not pay attention leaving you unprotected. In this event a dogs bark will not only alert those in camp to potential danger but might make the attackers think twice and move on to a softer target.
 
I would have to agree with your points, and fact is as sick as some may think it now, when it comes down to nothing else to eat....guess what? However, Snowflake makes some good point too on the early warning. Dog's sense are much stronger than ours. If the dog is trained well and knows when not to bark, she could be a great asset.
 
We're definitely going to be using our dogs as an alarm system. And two of them (Boxer/Pit and a Lab/Chow) even can tear somebody up (the others are chihuahuas, but can still make noise). As for resources, I'm sure we'll be giving them scraps, etc. They are probably going to eat a lot of frog and snake.
 
Dogs can go a looooong time without food. Teaching a dog to not bark is a simple enough task. A dog that's trained to attack should know how to not bark when told. If your dogs aren't trained in attack work they will not protect you trust me. I've been in this business a long time.
Ripper Bite Work 4.JPG
Oni Bite Work.JPG
 
Great advice about the dogs needing to be trained. I have a male lab now and am getting another one this July from a breeder in Texas. What are your thoughts Roninsensel on training lab's for guarding and where should I start?
 
Case IH you need to research more on canine breeds for home and self protection ! Labs are great family dogs and may be for bird hunting but they are not top choice as guard dogs.

Think off topic forum better for this topic.

Sorry, welcome Snowflake
 
Roninsensei said:
Dogs can go a looooong time without food. Teaching a dog to not bark is a simple enough task. A dog that's trained to attack should know how to not bark when told. If your dogs aren't trained in attack work they will not protect you trust me. I've been in this business a long time.
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I work with staffie's mainly dog's that cant be rehomed due to aggression issues. The dog I have at the moment is great but when we do hand to hand around her she tend's to protect me and bite's and shake's Seven. She also get's way to over excited when we lay low in forest's and always bark's to get off the lead to bring down threat's. The dog had loooaaadd's of issues when we got her and I've worked most off them out. I know I should prob get from pup but I hate to see good dog's with potential get put down.
 
Labs can be trained to bark and act aggressive but that's it. The nerves for bite work isn't in them. Working line Rots and Shepherds do and both are the best choices for family protection. If your single and have lots of time to spare then a Dutch shepherd or Malinois would be ok but they are a professional dog only in my opinion. There are other breeds that can do the work but it's patchy on whether you'll get the right pup or not. So no to labs on bite work but it's ok to do barking aggression. Besides anyone willing to walk past a snarling dog needs to be shot not bit. Lol
 
Labs can scare the heck out of someone with their deep bark but seldom have I heard anyone being bite by one . They are smart and can be great hunters . Dogs are worth their keep and can help you find more game than they scare off . When my aging Hounds are gone I'm not sure what I will replace them with .
Beautiful Dogs in the pic,s RONI .
 
Thankfully we are buggin-in so the two dogs stay! Here on a ranch they are sooo valuable to us in multiple ways. Just like my ol 3-legged dog Festus, whose photo is posted here. He lost that leg keeping a Badger off me when my gun jammed...... Our other dog is a St. Bernard, huge and athletic and isn't much for playing! She's all business and rather enjoys stalking the few "visitors" that show up at our place!!

Blessings,
Shenandoah
 
getnready said:
Case IH you need to research more on canine breeds for home and self protection ! Labs are great family dogs and may be for bird hunting but they are not top choice as guard dogs.

Think off topic forum better for this topic.

Sorry, welcome Snowflake
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Still trying to get used to the site...I'm just glade I managed to do a post, lol. I don't do computers...Don't like to rely on tech to much but I needed to find preppers so here I'am.:)
 
best family/guard dog i ever had,was a lab/rott mix..she was great with neighbour kids when it comes to playing.and great for protecting home n family..she looked like a rott from nose to tail.but personality of a lab...
 
Wow jimLE that sounds like a great dog to have. We have had several labs due mainly in part to their personality and my fondness of duck hunting.
 
Roninsensei said:
Labs can be trained to bark and act aggressive but that's it. The nerves for bite work isn't in them.
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New here, wanted to respond to this. Labs certainly aren't the first breed one would select as a guard dog but don't underestimate them. I used to work in an animal hospital and of the larger breeds of dogs most bites we received were from Labs (particularly chocolates, not sure why but in all my time I never had one that was not a caution). We even had one Lab that we had to quarantine after he sent the mailman to the hospital for over 180 sutures. They can and will protect their "pack" if they feel the need to.
 
NVM1 said:
New here, wanted to respond to this. Labs certainly aren't the first breed one would select as a guard dog but don't underestimate them. I used to work in an animal hospital and of the larger breeds of dogs most bites we received were from Labs (particularly chocolates, not sure why but in all my time I never had one that was not a caution). We even had one Lab that we had to quarantine after he sent the mailman to the hospital for over 180 sutures. They can and will protect their "pack" if they feel the need to.
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I would tend to agree, My Aunt was a breeder of labs and retrievers and she say's you get 2 types of lab and some do protect. In Scotland people demonize Staffie's but in reality most bite's are from spaniel's
 
NVM1 said:
New here, wanted to respond to this. Labs certainly aren't the first breed one would select as a guard dog but don't underestimate them. I used to work in an animal hospital and of the larger breeds of dogs most bites we received were from Labs (particularly chocolates, not sure why but in all my time I never had one that was not a caution). We even had one Lab that we had to quarantine after he sent the mailman to the hospital for over 180 sutures. They can and will protect their "pack" if they feel the need to.
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Unstable dogs that bite aren't the same as bite trained stable dogs. My 30+ years of training Dogs disagrees with you. In the years of doing bite training for police/military/contractor and so on I have never seen a lab have the nerves to handle the pressure of bite work. A unstable dog that attacks a scared person isn't proof of the necessary nerves to do the work. There isn't one lab in any military or police unit that does bite work as their job. Many are great for sniff work and tracking but they simply don't have the nerves for bite work. This is a fact of the breed. I'm not saying that a lab won't bite some one when scared. The difference is they won't stay in the fight if I need them too. As soon as the person puts any real fight back at them they cut and run. My dogs will stay till they die if i need them too. I've had Thousands of clients bring their labs to me claiming that It's tough enough and, everyone went home disappointed. They are great dogs but they aren't designed for this kind of work. Trust me...
 
Roninsensei said:
Unstable dogs that bite aren't the same as bite trained stable dogs. My 30+ years of training Dogs disagrees with you. In the years of doing bite training for police/military/contractor and so on I have never seen a lab have the nerves to handle the pressure of bite work. A unstable dog that attacks a scared person isn't proof of the necessary nerves to do the work. There isn't one lab in any military or police unit that does bite work as their job. Many are great for sniff work and tracking but they simply don't have the nerves for bite work. This is a fact of the breed. I'm not saying that a lab won't bite some one when scared. The difference is they won't stay in the fight if I need them too. As soon as the person puts any real fight back at them they cut and run. My dogs will stay till they die if i need them too. I've had Thousands of clients bring their labs to me claiming that It's tough enough and, everyone went home disappointed. They are great dogs but they aren't designed for this kind of work. Trust me...
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Fair play to you, I'm not suggesting that a family pet could out do a trained attack dog, Maybe they could do enough to scare off an intruder tho. I have a full breed Staffie and she's fab at tracking which is odd, The bread has been used for dog fighting, bringing down bull's and were used to take highway men off horses. I had a retriever when I was a kid and she fought off a dog that went for me and that was a total surprise.
 
im thinking you may of gotten the retriver when it was still a pup..on account some have proven to be good/great family dogs..and protect the family members,mainly the children..
 
The other day, we were coming home, and I had to giggle a bit as the front doors reverberated with the sound and motion of our lab/chow trying to get to us. I just imagined a burglar's start at seeing and hearing that.... lol. (as they move on to the next house).
 
jimLE said:
im thinking you may of gotten the retriver when it was still a pup..on account some have proven to be good/great family dogs..and protect the family members,mainly the children..
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Yip, We got her as a pup from my Auntie. The dog was so gentle and I never thought she would fight another dog as she used to lay down if a mean looking dog was coming her way. When it came down to me getting attacked she went mad and my big sis had to get her off the other dog. I miss that dog Cara was her name.
 
I like a lot of the points I read on this thread. There is no doubt in my mind though, yes a dog may need to be fed, but they can be a good asset in a pinch, and are worth their weight. I think if you are considering a dog, the breed is very important for the traits you want. Sheppards are easily trained for security as it comes natural to them. Some are naturally good at retrieving, hearding, etc. I'm almost done fencing in my 2.5 acres and will start looking at shelters for two collie/Australian Shepard mix types, mostly to protect my hens, rabbits and future goats. I had a golden a few years ago that I took to a trainer. In one session that dog had sit, stay, down, roll, and shake down pat. She was so eager to please that she paid great attention to what you wanted. However, no matter how smart and eager to please, there was no aggression in the animal at all. She welcomed all strangers as a new source of affection. I now have a pit, and although she's a great dog, she's nuts, and dosent have a good 'off' switch when she gets excited. It's a normal tendency for her breed. Yes there are always the exceptional dog, no matter the breed, but if you pick the breed traits you want to begin with you'll have a happier dog and owner.
 
Brent S said:
I like a lot of the points I read on this thread. There is no doubt in my mind though, yes a dog may need to be fed, but they can be a good asset in a pinch, and are worth their weight. I think if you are considering a dog, the breed is very important for the traits you want. Sheppards are easily trained for security as it comes natural to them. Some are naturally good at retrieving, hearding, etc. I'm almost done fencing in my 2.5 acres and will start looking at shelters for two collie/Australian Shepard mix types, mostly to protect my hens, rabbits and future goats. I had a golden a few years ago that I took to a trainer. In one session that dog had sit, stay, down, roll, and shake down pat. She was so eager to please that she paid great attention to what you wanted. However, no matter how smart and eager to please, there was no aggression in the animal at all. She welcomed all strangers as a new source of affection. I now have a pit, and although she's a great dog, she's nuts, and dosent have a good 'off' switch when she gets excited. It's a normal tendency for her breed. Yes there are always the exceptional dog, no matter the breed, but if you pick the breed traits you want to begin with you'll have a happier dog and owner.
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My Staffie hate's hens,birds,sheep,horses,goats.....most animals in fact, She wants to kill them all but shes not fast enough to catch any. I keep her on the lead most of the time, I only let her off in wide open space with good sight of vision. She chased 2 grouse today.
 
Warriorhealer22 said:
Well, snowflake, have you decided on what to do yet? You could be grabbing your BOB and running out the door tomorrow![/q
Of course I was always gona take the dog but if she became problematic she would have to go. I guess a lot would depend on what tshtf was. I love my dog.........I also have a cat?lol
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We've got two cats and a lizard. We're bug-in but when we run out of crickets and mealworms, Sean Connery will have to go out into the wild and fend for himself. On the other hand, we have a fair bit of dry cat food stored in case. We rotate through it because I'm not sure how long the stuff is good for. If we have to bug out we'll leave them food and water and hope that Freyja and Loki are still there when we reclaim the house.
 
TheShadowKnows said:
We've got two cats and a lizard. We're bug-in but when we run out of crickets and mealworms, Sean Connery will have to go out into the wild and fend for himself. On the other hand, we have a fair bit of dry cat food stored in case. We rotate through it because I'm not sure how long the stuff is good for. If we have to bug out we'll leave them food and water and hope that Freyja and Loki are still there when we reclaim the house.
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We have built a small cat house in the back garden In the hope that she would hunt and live in it. My cat is a grumpy old tortoise shell called Kat.
 
Thought I would let you all know I've put 3 days worth of dog food in Sevens B.O.B...Heheehaha, :DWell I'm not gona carry it but at least I put it in.
 
Snowflake said:
Ok you'll have to help solve a prepping domestic that me and my partner Seven are having. The thing is He want's to take our dog when we bug out and I don't.
.
He think's the dog's good for guarding...And she is.

I think She would give away our location by barking at threats, She would scare off animals during hunting, She could be a drain on our resources, And as much as I love my dog if it came down to it I would eat her.

So am I realistic or just sick?.

Sorry Dog lover's.
Click to expand...

I have five dogs, they are all pitbulls. Sweetest animals in the world, but very protective of their "pack" They are great bug out dogs, because of their loyalty, they are also nice guard dogs, because they don't bark unless there is a threat that they feel unable to deal with on their own. Otherwise they are quiet, and if someone is invading your camp chances are good they won't know you have the dog until it has latched onto them. As with all dogs I have owned mine are trained to hand signals, or finger snaps depending on visibility. They are very obedient, and reliable. Also their stocky frames mean that if you are starving they provide alot of high quality meat.

Dennis
 
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