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Best dog for SHTF scenario

24K views 105 replies 83 participants last post by  cwlongshot 
#1 ·
I did a quick search for this and couldn't find anything that fit.

My wife and I are looking to get a dog probably within the next year. Our front-runner is a Rhodesian Ridgeback, but if we were to get some land I'm thinking more along the lines of a Great Dane.

During a SHTF scenario, man's best friend could be quite useful for many reasons. Please comment on what your best choice of dog would be for a SHTF scenario. Obviously this is a very open-ended question, so just state something like this.

Situation: Collapse of all government and society crumbles into small communes and remote farms. If I were living on a farm in western United States I would want a pair of Great Danes. Pros: They're big and intimidating enough to ward off predators or solitary humans. They can keep up with my horses when I patrol the perimeter. Cons: They eat a lot of food. They can't live in cramped spaces. They have a short life-span.
 
#2 ·
My Toby is part Lab, part ?, in other words a mutt. And he's priceless. A friend, protector and a damn good listener. He is kind and gentle, but stands up to any stranger, until we let him know they are OK, then he's fine. He keeps deer out of our garden, is overly protective of small children. Basically, perfect member of the family. Pedigree is not everything, you may just need to look at your local pound. There are some true treasures there.
 
#4 ·
Great Danes are great dogs but large breed dogs have some issues. I own a bull mastiff and like all big dogs hips are a big issue. The big flopy ears are a great place for bacteria to grow in the ear so cleaning is needed. When they eat it is best to have elevated bowls for their neck/digestive track. And man they eat! Mine eats about 3-4 measured cups of dry dog food twice daily and is not fat at 130 lbs. He also consumes large amounts of water esp when hot and vet bills / heart worm meds are costly because of his size. Love my dog but thought I would give you a heads up on some of it.
 
#6 ·
Theres been lots of threads on this, but none mention a Great Dane.

First of all I would access what sort of family you are and what breed of dog is best suited for it. Dont just go with any breed because they might not suit you in temperatment or lifestyle needs.

Then I would take yourself off to the local rescue centre and get to know the breeds you are thinking off - do some volunteering and dog walking. There are great dogs in rescue, they just need special handling for a while to help them settle in and most need some training.

The problem with great Danes is they may come with a lot of health problems and need special care from puppy hood. They would also need lots of food, and medicines.

On average most people on here go for shepherding, gun or guarding breeds, such as German Shepherds, Labradors etc., as well as the small terriers who are great for catching rodents and rabbits.

The other option is the mongrel cross breed, which is more hardy then pedigree but you dont have such a pick of temperament. I personally go with the mongrel every time. I can recommend the collie x german shepherd which are highly intelligent, but do need a lot of exercise and may ankle nip.

Heres a website Iv used in the past and found their information to be on form:

Do the quiz and it will tell which breeds are best for your lifestyle and give thorough backgrounds on each.
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm
 
#7 ·
I have put some thought into this as-well. We currently have a large American Bull dog 90 pounds of pure muscle. Just an FYI he eats exactly 3 cups of dog food once per day. I agree with your pros and cons. I think a small lap dog could be useful too if it were a good barker and would not eat much. I do like the intimidation factor of a large dog though.
 
#9 ·
Just wanted to also say that i love the big dogs too, but the cost factor is too much, a ridgeback purebread isn't cheap, and then to learn their lifespan is like 5 years makes it impractical.

The bigger the dog, the bigger the cost in terms of everything,,,health issues, food, life span, having a huge dog just doesn't add up in the end for a SHTF type situation.
 
#10 ·
What breed of dog you get should be determined by what you want it to do. Do you want the dog to guard livestock? then get a livestock guardian breed. If you want something to deter intruders, then get a breed that was developed to be a guard dog.

Get a book that tells about the different breeds (The AKC Dog Book is excellent, and your public library should have a copy), read it, and learn the purpose for which the various breeds were developed. Most breeds have specific characteristics that are part of their genetic makeup--for example, Dachshunds were specifically developed to dig down and go into badger holes and drag that varmint out of there. Digging is an inherent breed trait. Likewise, Dalmations were developed to run alongside the coaches of the nobility--they NEED a lot of exercise--it's in their genetic makeup.

One thing that might help you is to sit down and make a list of the characteristics that you are looking for in a dog. Then, go through the dog book and find a breed that fits most of your criteria. You probably won't find one that fits ALL of them, but you can undoubtedly find one that fits quite a few. Learn the "bad" traits of the breed as well (do they shed excessively? Are they escape artists? Are they going to dig up your yard or chase your other animals?) and find out if you can live with the bad as well as the good (NO animal is "perfect"). Finally, when you decide on a breed and actually get the dog, TAKE IT TO OBEDIENCE CLASSES, and learn how to work with the dog! Obedience classes are as much (or more) about training YOU as well as the dog! Above all, be CONSISTANT! Don't let a puppy (just because you think it's "cute") get away with something you don't want the full-grown beast to do. You'll only be encouraging bad behavior, and the dog won't understand why something that's always been "OK" all of a sudden ISN'T.
 
#11 ·
we had a ridge back when I was young, one of the greatest dogs we ever had loyal and damn protective but he was properly trained, now I have a little result of an orgy, he hasn't had the proper training but knows some basic commands great dog little eater and has great ears lets us know when something isn't right but still isn't a yappy ****. His pic is my avatar
 
#13 ·
FWIW.....Danes were bred to hunt large game tho they have not been selectively bred to do that for quite some time. I grew up with Dane and the 2 downsides are 1) short hair gets woven into EVERYTHING and is a witch to clean up. 2) They slobber......OMG do they slobber. I was 5 before I was tall enough that they did not spit on my head. Love 'em but do not have them for these reasons. They are HAPPY dogs and anybody near a happy Dane is beaten 1/2 to death by the wagging tail<smile>.

Liebrecht
 
#14 ·
A dogs only real use PSHTF is as an early warning device!
Dogs are no match for humans in a fight even unarmed humans!
that is unless you can teach it to shoot!
The dog needs good hearing and smell and to be well trained
It dont need to be big and or savage as that will just get it killed quick!
A fox terrior trained and in good condition is probably optimum!
 
#17 ·
Unless and until you HAVE owned one ( or more), do not think of them as Dream Dogs. They are a major PITA. They are NOT obedient, they are powerful and MUST be trained. Tho even then they obey when they choose<smile>. I am on Kpups #9 and 10 so I do have an idea of what I am talking about. Pyrs are much easier for most folks to deal with. They do not take heavy handling and are very much cats in big hairy dog suits<smile>.

They shed, they require fencing/crates that will hold a bear<smile> and take training every day of their lives. When they blow coat it looks like a sheep has exploded in your yard. Boarding them if you want to take a vacation is a hassle.

After all THAT, they were used as palace guards in the 1500s. If you even blink wrong at me/my kids, if can be a Bad Thing. They can hunt game and guard a newborn goat. They are NOT a breed for everybody. I adore them when I am not swearing at them<mile>.

And to the other poster's comment about dogs as warning only and not able to stop a man.....I personally know some Kpups that have beat c*** out of mountain lions so if you think a man, unarmed, is bigger, faster and more dangerous than a mountain lion, so be it. But a dog of this type is a HUGE commitment for safety of all concerned.....humans and the dogs.

Liebrecht
 
#68 ·
For a person who has no breed preferences, I would probably suggest a Belgian Malinois as well. They are very similar to German Shepherds in temprament - but somewhat smaller (which means they have fewer of the health issues of a German Shepherd as well).

All that said, I just put my name on a waiting list for a German Shepherd .... because I DO have a preference (entirely personal - I grew up with German Shepherds).


For a dog that can hunt, I have a STRONG preference for Labrador Retrievers. But then, I bred, trained, & trialed Labs for nearly 20 years...



Good points Liebrecht.

Another point to be made is the current brand of German Shepherd Dogs are nothing like the dogs of old that gave them their reputation. Most GSD's these days aren't worth a week's worth of dog food. And the few good lines that have preserved Stephanitz's vision of the GSD are almost prohibitively expensive.
Depends on your definition of "expensive". I am paying only slightly more for my German Shepherd puppy ($1200)than I sold my Lab pups ($1000).



Last point - and this cannot be made strongly enough:
Whatever dog you get - it is WORTHLESS if it isn't trained.
No, strike that. An untrained dog is LESS than worthless; it's a detriment.
 
#22 ·
To be honest? We didn't get our dogs for SHTF. We have them, because they're what we like. We had dogs from Dobermans, Greyhounds, Spitz, mutt etc. We currently have 3 dachshunds. Good watch dogs, very alert. Can untie your shoe and nip your ankle if you threaten me. But seriously...there is no "best" dog. There are plenty of dogs better suited for given needs. People that want a dog for SHTF, need to take into consideration what they want a dog to do. Guard, watch, maim, kill, hunt, etc.

Asking which dog is best, is akin to asking if an AK is better than an AR....what's the best gun, caliber etc...........
 
#23 ·
My only advice is keep in mind that in SHTF situations your dog will have to be provided for to some extent and stay away from puppy mills. A good old mutt is just as good as a dog with a piece of paper. JMHO I own two mutts and wouldn't trade them. So pay $50 at the pound for the dog and spend the other $500 you saved on preps. :)
 
#26 ·
My yellow lab --{LUCAS THE WONDER DOG] hes my best friend and he never barks unless something isnt right, Only problem is he LOVES EVERYONE lol i live in a small town in the cascade mts and EVERYONE knows LUCAS. at 10.30 every morning [HE LOOKS AT THE CLOCK lol] he knows we go to the post office where the postmaster lady gives him his treat he puts his big ol paws on the counter lol. then we go get the paper at the general store and he gets a treat there lol. Defenately not a attack dog but hes MY DOG
 
#27 ·
I've always had large dogs my entire life. But for SHTF, I'm of the mindset that a smaller, alert dog is the better option. To me, dogs are best used for their advanced sense of hearing and smell, to pick up intruders at farther distances than we can and alert us to their presence.

I want the dog to alert me to an intruder then get out of harms way so the problem can be dealt with. The last thing I want is the dog going into harms way. Dogs are notoriously easy to take out and are not much of a deterrent to a determined enemy. So risking such an important member of the team as a guard doesn't make sense to me. Smaller dogs require less food, tend to live longer, and are smaller targets. To me, that makes them an ideal choice for survival.
 
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