Unchained Preppers

General Category => Security & Survival => Topic started by: JohnyMac on October 15, 2015, 07:45:37 AM

Title: The Dog Corner
Post by: JohnyMac on October 15, 2015, 07:45:37 AM
Since many of us on the forum have canine buddies, I am going to add this sticky to Security & Survival Board to share our stories, pictures, diet, etcetera with the group. 
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Nemo on October 15, 2015, 10:07:17 AM
I have a Yorkie.  He is 14 pounds (yeah, 6 over breed standard) and nephew has 2 Golden Retrievers.  He told me his dog could take mine in one bite.  Kept telling him to make sure whichever one did it took 2.  He insisted one bite.  Warned him to take 2.  He finally asked why 2.

Told him if his took mine in one bite, mine would chew his way out his dogs rear end, dragging guts along with him.  He did not know what to say.  I laughed at him and he still could not think of anything to say.

I laughed.  It was great.

Nemo
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Kbop on February 10, 2016, 06:01:58 PM
I have an 85 pound shelter mutt, Ausie Sheppard/Pit mix.
He is often the supervisor when i'm working in the yard. 
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: JohnyMac on February 10, 2016, 06:16:39 PM
 :thumbsUp: Kbop.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Nemo on February 10, 2016, 08:50:30 PM
Just noticed the diet part in the OP.  Mine likes the Purina Little Bites kibbles.  Not bad at all (actually pretty good) with a little warm milk and a touch of light brown sugar.

Nemo
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: gadget99 on February 11, 2016, 07:23:44 AM
I will contribute a bit here.

Now that we have 4 sled dogs. We have been using a half dry and half raw diet with them.

The prime reason is that is what works best for them in terms of health.

The secong reason is that we want them to be used to a raw diet. So if SHTF we can keep them in good health feeding them what we dont use. Since we live on the coast. I can bag seagulls all day long. That and what we can net or catch on the line. We will be in a good place. Add some rice, beans, veg and fruit leftovers from our meals and they have a well rounded diet.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: jimLE on February 12, 2016, 01:26:00 PM
i have a Pomeranian.she's a great house dog.she's also great for outside at night.on account,she lets me know when something is there,and i don't know about it..
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: brat on February 12, 2016, 01:43:44 PM
Quote
half dry and half raw diet


Same here. Dexter gets one chicken quarter or leg every other day. Just make sure if you feed raw meat, they get the bone too. Never feed cooked bones though, they can splinter and potentially cause intestinal problems up to and including surgery.

Their system needs the calcium. Otherwise you can mix a calcium powdered supplement with boneless meat, but make sure it's balanced.

Quote
When too little calcium is present, the body will leach calcium from the bones of the animal itself in order to compensate.  Weakening the bones in such a manner can cause a host of issues such as hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD), osteochondrosis (OCD), hip dysplasia, general bone and joint weakness, pain and fragile bones that break easily.  Dental health can also be compromised.


http://www.rawfeddogs.org/rawguide.html (http://www.rawfeddogs.org/rawguide.html)

http://www.aplaceforpaws.com/blog/calcium-and-the-raw-diet (http://www.aplaceforpaws.com/blog/calcium-and-the-raw-diet)
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: gadget99 on February 12, 2016, 02:40:57 PM
You have in Brat.

People sometimes forget that huskies need bone in thier diet.

We constantly feed them raw chicken drumsticks as treats.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: JohnyMac on February 12, 2016, 04:13:09 PM
Our dog Dorothy loves her soup bones.

We are now out and about looking for antler sheds as she loves antlers to chew on.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: JohnyMac on June 14, 2016, 09:11:31 AM
In an effort to move from the daily hum drum world of bad news and even worse, politicians; I am resurrecting this topic on dogs.

Today I want to talk about MrsMac and I bringing a dog into our house of two cats.

While living on our sailboat for eleven years we had Maxine the Maximum Manx. Great cat with a lot of stories that I will not bore you with. After we moved on to dry land Maxine passed away at 17 years old and a slue of new cats took up residence in and outside our cottage in Rhode Island.

Each time one of our inside cats passed away to the big cat nip field in the sky, I would say, "I want a dog!" MrsMac would always say, "What kind of dog do you want?" Well that is where the dilemma lay. I flitted from one breed to another. Hunting dog? Retrieving dog? Working dog? I couldn't make up my mind.

Now if you know anything about me, it is I never just jump in. I have to do research. My research is methodical which usually involves a flip chart, many books borrowed from the library and of course several excel spreadsheets.  ;D 

The final choice was a Belgium Shepherd or more specifically a Malinois!

I tend to travel often in my forced retirement and I wanted a companion while here and likewise for MrsMac plus a protector for her in my absence. The Malinois (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malinois_dog) is smaller than a German Shepherd and tends to have less health problems like hip dyspepsia, due in part to not over breeding. So I started my search for an inexpensive Mali (That's what us Malinois aficionado's call them  ;) ).

The prices here in the states ran the gambit between $2K to $4K for a puppy, not trained - OUCH!

One day I was chatting with CJS on the phone about the size of his new gun  :drool: I mentioned that I was looking for a Mali but at the moment I could not afford one. Being a good friend that always likes to help me spend my money, he suggested I check out Dutch Shepherds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Shepherd_Dog).

CJS told me that a training buddy had two and he called them "heat seeking missiles". He also shared with me the NADSR organization(North American Dutch Shepherd Rescue (http://www.dutchshepherdrescue.org/)) where I might be able to pick one up inexpensively. So I began my research AGAIN!

In short, the breed description fit well with our requirements so I contacted the NADSR organization which started our 10 month dance to get Dorothy our Dutchie (That's what us Dutch Shepherd aficionado's call them  ;) ).

The dance involved several interviews. A very specific list of wants on our end (No older than 2 years, needs to like/tolerate kids & cats and be a female, plus a few others). In short we were told our list meant we would be on the adoption list for up to two years. Oh well as MrsMac always says, "Anything worth having is worth waiting for."

Being the persistent person I am, I would check in with NADSR monthly. Well I do not know if my persistence paid off or God was helping out however I got a call at the beginning of July last year from the VP of the organization. He let me know that they may have a match for us. He gave me the contact information for the foster mom and warned me not to get too excited because the foster mom's nose was a bit out of joint as my adoption request was being put ahead of others who have been waiting longer.

I immediately called her and true to my warning I was met with a very cold greeting. So the next dance started. DAMN why can't things be easy?

Well she interviewed me not once but twice. Still she was not convinced that Dorothy was right for us. In subsequent phone calls I slowly helped her overcome her concerns. The last concern was loud noises.

She had ascertained during our many calls that I was a gun toting, conservative white man;  :facepalm: Consequently Dorothy would be exposed to GUNS and the loud noises that they produce.

Did I mention that I was persistent? I finally pushed for just a visit with her and Dorothy. I was granted an audience.

So MrsMac and I packed up the old F150 and drove from Rhode Island to my brothers for a night. Then the next day to Virginia for our audience. Remember it is July...In Virginia...Can you say hot and humid?  :faint:

Well after a four hour visit and a $300- check made out to NADSR, we loaded up Dorothy and drove six hours north directly to the cabin.

Dorothy was a 1 1/2 years old. She is a female and to be quite frank - A sweetie. Our old Manx Max (Yes another Manx) had passed away in June. Shortly after his passing I located a Manx breeder in New Jersey and we decided on one of the Kittens. I only bring up this because we picked up Iain (AKA The Sarge) at the beginning of September. Well in short The Sarge and Dorothy hit it off. They are best buds and partners in four legged crime. I have lots of stories of their antics which I will save for a later writing.

Dorothy has met and exceeded our expectations. She is not a barker but will let out a woof when she hears someone drive in or walk across our yard from the road if the windows are open. If not the second a unknown person steps onto our porch the same woof is emitted and she runs to the door.

Dorothy trusts some strangers and some she does not. I had an employee of a client come to our house to chat. As we sat on the porch, she sat next to me and stared at him the whole time. She would not befriend him for some reason. This of course made our discussion short (Thank God) as he felt very uncomfortable and left.

Dorothy although a sweetie, she is not afraid to attack. I may have written about this but I am old and my memory is going.  :walkingstick:

About a month ago our substitute mailman opened our screen door and walked into the cabin. Dorothy hit him in the hip so hard he had to catch the door frame so he didn't go down. She had also taken a chunk out of his jeans during her one sortie. Then sat there staring at him.

After my screaming at the guy and close to pulling my EDC out of its holster, he kept waving our mail in the air and saying, "Mailman!...Mailman!" Then it dawned on me it was the substitute mailman who I may see once a month.  :lmfao:

I took Dorothy to her bed and in a more sober tone began asking him what was he thinking... entering a house with a dog... uninvited?

Once everybody's blood pressure had dropped I asked the Mailman to go into the bathroom and pull down his pants to see Dorothy's damage. He declined and apologized profusely for walking into our house uninvited. As I walked him to his car, he kept apologizing and hoping I would not tell the Postmaster. I didn't. Don't want to screw with his rice bowl.

Dorothy goes pretty much everywhere with me and is quite often offered a treat. Funny thing is she takes the treat, then drops it at my feet and sits there. I pick it up and then give it to her  :what:

She is very gentle with toddlers and old people while will go Thunder-dome with children and other dogs.

Some issues she has and it may be the breed, she does not mind MrsMac or my brother well. MrsMac will give her a command and she will look at me to see if it is OK to execute said command. The same with my brother. My bro just shrugs while MrsMac gets annoyed. With that written, when I am not around MrsMac tells me she will not leave her side and minds her well.

Dorothy also has a tendency to herd our neighbors livestock whether it be ducks, cattle or sheep. I think it is hysterical but our neighbors do not.  :troutSlap:

So there you go. Our prepping, SHTF, TEOTWAWKI dog.

I am currently researching, making dog and cat food post the end of the world. So I have to go and set-up that Excel worksheet.   

What is your SHTF dog story?
   

 
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Well-Prepared Witch on June 14, 2016, 09:24:34 AM
Very cool!  We looked at Malinois (and German Shepherds and Labs) when we were picking a dog, but I fell in love with a big old mutt instead. I *ADORE* my dog, he's my best bud, but if I were looking for a working partner or guard dog he would NOT be it. He's very smart, but stubborn and sly. He uses those brains to get into trouble. As a pet it's cute & manageable. If he were a feral or supposed to be working it'd be a disaster. So, I'm very glad the S has not yet HTF. :)

I have been feeding him the chicken legs and heads from our butchered birds as treats. I've also tried giving him large chunks of chicken and have discovered that, although he can eventually manage a whole carcass, it's much easier if the bird is at least quartered before I give it to him. I'm not sure what a proper serving size is in raw bird, either. Can't exactly do a scoop and a half, yanno?

We have been looking at guardian animals for when we get sheep. Probably going with a llama or a donkey, but a dog's still a possibility. A local alpaca farmer has Great Pyrenees and they do a great job, though they do wander off from time to time.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: gadget99 on June 14, 2016, 12:14:31 PM
As many Know we have went the Husky and Malamute route.

We now have one bonded to each person in the family.

Mine is Husky / Malamute cross.
My wife's is pure Siberian Husky
My Daughters is pure Siberian
My Son's is Malamute

That is just our way and to be honest for what we wanted it is a perfect pack.

Come SHTF we are in great shape.

As long as what we give them does not have gluten, we a golden.

Being the breed they are. We feed them a half raw diet. We live on the sea (English Channel) and people here do not hunt small game really. Yet it is fully legal to hunt small game with an air rifle all year long. So find a friendly farmer and you are good. That and what you can catch off the shore or by boat.

So what are my dogs going to eat? The butcher leavings along with whole pigeon and some fish.

These breeds are built to wring out the maximum from their diet. Most people accidentally over feed. Believe it or not but 500g of food a day is good if they are not pulling a sled.

Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Nemo on June 14, 2016, 07:23:58 PM
I wont bore you with more tails of Orion, aka Oro, King of Dogs.  But when he goes on (currently 12) I think I must get a DS.

Nemo
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: JohnyMac on June 15, 2016, 07:43:49 AM
Thanks, Wellie, Gadget and Nemo for your stories and pic's.

I have a cook book somewhere here at the cabin that was written by a LSD lady Peggy Layton called Cookin with Home Storage. I the book she includes a couple recipes for cats and dogs. By the way....It is a great book.

So there has to be some other SHTF canine stories out there...
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Nemo on June 15, 2016, 10:14:30 AM
is a couple recipes for cats and dogs.

So is that a recipe for fixing food for a cat and dog or a recipe for fixing food using a cat and dog?

Nemo
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: JohnyMac on June 15, 2016, 01:27:03 PM
 :lmfao: Nemo.

Nope for not with.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Nemo on June 15, 2016, 10:51:17 PM
I sure did figure it was for.  But did not want to get a recipe with.

Nemo
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Jackalope on July 26, 2016, 06:34:54 PM
As can be seen by my avatar, I'm partial to the Great Pyrenees breed.  I've been getting mine through a rescue group, and I'm on my fourth rescue over almost thirty years.  Great Pyrenees are a large breed, but very long lived, one of my girls lived until she was 17 and she was still quite agile up to the last couple weeks of her long life.  I like the breed because they're intelligent and they're also quite gentle with livestock, and other pets.

My current girl is about 20 months old, and I trust her enough to allow her to play with baby chicks.  I just can't get her to herd poultry, but she will protect it.  The breed does bark, and they do look intimidating, but at heart they're gentle giants.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: JohnyMac on July 26, 2016, 09:22:24 PM
AWESOME Jackalope!

I have always been curious about the Great Pyrenees. I have read that they are great protectors of livestock. If you get a chance, please include a few pics.  :pirateThumbUp:
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Jackalope on July 26, 2016, 10:25:28 PM
Well here's a couple of my current girl checking out some baby Orpingtons earlier this year and in play mode.  She's not quite fully matured, but she weighs around 85 pounds.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Well-Prepared Witch on July 27, 2016, 07:30:38 AM
I love Pyrenees! A local alpaca farmer has a couple and every once in a while they wander our way (and unlike most of our neighbors who let their dogs roam, these dogs don't run my chickens, attack my dog, or threaten me). I've thought about getting one as a livestock guardian when we get sheep.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: NCislander on February 25, 2020, 08:02:08 PM
Years into the topic, My two Yellow Labs. Incredibly smart, loyal dogs.  Love these girls more than most people.
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Kbop on February 25, 2020, 09:12:17 PM
Good looking dogs!
I love labs!
Title: Re: The Dog Corner
Post by: Deathstyle on February 26, 2020, 07:18:43 AM
My black lab passed away 2 yrs ago. Plan to get a couple Rhodesians as family dogs when I move into the country.

My mom wants a larger dog for security but is holding off til he old poodle passes away before bringing new dogs into the home. Thinking German Shepherds for security purposes. Alot of people argue for larger dogs since they are heavier to just toss around but I'll prolly get a couple of GSDs. Let a tresspasser fight off an entire pack. 🐶 #layeredsecurity