A new idea about having a dog in SHTF

I know there have been a lot of dog threads. But I thought I had a new idea that was a win-win situation.

What if instead of getting a dog, you just stock up on Dog Food and maybe some medicines the dog may need.

When the SHTF, you rescue a stray dog that there will surely be some in these times. You pick out a good one that you think can suit your needs as well (I just want something that will bark whenever people get close to my house, an alarm basically). Now you've helped out in SHTF, and you have just what you need, and you didn't waste a lot of time or money raising a dog "just in case."

I think Dog Food can be kept for a long time, and if it get's close to expiring and S hasn't H T F, could give it away to someone who has dogs. I wanted to just share the idea, but I also wanted to know if anyone knew how long the medicines would last in storage, and what kinds to get? Is it even legal to stock up on Rabies shots, or worm shots, etc. But certainly stock up on flea medicine as well?

edit: and if you don't use it for that, it could always be bartered or given to someone in need.

Maybe a crazy Idea, but I've been reading a bunch of these threads and it's fun to theorize and think outside the box.

I don't know why, but I immediately thought of the movie "A Boy and His Dog". what you suggest is indeed a good idea for people if they plan on stocking up for a shtf scenario. Or perhaps funds could be used for something more relevant, but then, in the end anything goes, right?

reply to post by Novise


Not that i beleive having a dog in a SHTF scenario would be a massive help(NOT MINE ANYWAYS!),there are many different scenarios that could play out mean having an animal is close proximity to you may be infecting you say there was some bio-weapon used,or if due to the dog being stray it had a bad temperament or hard to train etc etc idk?

Nice idea though helping out a little stray buddy

A dog has the potential to attack your allies and give away your position.

reply to post by Novise


Not a bad idea at all. Dry dog food would last a pretty long time if you kept it somewhere dry.
Personally though, I would be more inclined to have an oppourtunity to develop a relationship with the dog prior to SHTF. Dogs have varied personalities just like people and some dogs would be more of a hinderance then a help if you had the wrong one, even big ferocious looking dogs can fall short in the bravery stakes.

I also would not want the dog as a weapon, But i also don't want it barking all the time either.
A good, well trained pigging (pig hunting) dog would be great, Rhodesian ridgeback cross (maybe pitbull or dingo or Mastiff) would be perfect. Ridgebacks are usually quiet and have great temperments, and they were bred to hunt lions so they can hold their own if needed, though in truth, i'm a human and MUCH better at violence then any animal and as such would prefer to do the fighting myself where possible

reply to post by Raivan31


A plausible plan, but you will have to establish dominance over the dog first. To become his Alpha.

And even if you don't find a dog but have plenty of dry dog food, your set with food for quite a while.

I used to take Milk Bones on patrol all the time. They're not that bad.

reply to post by Raivan31


I would like to see you go toe to toe with a shark.
Maybe Raivan31 v. Leo the lion. I'd PPV that.

reply to post by Novise


I'd rather have a dog I was used to if the SHTF. My lovely Pointer can find a bird nearly anywhere, but it's taken time to train her as to exactly what we want her to find (she used to point flies). Now, she knows her job, and at the same time is useful for letting us know when there are strangers or bears about. Even though we feed her premium food, and give her all the vet care she needs, she still only costs us about $3 or $4 a day, and should things take a bad turn, and dog food become unavailable, she can certainly help to provide the food she needs. We don't currently use her to run deer, but she knows where they are, and definitely wants to go after them when they are near - it wouldn't be hard to turn her into a deer hunting dog at all. A dog I had just met, who didn't know my scent or the area in which we would have to survive, could likely take off after a deer and never be seen again.

My last dog, who we had to put down last year, was definitely a bear hound, actually a Plott hound, and though we don't hunt bear, we sure would have used his talents if we were in a survival situation. Again, though, if he didn't know us, we would likely lose him over the scent of a bear. The instincts in these dogs are very strong, and it takes lengthy training to teach them to remember you when they're on the hunt. I'm not sure that a stray could pull it off.

reply to post by Novise


Terrible idea.
Everyone should have a best buddy or two runnin around the home.
I have a few not including the wife.
Over time, we'll get more I'm sure though.

Because their are Dogs that need homes right now and if they dont get a home soon they are given a death shot? Sad to say but allot of those dogs will become food. If you live in a populated area you really think its going to be safe to stay at your house?

I cannot see this as a plausible scenario. Dogs are not tools that can be used. A devoted dog that knows you and is trained could be very helpful, may even save your life. The stray may get you killed, because he is not YOUR stray. The dog does have a mind of its own.

Anyone here that knows dogs well, knows that dogs are highly intelligent creatures, with personalities and emotions and attitudes. I can only imagine that a stray dog will take a long time to adjust to you, and until then they will be a great liability. The dog may be going thru their own grieving or shellshocked, or terrified, or angry. Depending on what exactly happens when SHTF, stray dogs may not be so easy to take in. For example, check out the stories on the dogs left behind by the Fukushima evacuation. They have packed together and will not respond to any humans. The dogs feel (and rightfully so) abandoned by humans after a terrible disaster and have banded together to fend for themselves.

Much like you will not be trusting anyone that is not part of your group, a dog will be as likely to share that same attitude and will be trying to escape, will have to be held captive, or may just cower and not respond to anything. Maybe you will luck up and find a stray that trusts you immediately, and has enough 'standard' training that he may ('may') respond to your commands. Not likely. Most dogs I have known are very attached to their human companions and no one else will substitute.

I once shared a dog with a girlfriend, but it was hers. When we broke up, she told me that the dog waited at the window every day at 5:00 for almost a month before figuring out I wasn't coming home from work. That dog knew I wasn't his master. I took it thru training, and it was perfect - except for the graduation practice, where he decided it was funny to re-interpret 'stay' as meaning 'jump on my leg and bark'. He did this for the full week, and at the graduation. Immediately after, I was so mad! I had to prove he did it for meanness. I told him to sit, stay, threw a piece of steak on the floor and walked out the door. The dam dog stayed the whole time! Girlfriend thought it was so funny. He would run off from me outside, one day I chased him for 45 minutes. Girlfriend steps out and calls his name once and he goes in the house. That dog really liked to screw with me.

Another dog I owned for 13 years - I had a nasty breakup and very bad times years ago. I came home every day to a very sad dog, and I was also very sad. I would sit down and cry every evening, and the dog would mope with me, even crying herself. Then I would take her for a ride in the car to get her mind off the troubles. After three days of this, the dog had enough. I came home and cried, the dog jumped in my lap, then immediately went to the front door (not her exit) and started demanding I get up and take her out for a ride. I got the point, she was telling me to get over it and move on with life. After that day, no more crying - it was like we were in it together and both of us could get thru it.

This same dog diagnosed a roommate's MS over 6 months before the doctors discovered it. The dog hated the roommate, but every time he had an episode, my dog would sit in his lap until it was over, then go back to hating him as always. Even I noticed this and thought it was strange, but I didn't know he was trying to hide his spells. When he told me about it, he also told me that my dog has been trying to get someone to notice his spells for 6 months while he kept it a secret.

This same dog would fetch toys by name, understood so much English we started spelling to talk around her...and she learned the words we were spelling (yes we could test this by spelling different words that we had repeated and see her react to the word, even fetching toys by the spelled name instead of the full name).

Having a well-trained dog when SHTF may be a great idea. But if you don't have that, forget the fantasy that someone else's dog will be ready, willing, and able to help you for months to come, and maybe never - depending on the dog. If you get lucky, you will find a dog that has the attitude to help you. Don't plan on it, it will be luck.

Once again, dogs are not a tool. They are sentient creatures, with speech (that is, language as spoken by humans) being the only thing I can see that makes dogs any lesser than us. They don't try to speak our language, even though many dogs understand it very well. but their emotions and thought processes are complicated.

FYI, if you don't konw dogs (I mean raise them, live with them, share with them) and just think a dog is something you feed and train, then forget learning all of this after SHTF. Unless you are set and will have time to work with the dog, and are not hiding in a bunker, then you will not have a dog that has any inclination to help you. It will be just a liability eating your food and looking for an escape to find their real companions (the former owners) - unless you get lucky and find the right personality with the right attitude to adjust to you. That is hard even when raising them from birth.

I immediately thought.. dogs are a good way of getting spotted. you would need the dog to defend you in some cases, instead of bark and point at you.

though it does make you think about actually how many stray animals you would see upon your survival.

in a shtf situation,i'm sure there will be many dogs looking for continued food sources caused by short supply, many also, forming packs which will hunt and kill anything including human for their survival.

having spare food for strays, may or may not help in befriending, but for most, defensive measures will be necessary against mans best friend in escape from a kill or be killed senario bought about by these very same animals and their hunger in survival of the fittest.

Hmm I can see how it could be more of a liability. If it barks at the wrong time it could give you away and it could just be a drain on time and resources. Probably much more important things to do in preparation.

good idea.. Could also use the food as a distraction if you get attacked by a pack of dogs.. Giving yourself a chance to escape or destroy them when they go for the food.

Better to raise the dog yourself then finding a stray. A stray could come with disease. It also could be very unfriendly and edgy around people. If you raised the dog yourself then its friendly, knows you and is clean from disease(if you keep it clean). I rather raise the dog myself and know what I'm getting then a stray off the street and risking a feral diseased dog in my home/shelter.

Thats good that not many survival types enjoy dogs. More for me, my wolf pack will be raging!