prepping for dogs
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My dogs are a huge part of my plans. My wife (me too) wouldn't have it any other way. We keep a year's supply of food on hand, as well as all meds. They also have their own bug out bags, and we keep smaller stashes of supplies in those. They absolutely go with us.
We have 3 dogs and a cat. We have a few months worth of pet food for all of them. Got plenty of medicine for them as well. I also pick up a few extra bags of white rice to mix in with the dog food to make it last longer. They play an important plan in our security. Nothing gets into our driveway without them letting us know.
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At present we don't have any dogs - or cats - but that may change in the future. We are talking about getting a North American Indian dog, and another bear dog but we know that will be for the future. Both are big dogs - 60 - 100 pounds and they are natural hunters. They will be an asset to our home.
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938 Posts
A very important item for your dog - painkillers. Get them from your vet, in case the animal gets injured. My vet gave me a prescription for my dog when I explained why I wanted them.
Another set of valuable items - dog booties - seriously - in SHTF, there is broken glass, rusty nails, thorns, briar brush, hot asphalt, all sorts of things that can cut or burn a dog's feet. And a neoprene vest for their chest and underbelly area - in high grass and brush their skin can get abraded and cut, and the vest protects against this, and can help keep them warm at night or if they get wet. My dog wears one whenever he goes hunting in high grass or heavy brush. He loves wearing his "shoes" - he gets all excited because he knows he "gets to go" somewhere...!
And one last essential set - a good leash (chain is best), and a plastic-encased dog-run cable they cannot chew through, in case you have to cable them up or hook them to a tree or post, etc.
Another set of valuable items - dog booties - seriously - in SHTF, there is broken glass, rusty nails, thorns, briar brush, hot asphalt, all sorts of things that can cut or burn a dog's feet. And a neoprene vest for their chest and underbelly area - in high grass and brush their skin can get abraded and cut, and the vest protects against this, and can help keep them warm at night or if they get wet. My dog wears one whenever he goes hunting in high grass or heavy brush. He loves wearing his "shoes" - he gets all excited because he knows he "gets to go" somewhere...!
And one last essential set - a good leash (chain is best), and a plastic-encased dog-run cable they cannot chew through, in case you have to cable them up or hook them to a tree or post, etc.
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115 Posts
Got a pit, great dog. Not too much help with taking care of the 2 legged variety, but does well on the alert. Will b great with small game or if an animal gets agressive.
Got 2 5 gal. buckets of food, heartguard, flea n tick powder n asprin. Also have med supplies ( bandages, razor, tweezers, crazy glue, pain killers bacitracin, toys, n of course peanut butter, LOL).
Love my dog, she's family...
Got 2 5 gal. buckets of food, heartguard, flea n tick powder n asprin. Also have med supplies ( bandages, razor, tweezers, crazy glue, pain killers bacitracin, toys, n of course peanut butter, LOL).
Love my dog, she's family...
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4,373 Posts
Dogs' can be one great defense system, not just in fighting but early warning they rule.
We have two great danes, no kids, so they are our kids. I don't have packs for them,
and our old guy is going on 7 and probably doesn't have a long time left. Our little girl
is turning 5 so I know her time is limited too. Preparations for them will always be
there, but ultimately they will eat off the land like us.
We have two great danes, no kids, so they are our kids. I don't have packs for them,
and our old guy is going on 7 and probably doesn't have a long time left. Our little girl
is turning 5 so I know her time is limited too. Preparations for them will always be
there, but ultimately they will eat off the land like us.
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4,071 Posts
Already a ton of great advice on here, don't forget the meds, and preventive care products. Dogs are human's best friend, and would be even a more important asset if/when SHTF.
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I'll add to the list Adams flea & tick shampoo.
You can go into any farm supply & purchase ivomectin plus the syringes & needles. It is the active ingredient in the expensive heartworm meds. Give at a rate of .1cc per 10lbs of dog. Keep it chilled & a bottle will be good for years. And while you are there get a bottle of penicillin. You can infact keep one bottle in the frig & one in the freezer but has to be thawed to extract out of the bottle.
If you have bug out bags, get saddlebags for the dogs. a fit dogs can carry 20% of its body weight.
HH
You can go into any farm supply & purchase ivomectin plus the syringes & needles. It is the active ingredient in the expensive heartworm meds. Give at a rate of .1cc per 10lbs of dog. Keep it chilled & a bottle will be good for years. And while you are there get a bottle of penicillin. You can infact keep one bottle in the frig & one in the freezer but has to be thawed to extract out of the bottle.
If you have bug out bags, get saddlebags for the dogs. a fit dogs can carry 20% of its body weight.
HH
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Baby asprin for the dogs. Don't give ibuprofen.
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481 Posts
I would suggest learning how to make a homemade, balanced dog food from scratch using proteins, starches, veggies, and homemade/stockpiled supplements.
I feed my dogs homemade turkey and rice dog food using a recipe I had formulated by a canine nutritionist. A lot of people think you can just feed a dog a steak and that's healthy. That's totally not true. Dog food must has a phosphorus/calcium balance or else your dog will be in danger of developing hip dysplasia and other illnesses. In a SHTF situation I plan to grind up lightly baked eggshells to use as a calcium supplement in my homemade dog food. The protein could be comprised of anything really...squirrel, turkey, whatever scraps you've got on hand. In the summer it would be pretty easy to forage some dandelion greens or other wild edibles to add to your dog food too.
Now cat food on the other hand...that's my problem. Cats require a certain amount of taurine in their diet or else they can go blind or experience heart failure. Taurine is found in things like seafood and eggs, but it's largely destroyed by the cooking process. My issue is that I can supply my cat with these sources of taurine, but chances are he won't eat it. He's massively picky and wont eat anything but the mice he catches and Science Diet cat food. No clue what I'd do with him in a SHTF scenario. Maybe trap small rodents and live feed them to him?
I feed my dogs homemade turkey and rice dog food using a recipe I had formulated by a canine nutritionist. A lot of people think you can just feed a dog a steak and that's healthy. That's totally not true. Dog food must has a phosphorus/calcium balance or else your dog will be in danger of developing hip dysplasia and other illnesses. In a SHTF situation I plan to grind up lightly baked eggshells to use as a calcium supplement in my homemade dog food. The protein could be comprised of anything really...squirrel, turkey, whatever scraps you've got on hand. In the summer it would be pretty easy to forage some dandelion greens or other wild edibles to add to your dog food too.
Now cat food on the other hand...that's my problem. Cats require a certain amount of taurine in their diet or else they can go blind or experience heart failure. Taurine is found in things like seafood and eggs, but it's largely destroyed by the cooking process. My issue is that I can supply my cat with these sources of taurine, but chances are he won't eat it. He's massively picky and wont eat anything but the mice he catches and Science Diet cat food. No clue what I'd do with him in a SHTF scenario. Maybe trap small rodents and live feed them to him?
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On a side note- it looks like mice really are nature's perfect cat food - Hare Today, Gone Tommorow
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Also - Dawn dishsoap kills fleas really well...better than Frontline these days. Something to think about when you're stockpiling dishsoap 
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If you have read One Second After, and if you are a dog lover, you probably hated the part where the family finally got around to eating their beautiful dog. Pretty close to cannibalism ...
but that might end up being as realistic a scenario as some others in a true long term SHTF episode.
Pampered pets like "FLUFFY" and "CUDDLES" just might not make it in TEOTWAWKI,
and you should be prepared to deal with that.
This is not to say that SOME dogs might not be a tremendous asset in any long term SHTF scenario. In fact, one of the major turning points in human civilization is when mankind domesticated the Wolf, as a hunting partner to assist us in our survival. I personally love SOME dogs, and flat out feel that most good dogs are inherently better than most people. Like Mark Twain said, "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man."
I have had dogs as my best friends for decades ... two Doberman and three German Shepherds. In fact, I am currently awaiting the inevitable death of my Beautiful 11 year old German Shepherd. He has a genetic condition known as Canine Degenerative Mylopathy, which slowly but surely paralyzes him from the back end forwards, until the internal organs also go. Not pretty, not happy, but also not that uncommon .... over 40 breeds are known to carry the gene that causes this condition.
[;{(
All of my dogs were highly trained as COMPANION dogs first, and some even competed in Obedience Trials to get their official CD diplomas. A well trained dog can be an asset in your life, wherever that life may lead .... even up to a SHTF scenario.
BUT,
a poorly trained dog [ yours or perhaps the neighbors? ] is better off thought of as snack food ...
as has historically been the case in many cultures, where dogs were kept as a convenient source of food.
A couple of my dogs were also trained in Schutzhund, which is an entirely different can of worms than just owning a pet or companion dog.
Schutzhund is now mostly a SPORT, involving tracking, obedience, and protection. Schutzhund training is equivalent to the training a police dog gets, and in many cases Schutzhund bred dogs end up as working police dogs. At one time Schutzhund was a breed standard test, and the only way SERIOUS working dog breeders could ensure that their breeds kept the instincts that they desired, and in Europe this is still the case. No European breeder will breed a working dog unless the dog can prove good temperament with at least a Shchutzhund 1 degree [ Equivalent to a 1st degree Black belt in martial arts ].
However, in North America - where dog breeding is BIG Business rather than a labor of love - the AKC and CKC requirements for temperament require only that " The judge be able to approach and pet the dog without the dog biting or running away". Contrast these requirements with my last Schutzhund dog, where our training club flew over a German certified Judge to evaluate our dogs individually for three days, to qualify for a BH degree, BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED THE SCHUTZHUND TRAINING.
SO,
owning a true WORKING dog first of all requires the selection of a candidate with proper character and temperament. If you get a European line Schutzhund bred dog, you get some assurances that the breed will still have courage, workability, and the physical requirements to meet the challenges.
Unfortunately, much as I love the genuine German Shepherd breed, I can not recommend most of the North American versions. The N/A GSD breed has been bred primarily to win beauty contests, with little or no emphasis given to their actual working abilities. And I have seen too many dangerous [ genetically inclined to be shy/sharp ] examples of the N/A GSD breed, with zero courage [ cowering away from STRANGERS rather than confronting them with calm authority] which are also physically incapable of jumping over a 4' fence without blowing out their elbows or hips. These "slope backed needle nosed weasel beaks" [ as I call them ] would have been culled by any serious European GSD breeder, but instead here in N/A, they are actually capable of becoming "Champions", and passing on their deficient genes to more and more puppies.
SO,
if you are serious about "Prepping" with your K9,
I suggest you take a hard, realistic, and practical look at what your K9 has to contribute.
PROTECTOR/ASSET IN AN EMERGENCY/BEST FRIEND?
OR
Snack Food?
The opinions expressed here are given away for free,
and may be worth less than you paid for them,
YPMMV
LAZ 1
but that might end up being as realistic a scenario as some others in a true long term SHTF episode.
Pampered pets like "FLUFFY" and "CUDDLES" just might not make it in TEOTWAWKI,
and you should be prepared to deal with that.
This is not to say that SOME dogs might not be a tremendous asset in any long term SHTF scenario. In fact, one of the major turning points in human civilization is when mankind domesticated the Wolf, as a hunting partner to assist us in our survival. I personally love SOME dogs, and flat out feel that most good dogs are inherently better than most people. Like Mark Twain said, "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man."
I have had dogs as my best friends for decades ... two Doberman and three German Shepherds. In fact, I am currently awaiting the inevitable death of my Beautiful 11 year old German Shepherd. He has a genetic condition known as Canine Degenerative Mylopathy, which slowly but surely paralyzes him from the back end forwards, until the internal organs also go. Not pretty, not happy, but also not that uncommon .... over 40 breeds are known to carry the gene that causes this condition.
[;{(
All of my dogs were highly trained as COMPANION dogs first, and some even competed in Obedience Trials to get their official CD diplomas. A well trained dog can be an asset in your life, wherever that life may lead .... even up to a SHTF scenario.
BUT,
a poorly trained dog [ yours or perhaps the neighbors? ] is better off thought of as snack food ...
as has historically been the case in many cultures, where dogs were kept as a convenient source of food.
A couple of my dogs were also trained in Schutzhund, which is an entirely different can of worms than just owning a pet or companion dog.
Schutzhund is now mostly a SPORT, involving tracking, obedience, and protection. Schutzhund training is equivalent to the training a police dog gets, and in many cases Schutzhund bred dogs end up as working police dogs. At one time Schutzhund was a breed standard test, and the only way SERIOUS working dog breeders could ensure that their breeds kept the instincts that they desired, and in Europe this is still the case. No European breeder will breed a working dog unless the dog can prove good temperament with at least a Shchutzhund 1 degree [ Equivalent to a 1st degree Black belt in martial arts ].
However, in North America - where dog breeding is BIG Business rather than a labor of love - the AKC and CKC requirements for temperament require only that " The judge be able to approach and pet the dog without the dog biting or running away". Contrast these requirements with my last Schutzhund dog, where our training club flew over a German certified Judge to evaluate our dogs individually for three days, to qualify for a BH degree, BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED THE SCHUTZHUND TRAINING.
SO,
owning a true WORKING dog first of all requires the selection of a candidate with proper character and temperament. If you get a European line Schutzhund bred dog, you get some assurances that the breed will still have courage, workability, and the physical requirements to meet the challenges.
Unfortunately, much as I love the genuine German Shepherd breed, I can not recommend most of the North American versions. The N/A GSD breed has been bred primarily to win beauty contests, with little or no emphasis given to their actual working abilities. And I have seen too many dangerous [ genetically inclined to be shy/sharp ] examples of the N/A GSD breed, with zero courage [ cowering away from STRANGERS rather than confronting them with calm authority] which are also physically incapable of jumping over a 4' fence without blowing out their elbows or hips. These "slope backed needle nosed weasel beaks" [ as I call them ] would have been culled by any serious European GSD breeder, but instead here in N/A, they are actually capable of becoming "Champions", and passing on their deficient genes to more and more puppies.
SO,
if you are serious about "Prepping" with your K9,
I suggest you take a hard, realistic, and practical look at what your K9 has to contribute.
PROTECTOR/ASSET IN AN EMERGENCY/BEST FRIEND?
OR
Snack Food?
The opinions expressed here are given away for free,
and may be worth less than you paid for them,
YPMMV
LAZ 1
Joined
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257 Posts
My dog is a large Siberian Husky mix, and he's my total baby. He's a great guard dog, and is very protective of me. He's fast as can be whenever he sees any small animal (except other dogs lol), I have no doubt he could run one down if I didn't stop him. I think keeping plenty of his food and flea & tick & heartworm meds on hand is very important. I've been looking into getting him booties, but I know it'll be a long process getting him used to them. I know he could pull at least a small cart, he's harness trained and loves pulling. I also have medium sized saddle bags for him, which he's fine wearing on walks to the dog park. He's my partner.
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