my vote is the doberman, utterly fearless, great guard dog, my family has bread and raised them for 40+ years. never seen a breed with the mix of guard dog and companion all in one. My grandmas is currently in kansas city for her first show, and is in line to earn the new title of grand champion from the AKC.
My grandma had one about 2 decades ago, that didn't even bother to bark. If you came in the house and were a stranger it went right for the throat.
If i was in a SHTF senario that is what i would want hands down.

My buddy has one of these, I don't know much about them though.
http://www.letsplayhistory.org/3squaresaday/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ghost-aidog-songdogkennels.jpg

Its a Native American Indian Dog.

Other than that I'd go Pit Bull or Cur/Catahoula, if they can hunt wild boar, they gotta be tough

Blue Heeler FTW.

i have to agree, i have a friend whom works with the Dogo Rescue foundation out of Atlanta, GA. his big male dog "truck" is a rescue dog and is a wonderful animal, one of the smartest dogs i've met in a long time. the female he was fostering had such a natural gaurd instinct she nearly took a chunk out of a fellow whom kicked open the door of the apartment of the girl whom was dog sitting the female for him while he was out of town. "cody" had only met the dog sitter girl a couple times and had been at her place only two days when a neighbor thought he'd be funny and crash through the door drunk and unannouned. "cody" met the drunk jackass with a flying leap through the air and knoked him to the floor and was nearly ready to chomp down when the dog sitter called her name. she stopped mid bite and slowly backed up and positioned herself at the dogsitters feet never taking an eye off hte drunk neighbor. "cody" was only 10 months old and has had no formal training, as protective as she is/was she's very well socialised and came over to our hosue for a visit and played with my fiance's 30lb mut, the cats, and even the ferret without harming any of them. my finace and i hope to adopt a dogo form the resue foundaton as soon as we're maried and can get out of this apartment and into a house.
truck in the red collar and codi in blue...

and the two of them off on a play date with another resue dogo...


Dogo Argentinos for the win!..

P.S. fernando, my buddy actully deided on adopting a dogo(which had been on his short list of breeds anyway) after i had him read your book. we both thank you for your opinion's and helping in turning us on to this breed.

K.

My BIL had one and it was great. If he had the grandkids and needed the dog to watch them he just told her to "Watch the kids" and they got to play but they couldn't wander off. She would also round up the kids and bring them inside if he told her to. She herded a bunny onto the house one day as well.

Loyal, protective, and alert as she could be.

I definitely would and know lots of people see their dogs as a family member. In all seriousness when the time comes there will be enough strays abandoned by unconcerned owners to shoot for meat. If I were to happen to shoot what appeared to be a stray and someone comes and fires on me, than all I can do is return fire. My guard will be up and I doubt they'd be quiet about their approach. It's not like I'd really choose to shoot someone's prized pet right out from under their nose given the choice, but there really is no knowing how bad things will get. If I were starving, it wouldn't be my first priority.


It's obvious there are a lot of large breed dogs out there and in a time where shtf and has been for a long period of time, loose dogs will actually be a big threat. Dogs pack and will be looking for food themselves. Anyone who loves their pet better keep good control on them because I think shooting dogs will be a very common thing at the time for many people. Not just for food, but prevention of them causing harm.

Any reason why you think Dobies are bad?  I'd love the opinion of an author on the subject.

I breed and train Police and Protection Dobermans.  My opinion is that there is no better personal protection dog around; maybe a few that are equal, but none better.  My clients pay a lot for my opinion and my dogs.  Dobies make great protection dogs, great scouts, great family dogs (my stud sleeps on the bed with my daughters), and great friends.

But then again, I haven't written a book so what do I know.

Semper Fidelis,

Kent

Dollins Plott hounds............

good enough to chase monster bears and mountain loins......................

tons of grit and utterly fearless.

Pit Bull. I've had a few different breeds in my life (G.S, Doberman and Lab) and the one that's the heartiest and easiest to maintain and eats less and can be an energizer bunny is a properly trained Pit Bull. They are super athletic, they won't quit until you stop moving, intelligent and extremly loyal to the end. You can teach them to hunt. You can teach them to defend and guard. I don't really care for the super large types(100 pounds+), or the incredibly small ones (35-45 pounds). Mine are 55-70 pounds and can put an ass beat down on anything I put them to task on... and NO I'm not talking about dog fighting.

^^^^^
i'm not disagreeing with you. i've met a great pt bull or two. but i've also met a couple that were as oblivious and retarted as you can imagine(unapoligeticly asphalt on a hot summer day licking dumb). imho it's the same in the realm of dogs as it is in the realm of people when it comes to protetion and defense. some have a natural persuation or instinct for it and some seem to have an adversion or at least a severe lack of pention towards it, but regardless training(type and frequecny) can make a world of difference...

TJ, please tell me you have a warning sign with the yorkie/s&w quote as the text!..

K.

i have a red and a blue, as well.  we live on property and the heelers are the dogs i tell the kids to take w/ them when they go outside.  our red heeler is amazingly intelligent, that or he has me trained really well.  both dogs are house dogs.

we also have two mutts, both about 70 lbs - they do well to scare people off.

then there's our two great pyrenees - 8 months old and weighing in at 90 and 100s.  they patrol our property all night long and have prevented the coyotes from stealing any more chickens.  

we have a layered alert/guard system set up.

@  Kar15... Like I said, "properly trained."  I've had well bred Pit Bulls for the majority of my life. I even dabbled into the the realm of breeding Old Family Red Nose pits for severeal years (it takes a lot of dedication for that-human family had to come first) And I too have run across so knuckleheaded dogs (all breeds) then I have a short conversation with their owner... I usually end up walking away shaking my head and feeelinf sorry for the dog.

mutt mutt mutt

––––-


of the suggestions above, I favor Rhodesian Ridgebacks (I just love 'em, they're really great dogs even if they're dumb as dirt), heelers (same reason, smaller than ridgebacks, but smarter), and blackmouthed cur (for pure damned meanness).

and the real answer...


dogmeat (from fallout)... the standard against which all post apocalyptic dogs will be judged, and all others are lacking

Schipperke.

Smallish but vicious, eat little, live forever, and vicious.  Yes, double vicious.  They are like little Tasmanian devils from the cartoons.  

Some considerations for a SHTF dog.  Size needs to be small or medium.  Frames need to be sturdy or light. Many breeds like labs, while being the ultimate in companions, have loose hips, and I'd hate to have to dump a round into a companion because he got a dislocated hip.  Floppy ears are bad as well as they retain mites and infections.  Shedding would also be a concern as it is just another contaminant to have around to f-up your food.  All of the larger dogs I have had shed like mad and one less irritant around when things have gone to suck is fine by me.  Smaller dogs simply have less hair to shed.  

For the record, I hate Schipperkes.  Actually they hate me.  Never met one that liked me, but damn I admire those little monsters.  100 pounds of hate and discontent in a 10 pound package.   Territorial, loyal to a fault, and can be at face level with a Critter impersonation in an instant.

how bout some pics of your dobes? I had a friend who owned one and it was also a great dog. If I didn't have boxers, I think a well bred dobe would be my second choice.

I write adventure novels.  Your snark rolls from my back like a summer rain.  The research I was doing regarded a ATEOTAWKI scenario and the dog research was in regards the dogs the protagonist raised at his retreat, and what might be the best traits and the best breed available at that time.  The breed I came up with that served those functions best was the bull mastiff.

I have no plans at this time to get into a pissing contest with somebody who breeds dobies and will defend them to the death.  This ain't GD.  So I'll post my observations and let it go at that.  

I grew up with a guy who's mother raised American Dobermans, cross-breeding the German strain with more lab blood to calm them the hell down and prevent that whole, "turning on your master" business.  He said it worked, mostly.The issue I have with dobies (and you guys may have bred it out of them in the past thirty years) is their unpredictability.  That whole, "narrow head, crowded brain" issue.

I've met good dobies, I've met bad ones.  I've even met miniature dobies the size of a yorkie that shook constantly like they were about to explode.  It has always seemed to me that they were a purpose built dog that performed that particular purpose very well.  But then, I haven't been professionally breeding them for forty years, and have no dog in the race as it were

A small mutt, preferably without a solid coat.

I'm going with the one that covers all of America.............the good old mutt.

Any cur/catahula would work fine for me.
M

Barbequed.  

Dead is best.  

Eats nothing. Won't chew up your stuff. Does not alert others to your location.

Like any other preps, a person is going to have to choose their pup based on their AO.  Short haired dogs have a hard time around here when the temps get below zero.  YMMV

How about an adopted greyhound?
- Medium body
- Zero hip problems
- Few medical issues (small liver, I think)
- Have been trained since birth to catch small mammals (or at least try).  I bet a small pack could take down a small deer.
- Effectively zero body fat and short hair - not good for cold climates, but south of the Mason Dixon should be no problem.

Only problem is that, in order to adopt, they need to be neutered/spayed, so it's not like you can make any more.

Your language, for a writer, stinks of carelessness.  A writer, at least one worthy of print, would know that you can't say "I did research for a book once" without the logical conclusion of his readers being that it was a serious book ABOUT the subject which you are discussing.  Not some adventure novel fantasy land.  You attempted to make yourself seem to be an authority on a subject that you have no real knowledge in.  

Your comment would be "far" less authoritative if you had put "research for a fictional adventure  novel", and thus more acceptable IMO; I know I wouldn't have bothered making any "snarky" remarks if you had presented yourself as an opinion instead of an authority.



Good.  I'm not trying to get into a pissing match either.

Yes, this isn't GD and thus I would hope that you'd have some clue as to what you're talking about before posting here.  You didn't even bother posting your opinion, you posted it as "research" for a book attempting to mislead the reader that it was anything more than inexperienced and uneducated (on the topic, you obviously have an education) drivel.

And I won't defend dobies to the death; their job is to defend me to the death... muhaha ha ha ok lame joke. :)  But seriously, I understand that there are many good breeds.  

Dobermans have a completely undeserved reputation.. if you ever care to do real research and look through the CDC statistics, you'll see that Dobies always rank VERY VERY low on the bite / threat statistics.  Leaders of the list?  Pit Bulls, Rotties, German Shepherds, Labradors, Poodles, Chihuahuas...  dogs that are used by gang bangers for dangerous dogs and dogs that people don't bother to train because "they're safe".



Herr Dobermann (the man who "designed" and created the Doberman Pinscher in the 1880's) used Thuringian Shepherds, German Pinschers, Black and Tan Terriers, Weimaraners, Greyhounds, and German Shorthair Pointers in his early breeding stock.  Your comment of "crossbreeding the German Strain with MORE lab blood" is misleading... they were never bred with lab blood in the first place and thus couldn't have been bred with MORE lab blood.  Labradors are completely unsuited to the task of assisting in the "calming" of any breed anyways... they are spastic.

But I grew up with a guy who's mother  had 472 round clips for her S&W / Winchester M16 / M60 hybrid.  I'm pointing out here that as a child, many years ago, you got information second or fourth hand about something you didn't understand back then and still don't understand today.  And you are simply perpetuating bad and dangerous information.

I try to keep to a rule of thumb when sharing information.  Either I am 100% sure of what I am saying, or I only share personal experiences, and share them as opinion.  Too much bullcrap being spouted by too many "dog house" commandos.

I'd submit that you don't even know enough about dogs to know a "good dobie" from a bad one.  Not to mention that there never has been a "real" narrow head, crowded brain issue... more bullcrap.

I breed my own variant of Dobermans... I dislike the looks of the German Doberman, and the AKC and POS breeders (you know, people breeding dobies with labs to calm them down) have destroyed the American Doberman to the point that it won't bite or do bite work anymore.  I end up breeding in German bloodlines with the few good American Dobies I can find so that they end up looking less like tanks and are smaller in size (you know medium 70 pound dogs).

Anyways, best of luck.  You probably don't care, but I'm not angry or upset.  Just tired of bullcrap being spread.

Semper Fidelis,

They're sight hounds... If not properly trained they will not come back once unleashed... There goes the dog and dinner, DAMN!!! I hate it when that happens.
By the way, I own page 4. woo hoo!!!

@ USMC_2674

Well said!

I thought that all that bad Doberman PR was 20yrs behind us.
But It seems every now and then it rears it's ugly head.


I had a pair of Shih Tzu's that were the greatest early warning system you could find.

agree 100 percent.  Dobies are fantastic dogs.  The whole brain outgrowing the skull bs needs to stop, its retarded.  



 

Cur dog. No other dog has more experience fucking off all day in the American woods.

Same dogs i have pre SHTF two shepherd mixes and two pitbull mixes.

Absolutely.  However, the same factor applies to ALL dogs - they need to be properly trained.

no one has put a pic of this one up yet?

Anatolian Shepherds for the win. They are perfect for the SHTF environment.

The one you have on hand .

PUG . THE most Loyal of ALL BREEDS .  Mine won't leave my side !!

i myself like catahoulas. very protective of the family. can hunt hogs/bears/mt lions all day. can herd. dont eat a lot for there size. short coat so u dont have hair all over. they also come in all kinds of colors. for a dog to hunt wild hogs its got to be pretty gritty.

I'm going with the cattle dog on this one also; though I'm biased as I have two already. They are smaller, yet tough, very protective, extremely trainable, and half-way decent trackers.



My Boy "Cool Hand Luke"







And My Girl "Dottie Blue Danger" in action

Dealt with a few catahoula's when I was guiding in Texas, Great dogs... Along with Blue lacy's, Blue tic's, and cur dogs... Catahoula's were my favorite for that type of work

German Shepherd Dog.



I've worked with and along side various "working breeds" in Schutzhund and while many do some things well none are as well rounded as the GSD. Smart enough to outhink most people and that's not an exaggeration.

I have a Decker Rat Terrier, and a smaller rescued Rat terrier as well.

I have had dogs all my life, and my Decker Rat is the best I have ever had.

I don't think a big war dog would be all that useful.  They eat too much and will get shot if you attempt to use them as a weapon.

Dog senses nicely compliment our own.  We have a  good vision, but poor hearing and a weak sense of smell.  Dogs are just the opposite.  Their sense of smell is particularly keen in some breeds, millions of times better than our own.  They are great alarm systems.

I think we will stick with our Rhodesian Ridgeback. No plans to add additional canines to the household in a SHTF scenario. He's a good alarm system and is protective of the family. Smart bugger and I see him being more of an asset than liability.

Sorry to be all GD about this, but first post nailed it!!

We have a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, old breed descended from the big dogs of Rome when they crossed the Alps.  She is a herding dog and a working dog-a very good watch dog that looks like a Rotty, but for the apocalypse, she just isn't mean enough.  I'd go for the Rottweiler or the GSD.

WTF is that?

I like my Rat Terriers. Small 15 pounds, don't eat much, love to hunt and will bring all kinds of crap home. As their name implies they hate rodents and will kill all they can find. Great diiggers and some will go to ground after holed up game. If ANYTHING is in their yard(teritory) they will let you know, and then look up at you like they're saying "well, come on lets kick it's ass"!.

That's amazing.   RIP Roscoe, and Queen.

This.
Mountain Curs - hunting with and protecting woodsmen and frontier settlers for over 200 years.





Blackmouth Curs if you'd like a slightly larger dog.
 

 

 

Bite me Skippy.  This is an internet forum, not a manuscript. End of reply.

I want a dog that will hunt.
Something with a nose, and a brain.
I've got a soft spot for beagles, but a plot, or mountain cur would be a good choice.

I honestly think it won't matter. In a post-apocalyptic world, dogs whether loose or kept won't last long. When it eats food you need to survive I think some of you are going to put it down or starve. If it gets loose, someone else will eat it quick. Unless you're holding down your BOL without concern to who knows you're there, it can draw unwanted attention to you. If you're bugging out and wanting to neither be seen or heard, it can be a major drawback. Once it starts barking, someone close enough will get a bead on you and what most of you favor, that it keeps barking at a stranger coming, will likely be your undoing. At a time when people are hungry and will take what you have because they need to survive off what you've got, any form of noise will be trouble. I wouldn't be surprised that people with dogs, screaming kids, and stupid companions will be the first to go.

Maybe I'm just getting disillusioned with all the M3 (Mad Max Masturbation) I've been seeing, but I don't see post apocalyptic Anywhere falling to the level where dogs die out.  They've been with us since before recorded history and I expect they'll be with us until we cease to be.  When/if we take to the stars, there'll be doggy space suits made shortly after the first human versions hit the shelves.  

I suppose it depends on what your version of "apocalypse" is, but the tendency of people to posit the belief that the entire earth will suddenly become desert incapable of sustaining life outside of their bunkers seems kind of foolish.  Hollywood foolish.  Seems to me that any such event would also do for mankind at the same time.  

Of course, comes the day my main goal in life is hiding in the underbrush hoping teh bad mans will pass me by rather than kill me for the last doughnut on earth which I've got stashed in my Tactical Taylor dump pouch, whether or not I've got a dog in there with me will be entirely incidental.