# Best dog for survival



## cur huntin' kid (Apr 15, 2007)

I dont come to the survival section often but always find it interesting when i do so i thought i would ask you guys this question. What is the best dog for survival and why? I saw this on another forum and peoples choices were stupid in my opinion.


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

I'll be the first taker.

I think that the answer depends on where you are in terms of population, natural environment, geographic region, level of isolation and a whole host of other factors.

For example: I live in an area that used to be suburbs and is now bordering the urban area so, fairly dense population yet I live waterfront with small woods and small game. So for me, a dog that will alert to strangers coming to close but remain quiet otherwise, can and will hunt for small game like rabbits and be small enough to be able to pick up and carry out of the way should we need to hide quickly is ideal. Maybe a beagle (which I have) but one that isn't too vocal.

Conversely, should I be in the retirement place where I live in a town but can't actually see any neighbors, thick woods with lots of game from small to large and and almost no reason for a car to pass my house then I'd probably want something very different PLUS a beagle.

It just depends on the perspective. I think it makes peoples answers sound dumb when we don't consider all the factors they have to take into account for their choice.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Any dog that has been trained not to bark except for intruders. A hunting breed would be good if you are in a situation where the dog has to fend for itself for any length of time. I have a boxer mix that meets those criteria, and I think he's be the perfect survival dog. He's big enough to carry his own pack, super obedient and quiet except when I tell him to bark or someone comes through the gate. He is a great hunter, and eats when he kills. He's also big enough to be intimidating (but he's really a *****cat).


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

I have a dog that would rip the throat out of anyone that attcked me and mine. He is a rare kind of LGD. He is big enough to carry stuff, and easily catches what he needs to eat, including fish. 
Yep, would not trade him for anything.


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

Again, it depends on what you wish the dog's role to be in a survival situation. 

We have an Aussie X and a Labrador -- while I love them both dearly, I fully recognize that they're probably more dependent on me than I am on them. In a "protect yourself and your property" situation, I'd definitely go for one of the larger, guard breeds, but I would probably want a terrier or two around, as well, for vermin control.


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

It is hard to pick out one breed to do it all. If you are going to have livestock, you need a good LGD, if you are in a heavily populated area, you need one that has good people protection and alert senses. If you think there will be enough game in your area to rely on as a food source, then you need a good hunting dog. Also have to keep in mind the climate where you are - short hair or long hair.

Then you have to take into consideration how you are going to feed this dog. Although I love really big dogs, I'm not sure I would want one that would eat more than I do to worry about if times get tough. Sure, we could forage and scrounge for things to feed him, but it would be one more BIG mouth to have to worry about feeding. IMO, a medium to small sized dog would provide the biggest bang for the food consumed - good alarm/alert, able to hunt, scare off the half hearted intruder, without eating you out of house and home. Also easier to transport in an emergency situation and carry if you have to.

Honestly though, if I have the food resources, I would keep a pack of several different dogs, each with a set of characteristics I deemed useful. Also, I would go with a performance dog rather than a conformation champion every time. IME, we have had more success with getting the breed we want from backyard breeders (the scourge of the pet trade). We get the overall traits we want, can often select a dog with "faults" that would disqualify them from the conformation ring but that actually work much better for our purposes, and we get some of the multigenetic vigor that is so sadly lacking in the overbred/linebred show ring winners. There aren't many performance breeders around my area, so the backyard folks are the next best thing. But you definitely have to know what you are looking for.

For my money, I would probably pick a smaller rottweiler to do the job if I got only one choice.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

The ideal dog could be one of many different breeds or even a mutt. 
It would need to be reasonably good at many different skills. Above all it must be devoted to you. It should obey your commands completely. It should be able to run free but stay within sight of its master except when it is called on to do something else. It should be trained to understand hand signals, voice commands, and whistle commands. It should not be a loud or barking type of dog. When hunting it should be a silent trailer. It should be a close hunter. It should be a reasonably good herding dog.

It takes a long time and a lot of work to train a companion dog. It don't happen overnight. Choose a healthy dog with a body type that can withstand hardships. An athletic type dog. Train your dog to obey immediately. You should be able to stop your dog in its tracks with one word, hand signal, or whistle.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

In my remote area, I keep a team of LGD's outside. They keep the milk, egg, and meat animals safe from predators, both 4 legged and 2 legged ones. For years I kept a tiny toy Pomeranian inside. She was my "door bell" as she would always let me know if anyone was outside. She knew the sound of my vehicle and would come out and jump up into the front window to start watching for me when I was still about a mile from home. That tells me she had great hearing and could have been trained to alert me when anyone was within a mile of the place.

I once had a german shepard that was highly trained as a prison dog. She was extremely protective and obedient. But, one shot and I would have been without protection. 

I don't think there's any single perfect survival dog. Everyone's needs will be different so everyone will need a dog or team of dogs trained for their own situation(s).


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

ChristyACB said:


> Maybe a beagle (which I have) but one that isn't too vocal.
> 
> .


do these exist??? (tee hee)


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Our current dog is a good one. Shelter dog but it is guessed he is part schipperke "skipper key". He small, doesn't eat much, doesn't like "non-pack members" and is very protective of his pack, especially the kids. Down side - long hair (but then that could be a good thing, I could make sweaters from it - no joke). We don't have any animals, but we have seen him herd the neighbors dog and we think he was trying to herd the kids one day.

http://www.canadasguidetodogs.com/schipperke.htm


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

pancho said:


> The ideal dog could be one of many different breeds or even a mutt.
> It would need to be reasonably good at many different skills. Above all it must be devoted to you. It should obey your commands completely. It should be able to run free but stay within sight of its master except when it is called on to do something else. It should be trained to understand hand signals, voice commands, and whistle commands. It should not be a loud or barking type of dog. When hunting it should be a silent trailer. It should be a close hunter. It should be a reasonably good herding dog.
> 
> It takes a long time and a lot of work to train a companion dog. It don't happen overnight. Choose a healthy dog with a body type that can withstand hardships. An athletic type dog. Train your dog to obey immediately. You should be able to stop your dog in its tracks with one word, hand signal, or whistle.


This is pretty much my blue heeler, and also the first heeler I had. And don't forget Mad Max had a blue heeler too.

The two heelers I've had have both had great wild street smarts. They still have the wild observant instinct and are VERY in tune with who is in the pack and who is not--and that is getting down to discerning who is friend and family and who is just acqaintance(but not in the "circle of trust"). They stalk silently, and are tough fighters(again, VERY protective of the pack). Of course they are very smart which usually gets them into trouble with owners that dont' know how to handle that, which goes along with the deep instinct to WORK--if you dont' have a job for them they will make one up. 

They like to "perch" on something high to keep watch. Our first heeler could jump up on top of our full size van. The one I have now caught her leg in the deck steps and wrenched her hip so big jumping is out(poor thing!). The first one who could jump high used to ride around on the bulldozer with my husband. She was smart and never got in the way, and loved hanging around while he cut trees and towed the logs around.

BUT anyways, watching how my heelers are attentive to the goings on of the woods has been interesting. They sing with the coyotes too.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Aussies, Heelers, small, fast and smart. My Rotties are very good, but they couldn't handle heat very well. My female is small, she is definatly the one that would protect me. People far and wide know these dogs are here, their picket fenced area is the front yard. Tho in a shtf situation I would muzzle them when outside, to avoid them being poisned. Don't know how many people that know this, but rotties can have a trait where they will silently let someone enter their space. It's when that person goes to leave, the rott will attempt to do his job. None can leave my house without my escort. Have had some very good mutts also. Mom had a Boston bull terrier, took on a goat once, had butted my brother. He was fearless and lived a long life.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

It would have to be a tasty breed. A breed that isn't too lean and with too much grizzle.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

A smart loyal companion with good instincts...willing to protect, work and keep me warm...
all without the judgment baggage us people carry around...breed,color or creed not a requirement.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

It's not my Ruger, who is a catahoula mix. He's smart, but has a mind of his own, especially when it comes to coming back to his people.
He has a large vocabulary of human words that he knows, but stop or here are not any of them.
he has gotten better over the last 4 years, but every once in a while he gets out and we have chase him down.


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

I got a dog. He is a Lab/Pitt. Lousy at gaurding, he loves EVERYBODY and only barks for cats. I plan on getting a pup in the next few years (australian Shepherd, but only because I love that breed) And will train that dog to my satisfaction. This dog is a sweetie, and I hope to train him to bark on command. Good point, He is big enough that most people think twice before coming up to him. 

I agree with a poster above, a good dog is a dog that will obey you above all else, and is pack orriented. For this reason, when I get my pup, it will only be handled by my family as a baby, and then taught to accept others when it's around six months or so.


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## JuliaAnn (Dec 7, 2004)

The che hwah hwah is the perfect all purpose breed. Barks, eats, sleeps, plays, guards, scratches, fetches, what more do you need?


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Our dog pound dog Rose is the perfect dog IMO. She is lab and ??....about 35 lbs of muscle, extremely protective with a big dog bark, plus she is a natural bird dog. She has caught birds in flight without damage and brought them to me. She is as fast as a black bullet, and is extremely alert.


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## JuliaAnn (Dec 7, 2004)

uhm, yeah -perfect if you're Paris Hilton.

'Scuze me??

It was a joke.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> :goodjob: but then, he was in the desert.
> 
> Like Christy said -depends on your situation, locale and what you NEED the dog to do.
> 
> A heavily-coated sled dog, skijoring dog, hunting dog, pack dog, protection dog, water-retrieving, anti-bear/wolf dog would be helpful up here - a beagle? not so much.


aw, australia has mountains too, dont' tell me you haven't seen Man From Snowy River? :gaptooth:

One thing that came to mind, my heeler has pointy ears that stand up, her hearing (and eyesight too) is FAR better than my(well, my husband's) standard poodle with floppy ears. The poodle's nose is better though. Except for food, then the heeler moves like a flash! Nothing sticks in the heeler's coat neither(no foxtails or burrs either), she needs no grooming(except for a wash when she rolls in deer poo). 

Sigh, speaking of grooming, the poodle can't go out in the snow for long, her coat gets coated withall these snowballs. I spray PAM in her legs, it helps a little bit.


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## kabri (May 14, 2002)

I'm real partial to our australian shepherds, very protective and will alert at any stranger, help tremendously with the livestock, and our youngest one eats blackberries off the vine, catches and eats mice, and even brought me a young grouse last year that he had caught. Yep, they have hair, but as earlier poster said, could mix it in with my sheep wool if SHTF and we were running out of clothing. Also, I would not want a dog bigger than that (50 lbs +/-) due to less feed consumption.


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

one that grills well or cans easily ...


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## idahodave (Jan 20, 2005)

CrashTestRanch said:


> one that grills well or cans easily ...


Would that be an Oscar Mayer or a Nathan's?


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

idahodave said:


> Would that be an Oscar Mayer or a Nathan's?


Libby's ... :thumb:


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

The best dog? The dog you have! I've found the individual personalities mean more than the breed.

Best not to have just one, either. There 'were' four large anatolian guard dogs here till recently. The one took on the kamikaze role, on average, would administer a 'whoopin' and would get some in return, about once a month. A while back, he got chewed on. Few days later it'd healed over, and a few days after that, he'd stopped limping. Three days later, he was 'gone'... resting now up in the orchard.

"One" good dog can mess up, and then your dog less. Good to have some backups.

Pound for pound, I have a 2lb hua hua that's meaner than a grizzly bear. She'll jump any dog here and make em cry. There's weeners, huahuas, bassets, strays, anatolians, and even a crazy ----zu...

Lost my red heeler last year... was hands down the best guard dog ever... he'd protect daytime and night... saw him one day trying to catch a red tailed hawk that tried to put the snatchus on a banty hen. Only thing he couldn't whomp was owls... but he would bark at em and scare em off.

Probably going to add either an aussie shep or another heeler to the farm soon... and begin the long process of training it to kill x,y, and z, and protecting a,b, and c.


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## cur huntin' kid (Apr 15, 2007)

Wow everyone you guys put a lot of thought into this and there are a lot of great responses. So here is mine, I would want a larger(55-65lbs) cur. For those who dont know what a cur is, they are the dogs the early settlers used when they settled the Appalachian Mountains and the South and then on into the West. They were used for hunting,protection, and working livestock. There are now multiple cur breeds but almost any would do. But if I was going to pick a purebred I would say a catahoula or a blackmouth cur. They are both used for hunting. I have seen curs hunt everything from bears, feral hogs, and mountain lions, to *****, squirrels, and game birds. So they are very versatile. They are also very protective of what is "theirs". They have enough size to be intimidating and stop a person if necessary. They are also very good stock dogs. This is why I would choose a large cur dog. I see why all of you say situation matters cause my choice would not be the best for a person living in a city. But any dog that would protect me and what is mine, hunt, and work stock and that is not over 100lbs would work. On the other forum most of the people were fighting over a german shepherd or a pit bull like dog being the best.


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## willbuck1 (Apr 4, 2010)

I'm thinking English shepherd. All around farm dog like the farm Collies we had around here when I was a kid. Protective, herding instinct, and most can be trained for hunting. Probably not as good at each as a dedicated breed but lots of bang for the buck.


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

cur huntin' kid said:


> On the other forum most of the people were fighting over a german shepherd or a pit bull like dog being the best.


Possibly city folks?


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## FourDeuce (Jun 27, 2002)

wyld thang said:


> do these exist??? (tee hee)


Most people don't know that beagles(and some other breeds) can have epilepsy, and it can get bad. Ours spend a couple of nights going through seizures and convulsions every couple of hours before we found out what was wrong and got some medicine for her o control it.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Asking what the best dog to have around is like asking what's the best gun to have. Everybody has their own opinion which usually happens to be what they happen to own! 

Since you call yourself the "Cur Hunting Kid", I kind of figured the Cur is what you was gonna tell us about. I've only had one Cur dog in my life time. A fellar I met gave me one free that he said he uses to hunt with. But he just got married and he and his new bride was moving off to a new town and would be currently renting a apartment where he couldn't keep dogs. So the dog needed a new home. I kept him for about 2 months on the chain and one day I let him off to see if he would hang around. He did for about 10 minutes and then he was gone. Never did see that dog again. So that was my luck with a Cur dog.

Now right now I own a Rat Terrior, a Beagle (that barks), and a Blue Tick *******. Out of these 3 dogs if I had to choose just one to keep for survival, it would be the Rat Terrior. The Rat Terrior lives up to his name Terrior. He's very loyal and wants to please me as much as he can. He aint afraid of nothin. He patrols around the house and with those sharp ears he's always finding rats, snakes, turtles, squirrels, rabbits, *****, possums, moles and mice. He takes care of them right away.(except the *****) He also doesn't let strangers get too close to the house. He'll walk right up to them, stop, and start growling. If they stop in their tracks, he'll stop in his tracks. If they continue to walk, he might nip at their ankels, which usually stops them. He has nipped a few people but not seriously enjuring anyone. His only problem is, he's not a very big dog, so he wouldn't be able to stand up to a **** fight, or keep a wild hog at bay. I've often wondered about getting a cur dog and crossbreeding it to the rat terrior and see what the pups would be like.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

neighhbors had a chocolate lab/aussie shepherd mix, very cool looking dog, very smart. too smart for them tho, they couldn't handle it and very sadly the dog got the short end of the stick. we were this close to kidnapping it when it died too.

they put it on a zipline with a choke chain 24/7. DO NOT EVER DO THAT TO A DOG!!!


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

wyld thang said:


> they put it on a zipline with a choke chain 24/7. Do not ever do that to a dog!!!


amen ...


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## Goatguy (Aug 23, 2007)

Oldcountryboy said:


> The Rat Terrior lives up to his name Terrior. He's very loyal and wants to please me as much as he can. He aint afraid of nothin. He patrols around the house and with those sharp ears he's always finding rats, snakes, turtles, squirrels, rabbits, *****, possums, moles and mice. He takes care of them right away.(except the *****) He also doesn't let strangers get too close to the house. He'll walk right up to them, stop, and start growling. If they stop in their tracks, he'll stop in his tracks. If they continue to walk, he might nip at their ankels, which usually stops them. He has nipped a few people but not seriously enjuring anyone. His only problem is, he's not a very big dog, so he wouldn't be able to stand up to a **** fight, or keep a wild hog at bay. I've often wondered about getting a cur dog and crossbreeding it to the rat terrior and see what the pups would be like.


I was thinking the same thing. Terriers are the original small animal hunters. Trained correctly they are very good at getting anything from a mouse up to a fox. I would definitely get a medium sized one (so hiding it could be easy, feeding it woudl be easy, and its big enough that it could keep up with you on days where you need to put a lot of miles on the ground (my 5lb toy poodle can't do walks more than 3 miles before she is about done)


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

Living in Wisconsin where our winters can be pretty nasty... I would keep two of what I already have. 

Our St. Bernard for warmth and protection (she's VERY protective of our house and family... only barks when someone comes within range of our place) and companionship. She also doesn't mind being tied onto a cart to help pull a heavy load.

Our Red Tick Coonhound for hunting and chasing off predators. She doesn't mess with our chickens (other than in a playful mood), even though she's had LOTS of opportunities to do them harm. But in the wild, she'll go after anything, including deer.

Given the opportunity, I would add a German Shepherd to the mix. They again do well in the winter, are great for guarding and have great strength. 

Heck, I'd even keep our two Teddy Bear puppies. (cross breed of ----zu and Bichon Friese) Those boys love to go after rodents and other small critters. I'm still working on them to keep away from the chickens.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Satillite dog. Never have to wash it, clean up after it, last time I fed it was a few days ago. Great watch dog. Her name is Savanha, she's a tan & white around 50 pounds.
Also known as my neighbor's step son's pit bull. When he moved in with the dog which is chained up next to our woodpile we started giving her snacks & beef bones then progressed to just petting with & without a reward. Now when their not home we take her for short walks. She does well on a leash.
We have let the owner know that if the time comes & he has to move away (the big house) to think of us.
I agree that location dictates need which decides breed but training is also a huge factor. 

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

We had a border collie with major seizures and put her to rest after talking with breeder we purchased from...she was a good dog but not a barker...she'd chase any tire too and so became a nuisance when we wanted to mow the lawn or plow the driveway (we'd let her ride w/us to control her)

As far as food goes...I believe it is a myth that a BIG dog means a big food bill. Our 100# yellow Lab Jack eats 2cups of food a day(18%protein) along with apples, cukes, green beans, and tomatoes that the kids share with him. I watch him closely because I don't want a fat dog. He's beefy but defined...a fine dog, a little demanding...he pines for the children for an hour before the school bus arrives and an hour of nagging before scooby snacks (he doesn't get daylight saving time)
Jack licked on the baby goat that was frzn (born at minus 17) last Jan. and still thinks Harriett is his baby...
His bark is ear-piercing...it hurts if he is beside you.


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

I would keep my st bernard/pyrenese. She is completely bonded to my family mainly to me she is a calm friendly dog unless you do anything that threatens us. Then she will tear you apart but she is a good gaurd dog and will tell you when someone is coming up the driveway. She is also being trained to pack and pull so she would be a good support and has been trained curl up in the back seat between two carseats. So she wont take up as much room as she seems to. But in a situation where we have to walk or pack out she can pull her own weight and then some. Any animal can work for an emergency shtf situation it is simply in the training.


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## BoldViolet (Feb 5, 2009)

I have a pair of Akitas. I'm saving up to get them packs, and then after that, I want to train them to draft harness.

They're big enough to carry and pull. They don't bark unless something is amiss. They're very protective of me, my husband, and our property without being outright aggressive. They're independent without being aloof, and they are capable hunters.

They're the "best" for me. 

I don't have any livestock, but I would insist on a LGD when I do.


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## Wanderer0101 (Jul 18, 2007)

One of the 'versatile' gun dogs with a protective instinct, German Shorthair or Wirehair, Munsterlanders, Pudel Pointer, Spinone, Brittany, Weimaraner. They all tend to be very smart, very trainable, etc. Mine will point, retrieve on land or in the water, track, kill vermin and protect the house. I've never tried to work livestock with her but so far she's picked up everything I've asked her to do.

It is interesting to look at the posts. Pretty much everyone thinks 'their' dog is the one.


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## Ode (Sep 20, 2006)

I have two Australian Cattle Dogs, and one German Wirehaired Pointer/Mountain Feist mixed breed. They have killed vermin that entered their domain, but when one of the cattle dogs found a young cottontail last summer he immediately dropped it when told to (which broke the poor little thing's leg upon hitting our deck!) and it was unhurt aside from a broken leg which wasn't his fault, and the baby survived and was eventually released. I expect my dogs to obey immediately when given a command, and they do. Aside from being pretty rambunctious and very active, they are really good dogs. They love children, yet bark when they spot something suspicious. Or a squirrel. Or a rabbit, lol.

The dogs are devoted, and would be excellent protectors if we were threatened I am sure. Having not yet actually had a home intrusion, or been under threat of a mugging while walking them, we cannot know this absolutely. I guess that is what the shotgun is for.


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## seagullplayer (Nov 6, 2008)

I am in the process of training my JRT to hunt squirrels. Her father is a great squirrel dog, and she barks when strangers come around, and is pretty good at herding up the chickens, even when you don't ask her...


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

wyld thang said:


> they put it on a zipline with a choke chain 24/7. DO NOT EVER DO THAT TO A DOG!!!


ok i take offense here.... my stbernard pyrenese has a "zipline" and a chain that hooks to her collar. I do this so that she is safe outside as i have very vengeful people around me. That shoot first ask questions later. So to keep her safe when i cannot take her with me somewhere ( she isnt certified yet ) she goes on that set up And there have been times it has been all day before but i make sure she has shade and feed and water. Do not make blanket statements unless you know the whole story about the situation


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## palani (Jun 12, 2005)

Cabin Fever said:


> It would have to be a tasty breed. A breed that isn't too lean and with too much grizzle.


Worked with a Korean once and on break several of us asked if it was true that Koreans ate all dog meat. He looked shocked and said "No, not all dogs. Just the big yellow ones."

There might be a lesson here.


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

in my opinion, either the Newfoundland or a Labrador. both breeds were developed and evolved here and are superbly suited to this environment. capable of carrying a load, pulling carts/wagons protecting home and family. good companions and loyal.

dean


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

pastelsummer said:


> ok i take offense here.... my stbernard pyrenese has a "zipline" and a chain that hooks to her collar. I do this so that she is safe outside as i have very vengeful people around me. That shoot first ask questions later. So to keep her safe when i cannot take her with me somewhere ( she isnt certified yet ) she goes on that set up And there have been times it has been all day before but i make sure she has shade and feed and water. Do not make blanket statements unless you know the whole story about the situation


Unless the zip line is attached to two walls with nothing in between, any other set up is waiting for you dog to wrap itself around the tree/fence/pole and choke itself to death. You might get lucky if you have stops on the zipline, and it's carefully measured so the dog has enough slack to be able to lay down but not reach the poles.

The dog I'm talking about(and it's predecessor) was attached to a zipline attached to two trees, with a barbwire fence next to one tree, and no stops on the line, and the CHOKE CHAIN attached to a leash attached to the line. Apprently figuring out how to attach a dog to a zipline without it hanging itself IS rocket science, and congrats you are smart--sorry you were offended by my "blanket statement", but offense is in the eye of the beholder here  Maybe you can share the specifics of how you SAFELY tie up your dog all day(unsupervised?) so we can learn something.

A dog should never be tied up with a choke chain anyways. Like I said it was a very sorry situation with this dog, in a nutshell they treated it like a ADD kid and "ritalin-ed" the dog by putting it on a zipline 24/7. Tying a dog up unsupervised for a long time should be a very last resort anyways.


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## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

A mature, non-pen raised, non-housebroken, hunted, free ranging, full blooded, Catahoula Cur.


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

longshot38 said:


> in my opinion, either the Newfoundland or a Labrador. both breeds were developed and evolved here and are superbly suited to this environment. capable of carrying a load, pulling carts/wagons protecting home and family. good companions and loyal.
> 
> dean


Ditto on the labs. Best dogs I've ever owned were Labradors. Smart, loyal, loving, good hunters.


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## jerrwhy (Jan 12, 2010)

The best thing you can do is to get a dog that matches your lifestyle. There's no sense in getting a high energy dog if you're a low maintenance couch potato type and vice versa. There's no such breed best suited for survival. 

Once you settle on a breed or two you might want to research them throughly so you know what to expect. We're big on Labs at this house. However, that's a breed that's not for everybody and many of them end up in shelters, or worse because many people don't realize that with some Labs the first two years can be hell. They are a highly active breed and if they don't have an outlet for their energy they can get into a lot of trouble. And sometimes if you give them all the playtime they can possibly handle they can still make life interesting. 










That's our lab butthead. She grew up to be a great, loyal, and loving dog. However, as a pup she was a nightmare. She ate through a kitchen wall, chewed a complete antique dining set to splinters that consisted of 8 chairs, a table, and a cabinet thingy at that point we gave her the china hutch as a free bonus. She's stared down a water mocissan, ate a canebrake rattle snake (we think the poor snake was still alive), chased after a black bear to play with it and has personally terrorized every squirrel and rabit on our property. 

We knew what to expect and if we didn't then she would have ended up in a lab rescure shelter or put to sleep. Now she's quite calm and very loving and we wouldn't trade her for the world but we knew what we were getting into, a lot of people don't.


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## Old John (May 27, 2004)

We aquired our Dobermans, without a thought to being a "survival dog". They are however, great intelligent companions, good watch dogs, and home guardians. They are house dogs, although they spend a lot of their time outdoors.
Ours, presently came from a Doberman Rescue. They are not a dog for anyone. They have strong personalities, and need a master or mistress with the same. "Rescue Dobies"
sometimes come with their own set of issues. But, they are a lot cheaper than from a kennel, if you have the time & energy, to work with them.
They do have some qualities that would make them an asset, it "tshtf.


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

jerrwhy said:


> The best thing you can do is to get a dog that matches your lifestyle. There's no sense in getting a high energy dog if you're a low maintenance couch potato type and vice versa. There's no such breed best suited for survival.
> 
> Once you settle on a breed or two you might want to research them throughly so you know what to expect. We're big on Labs at this house. However, that's a breed that's not for everybody and many of them end up in shelters, or worse because many people don't realize that with some Labs the first two years can be hell. They are a highly active breed and if they don't have an outlet for their energy they can get into a lot of trouble. And sometimes if you give them all the playtime they can possibly handle they can still make life interesting.


I agree 100%. It makes me sad to see how many people send their dogs away to a shelter because they don't understand the breed they have. Or... they adopt a dog for all the wrong reasons. 

I had a co-worker who decided to adopt a retired greyhound for their family (wife stayed at home, 3 kids under age 10). They had almost no dog experience. He asked me for my opinion and I told him that a retired greyhound wasn't the breed they should get. Greyhounds are sight-hounds and love to run (especially retired racing dogs) and require a lot of work to properly socialize them, especially with small children. The dog lasted less than a month in their home and they took it back to the rescue. /sigh I guess people want to learn the hard way.

We don't have a lab right now (our old gal passed away last November at 14.5 years old), but have had several in our past. Once you get through the puppy stage... they are absolutely AWESOME dogs. I would get another lab in a heartbeat.

Your "Butthead" (funny name, btw) is beautiful.


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

I find St. Bernards to be a nice meaty dog.

I figured if I'm stranded in the Alps and the dog has found me, I'll drink the brandy (in the small barrel attached to his collar) and wait for rescue. 

If rescue doesn't come by the time I'm out of booze, I'll just make a nice fire and have a dog roast.


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

A couple of questions:

How are the Newfoundlands in high heat and humidity? We often have 95 on both, but I do like the looks of the breed.

How are the Dobermans in the cold, say around 10 below to around 20 above? I have met several great Dobes, but don't think one would be quite the deterent to crime if he had to wear a fluffy sweater!


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

ovsfarm said:


> A couple of questions:
> 
> How are the Newfoundlands in high heat and humidity? We often have 95 on both, but I do like the looks of the breed.
> 
> How are the Dobermans in the cold, say around 10 below to around 20 above? I have met several great Dobes, but don't think one would be quite the deterent to crime if he had to wear a fluffy sweater!


i cant speak for the doberman but the Newf is a BIG dog, he has a wooly under coat and a water shedding outer coat, it really doesnt get overly hot or humid here as a rule. island in the atlantic after all. if it gets hot they really appreciate a cool dip they swim better than any dog i have ever seen or heard tell of.

hope this helps
dean


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

We've had the care of a couple of Newfoundlands, both big young males with little training, for a year each time (first one, the owner had moved due to work and had to find a place where he could keep the dog; second one, the owner became seriously ill and was in the hospital for a prolonged period of time). The first one we cared for, we were living in Alaska -- they are wonderfully suited to cold climates. My (ex) husband cared for both dogs; I thought they were pretty neat, but was busy raising children and neither dog was easy to handle due to their youth, exuberance, and HUGE size! If I hadn't had anything else to do, and if I had started with them as puppies, I'm sure I wouldn't have had any problem with them. (Newfies are wonderful dogs, but even they can have issues -- a friend of mine who was, and is, excellent with dogs, was given a five-year-old intact male Newfie who had spent most of his life tied in the yard with little human interaction. It took her quite a while to get control of him and get him socialized so he was safe and obedient.)

The other Newfie that we had for a while was in New Hampshire. Winters are cold, and summers can be hot and humid. He did fine, shedding out much of that heavy coat in the summer. 

We knew some people in Alaska who raised Newfoundlands; the wife used their fur for spinning and made hats and mittens from it. 

My ex used the one that we cared for in Alaska to pull a sled full of water cans the mile between where we lived (with no running water or electricity) and my Dad's place where we got water. The dog enjoyed those walks. 

They definitely have a big bark, have a reputation of being excellent with children, LOVE water, are easy to train. I wouldn't mind having another one as long as I started with a puppy rather than an adult dog. However, they do slobber and drool, and they do shed big-time! They also take up a LOT of space if you have a small house, and really shouldn't be left outdoors all the time as they love to be with their family.

Kathleen


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

We sweep 2 times daily for our yellow lab!!!! 

He is almost identical to Butthead maybe a little lighter....Jack's grandfather was in the LLBean catalog for a good many years...he's always been laid back but he does like to play or pretend he does not weigh 100# and isn't full grown....and get in your lap.


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## Tiff (Mar 22, 2010)

for me it would be a medium sized rough coated staghound ... fast enough to catch a rabbit or most birds or squirrel or rats, not a barking type, coated for warmth ...


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Different breeds were created for different needs, so, what is your survival need?

the spaniels and Brittany were created as small hunting dogs for small areas. The pointers were created to hunt grasslands: they are a larger hunting dog that can check out a field quickly. The German Shepherd was created to guard the flocks from wolves and thugs, and they happily guard their human owners. The little terrier was bred to kill the vermin that will spoil stored food while not needing too much food himself.

unless you can specify living conditions, i see no way to decide what the best survival dog is.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

PrincessFerf said:


> I agree 100%. It makes me sad to see how many people send their dogs away to a shelter because they don't understand the breed they have. .


yes.

When I bought a Brittany puppy from a breeder of hunting dogs, he tactfully asked about how much exercize I could give him. i explained about the one acre fenced yard and he was well satisfied because, in his words, this dog would need to be able to run.

And he really, REALLY needed to run, LOL! 

He made a good farm dog once he settled down but he would have been impossible in an apartment.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Posted on this already....

let me give you this scenario....

You're in a "The Road" scenario.... 
You barely have enough to eat, notching your belt with new holes is your newest hobby, and your best friend is a guy called Starvation. And yet, Cannibals still lust after your bones, literally. You must remain vigilant, or you will be caught, and your marrow boiled down for soup. Yet, you must sleep.

Who you gonna choose? A big dog, that eats as much as you do, and would soon get taken in an 'encounter', or a tiny Paris Hilton dog, that you can tote in your pocket, or on your shoulder? That'd alert you to night dangers while you get some Z's...

I know of a dog lover in AK that was on a long dog sled expedition across N Canada. Someone mismanaged their food supplies, and for everyone to survive, a dog had to be sacrificed at sundown every day. Didn't matter how you felt, one had to be sacrificed so the others could live. The day before they ran into an Inuit who gave them seals and 'rescued' them, the fella was going to have to put down his best furbuddy... When the gun came out, the furbuddy convinced him he still had enough oomph to make another day, and he 'took' another one.

My point... when your life depends on it, you may have to kill and eat members of your fur family. Killing and eating an anatolian would provide food for several days to a week. Killing a 2lb huahua security system? Might get me another three or four hours of life sustaining goodness. Not worth the value the dog has for excellent eyes and ears.

No red blooded male could deny that Mad Max's dog is the best... he stood down a marauder and sacrificed himself...


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## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

Our large airedale gal has kept door knockers -to- thieves- to coyotes and ground hogs off the place for 10 yrs now, protects my goats and ~my~ cats (really...and that goes completely against the airedale creed) but she's aging fast. I'm looking at Aussie B Heeler, or a Catahoula. I like a BIG bark for outside guardians. The dasch/elkhnd "tootsie roll shaped thing in the house is all talk...has a good size voice too- but a wimp that hangs back after initially barking.

-scrt crk


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

Australian shepherds and Heelers can be very protective. Had a friend who had an Aussie, very well trained, sweet dog who was fine with me when my friend was there. But if I went to her house and she wasn't home, the dog wouldn't let me get to the front door. Ditto with her Chesapeake Bay Retrievers -- some hunting dogs aren't very protective (i.e. Golden Retrievers, and a lot of Black Labs), but those Chessies sure are. 

I have a friend here who has a small Rat Terrier, and I think I'd like to have one of those (I like them better than Jack Russells -- we have a Jack Russell living on either side of us). The Rat Terriers come in several different sizes -- I'd like to have one in the twenty to thirty pound range. Big enough, but small enough, too. I think they'd need sweaters in really cold weather, though.

Kathleen


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

cur huntin' kid said:


> Wow everyone you guys put a lot of thought into this and there are a lot of great responses. So here is mine, I would want a larger(55-65lbs) cur. For those who dont know what a cur is, they are the dogs the early settlers used when they settled the Appalachian Mountains and the South and then on into the West. They were used for hunting,protection, and working livestock. There are now multiple cur breeds but almost any would do. But if I was going to pick a purebred I would say a catahoula or a blackmouth cur. They are both used for hunting. I have seen curs hunt everything from bears, feral hogs, and mountain lions, to *****, squirrels, and game birds. So they are very versatile. They are also very protective of what is "theirs". They have enough size to be intimidating and stop a person if necessary. They are also very good stock dogs. This is why I would choose a large cur dog. I see why all of you say situation matters cause my choice would not be the best for a person living in a city. But any dog that would protect me and what is mine, hunt, and work stock and that is not over 100lbs would work. On the other forum most of the people were fighting over a german shepherd or a pit bull like dog being the best.


Well with the name I expected you to say a cur... 

Nice dogs and all, but a blue lacy and several other hunters are pretty similar and do as well.

Something also to be said for a good working australian shepherd, Australian cattle dog, or other medium herding dog as well. I know my old aussie was a working dog off ranch out in the middle of Arizona and was a very good dog for hunting, herding, and could hunt and feed herself and did when she needed to. Extremely intelligent and biddable and fiercely defended me and mine.

I have two German shepherds now, they can also hunt and herd if trained well, are very intelligent, and very biddable and loyal.. Well if you get one from working lines with good working blood and physique not the show line shepherds anyway...

It is the master and training and relationship between dog and master as much as the dog. If you don't train and work your dog to be a working partner most dogs are rather useless.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

texican said:


> No red blooded male could deny that Mad Max's dog is the best... he stood down a marauder and sacrificed himself...


Australian cattle dog that one, excellent dogs.. As are Australian shepherds, if you stay away from the dog show bred blood lines and stick to proven working lines.

My Aussie as a kid was the same way, she would have given her life without hesitation. And she would also go catch game and bring it back.. 

Personally in the south if your starving your stupid. Way too much wildlife and vegetation around to ever need to eat my dog.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Best dog for survival?

A foot long Chili Cheese Dog


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

texican said:


> Posted on this already....
> 
> let me give you this scenario....
> 
> ...


I would never eat my doggs, but I'm sure some Zombie would try. Someone messes with the Pups- well, we'll all be eaten good.


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## Pamama (Oct 29, 2010)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> - uhm, yeah -perfect if you're Paris Hilton.


Seriously, don't discount toy breeds entirely. I have an older male that I found in my garbage about 5-6 yreas ago and let me tell you this is a huge dog even though he shrunk in the wash. About 3 years ago I had someone (a drunk) walk right into my house.....he did not bark, he did not growl and he didn't bite at an ankle. He jumped over 4 1/2 feet and went for the guy's throat. Other times he has alerted me with a soft growl instead of barking or barked to let me know something was not right. Unless you need a hunter or a dog that can take a man down alone ANY intelligent dog can be a good survival dog. This pooch is probably pushing 10+ yeasr old yet still goes fishing with us walking for miles and swimming across strong currents just to stay with his people.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I have been looking and looking for the 'perfect' dog for us. Something that no one has mentioned here and is at the front of my mind - you have to account for your ability to train the breed of dog you get. I know nothing about dog training. I'm afraid, he will end up training me.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

Callieslamb said:


> I have been looking and looking for the 'perfect' dog for us. Something that no one has mentioned here and is at the front of my mind - you have to account for your ability to train the breed of dog you get. I know nothing about dog training. I'm afraid, he will end up training me.


That is actually the best way to train a dog.. Make him think he is training you, it's pretty simple really.


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