Thoughts on dogs

[Foghorn]

My DD just send me an article about all the pets that were misplaced during the tornados that hit Alabama a short time ago.

There are hundreds of dogs in shelters that were lost of abandoned by thier owners. The dogs have been in shelters long enough now that some desisions will need to be met about these dogs. My DD knows that I lost my beloved dog to old age a few months ago and I am now searching for another dog.(thus the article about all the dogs that need a new home)

This got me to thinking. The dog that I lost was a great companion and took sentry/guard duty seriously. I depended on him to let me know when things were not right around the farm. I doubt that he would have defended anything but he sure would let me know when it was time for me to think defensively. I will get another dog soon and am in the process of desiding just what kind of dog to look for.

I would hate to become seperated from my dog in natural disaster or any disaster for that matter. I had an identifying chip implanted in my companion's ear and will do the same to my next dog. A collar with a name and phone number is also a good idea.

I don't know where I'm going with this. Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts about dogs in general in a disaster, ways to keep from being seperated, good breeds for sentry/guard duty.

Doug

[claymore]

Buried our last dog in Sep. '06 ; he was my buddy. Long story but we got a kitten early that same year, still got it. Still learning to speak cat.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I shoved my dog down in the storm shelter with us but banged him up a little in the process and the guy I helped after the tornando had 3 in the hole with him only to have an overzealous dogcatcher shoot them later. One of my coworkers lost a dog to a wound from debris in the tornado, it ripped one cat to shreds and the other cat was found shoved in a house debris wall almost 3/4 mile away totally unharmed. It was so bad here cops ran outta ammo putting cattle and other animals down. I guess the point is there is only so much you can do. There are alot of good folks out there and they have opened their houses and hearts to take in the unclaimed or those who owners died. That wont alway be the case during wide scale things or post SHTF. Even with the current financial crisis I was getting 3-4 dogs a month dumped on me for almost a year. Sad to say but i had to put most down for various reasons. Broke my heart sometimes, i'm a killer but not heartless and not without reasons.
I dont think chips will help in PAW IMHO. All breeds have strengths and weakness.

[Bob]

Im a dog lover had to put one of my pincers down after 12 years together. Still have one and I have her food for three months, if we need it. Im worried about people letting thier dogs and cats lose after it hits the fan. Cats are one of the best hunters out there and they will be a big problem, I catch one or two strays a month and bring them to the pound. I dont want them eating my wild rabbit supply when I need them for the people I take care or. A pack of dogs are alot more trouble then a pack of wolfs, dogs kill not just to eat and they dont have any fear of man. Can you say easy meal for fido? I have my back yard set up to keep them out I hope. But when it hits the fan the U.S. is going to have unbeliveable number of dogs to deal with. Sorry to be doom and goom about dogs and cats, but one more thing to think about.
Bob

[Lowdown3]

A lot of folks dump out unwanted extra dogs and cats in the country. We had a major problem with this the first couple years here. They would knock our small livestock off left and right.

Post PAW they would be doing worse I think.

We are more leniet now than previous, the first couple years it was simply SOS for any stray that came within 20 yards of any of the animal pens. I try to run them off now.

Never capped one with a collar on unless it was already in the act or acted aggressive towards us. Never capped one I recognized from the area- i.e, a neighbor's dog.

It's a bad sitch, but like Matt said, their isn't always a pleasant answer.

[WiseOwl]

I think in the "PAW", a good supply of .22 will knock down the "stray" population. And hell, dog and cat taste good with General Tso's sauce on it. We have a good supply of strays out here in the Boondocks...and they like to get in my garden or even come up when I am out with my son. Some are very gentle but there are lots of pits. So my slingshot gets good work...and I always have the .40 on me out in the yard because you never know ...ya know? When we first moved in, one of my neighbors had 2 pits that kept getting loose and when I told him if they as much come across the driveway line at the mailbox I am putting OO buck in em....he knew I was serious. Haven't seen em since, now he has a Beagle....:)
.
What I do worry about, if I stay at my current location, we have a Nature Preserve 15 miles NorthEast of here....with Lions, Tigers, Bears, Bobcats, Cougars, Alligators, and Emus.

What if these bastards got loose? I have nothing for them...........

They are fenced in within a fence but lets say some crazy SOB let em out just for gits and shiggles? Its more populated up there so maybe natural selection would occur....I always wonder that though everytime I ride by there.

[monkeybird]

I am also a dog lover. When I lived in Huntsville, Ala, it seem we had tornado warnings all the time. I wouldn't get into our under the stairs closet without my 3 dogs and cat! Period. My only problem is that I want a humane way to euthanize them after the PAW if I can not longer feed them or they haven't adapted to feeding themselves. Someone suggested shooting them in the head. Lord, I don't think I could do that. I could inject them though.

I just don't want them to suffer. I know animals without owners will turn wild and are dangerous. Shooting them is the only humane thing to do. Sorry if I offended anyone.

[MustangGal]

I am also a dog lover. When I lived in Huntsville, Ala, it seem we had tornado warnings all the time. I wouldn't get into our under the stairs closet without my 3 dogs and cat! Period. My only problem is that I want a humane way to euthanize them after the PAW if I can not longer feed them or they haven't adapted to feeding themselves. Someone suggested shooting them in the head. Lord, I don't think I could do that. I could inject them though.

I just don't want them to suffer. I know animals without owners will turn wild and are dangerous. Shooting them is the only humane thing to do. Sorry if I offended anyone.

You would be hard pressed to get your hands on some euthanasia solution. It is a schedule 3 drug. Veternarians use a product called "Sleep Away". It must be kept under lock and key and every drop accounted for.

I agree with you that shooting them is the only humane thing to do. Unfortunately, shooting an animal (to put them down) can be more difficult than it sounds. Most people tend to try to shoot them between the eyes. Not a good plan. You are better off shooting at a downward angle. A good rule of thumb for dogs, cats and other small animals, would be to draw an imaginary line from the eye to the opposite ear, creating an "X". Then place your bullet at the center of the "X".

One of the most profound and true statements I ever heard was by the mother of a handicapped child. She was talking about how she had to tube feed him. I was in my late teens, early twenties and I said, "I don't know how you do that. I don't think I could." She simply said, "You do what you have to do."

[Matt In Oklahoma]

What I do worry about, if I stay at my current location, we have a Nature Preserve 15 miles NorthEast of here....with Lions, Tigers, Bears, Bobcats, Cougars, Alligators, and Emus.What if these bastards got loose? I have nothing for them...........

That actually happens alot usually by the owners who can no longer feed them. Nothing for them huh! Send'em my way, i got an 06 and a bottle of Head Country BBQ Sauce made right here in Oklahoma!

[WiseOwl]

That actually happens alot usually by the owners who can no longer feed them. Nothing for them huh! Send'em my way, i got an 06 and a bottle of Head Country BBQ Sauce made right here in Oklahoma!

Matt, now that I think about it.....we got something for em down here....and speakin of BBQ sauce....man, I will have to get a bigger grill!!!

[Grantmeliberty]

Humane way to put down pets. I have cans of starting fluid, and need to put more aside. It is ether, and it will gently put a dog or cat to sleep. Put a towel soaked with it over them and add more if necessary. My brother just had to put down an old, old aussie shepherd, and it worked just fine. I had put down a cat that way, this is the first dog.
You can also use it to calm them down enough to suture a major wound.
I can't see paying 120 dollars, fee at our local vet, plus the trauma of that last ride.
A case of starting fluid doesn't cost much, and it always has other uses.
I use it also for cleaning brake rotors rather than the chlorinated toxic products, does a great job and costs less too.

[Boyd]

I have a Shephard Pitt mix dog. He's long on the dark and scary but not so much on the attack unless one of the kids is in trouble. Dang dog will bite me if I so much as wrestle with one of "his" kids. Good dog. Thinking of getting him cloned....

But....

I am also looking into ways of storing foods for him.. and I am finding that commercial dog foods have too much animal protein, fat etc and can go rancid... so I am looking into rice/oats and whatever we can scavenge (rabbit meat, venison etc)... Test results are in though...

He's lost all the fatty weight and has tons of lean muscle, his coat is nice and shiny without being oily and he begs at the table constantly as he is eating almost the same foods as the humans he keeps around as pets.

now if I could loose all my fatty weight and gain lean muscle...

[madamkitty33]

I have a red healer who is 2 years old, he's a fantastic protector and even stopped a would be burgler when they broke the lock on the front door and opened it. His only draw back- he's a real good protector. He barks, I tried to teach him quiet point, but my sisters family kept praising him when they came over as a puppy. He will tear someone a new one but he would also let strangers know where we were hiding when SHTF. I love him dearly but I would have to put him down then.
Please excuse the bad spelling, I'm still re-learning how to use my right hand after surgery.

[Pop_45]

Momma_32 has a mix breed chow/golden retriever that is 13 years old, A solid black cat that is 17 years old and a 6 month old kitten. All of them are spoiled rotten!! I'm as guilty as she is. My point is, I don't think either one of the older animals would stand a chance in a different lifestyle. I would have to try and train them or put then down. I would hate to have to put them down, but it would probably be the most humane thing to do.

A single shot from the base of the skull, where the spinal column enters the skull, angling forward and down is very effective. It will pretty much evacuate the cranium and death is instantaneous.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

A single shot from the base of the skull, where the spinal column enters the skull, angling forward and down is very effective. It will pretty much evacuate the cranium and death is instantaneous.

Yup, right there, if you can't do it cause of emotions find someone like me thats easy to dislike and let them do it.