Sign in or 
LittleJon's "Zombie Dog" Series |
Version 5 - view current page
ATTENTION: THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD. In the future, I may come back to this article but as it stands now, I am not prepared to finish this article.
It is often projected that man first domesticated the gray wolf many thousands of years ago (est. 30,000 BC) as guardian animal, to help as a hunter, to use as a beast of burden and importantly as a companion in the wild. This long standing relationship with man's "best friend" has obvious benefits for both man and dog in every day life but in a zombie ruled world, this role could become more critical than ever before as our self-reliance becomes more critical. While this article does not directly relate to zombie survival, it could be very useful to have a canine companion present if/when **** proverbially hits the fan.
In this upcoming and possibly controversial series of articles, I intend to discuss my personal convictions and feelings regarding the selection, raising, care and training of your own family dog, and address the various potential uses for a well-rounded, obedient and well-trained dog for post Z-Day life. I will share with you my feelings about what breeds of dog are most suitable for work as well as family life, how to achieve total mastery of your animal and how to train it to be obedient and a well-rounded individual. While I have experience in training "personal defense" dogs, I do not intend to address teaching dogs to attack because there is a certain amount of liability associated with that instruction, and I don't believe that an online forum is the most appropriate way to teach a dog to become violent on command. There's too much risk of misinterpretation or misuse, and in many localities it is illegal.
My personal instructing credentials are very limited, which does add more apprehension to my writing of this article series. I am not a licensed dog trainer, nor have I ever taken lessons or placed one of my own dogs through formalized obedience training. My methods are self-taught through extensive research and experience with different dog breeds and personalities. I have owned dogs my entire life, and my personal favorite breed for general purpose work and family life is the Airedale Terrier (I've owned various Airedales since I was 5) but there are many other breeds that are well-suited to these tasks. I have trained GSD, Chows, Yorkshire Terriers, Schnauzers and mixed breed mutt dogs with good results. Dogs want to learn but in order to teach them, you must establish a relationship with the dog that is conducive to learning first. You must assume the role of pack leader and maintain it through any and all challenges in order to maintain the respect of your canine. I intend to teach you how I do that.
In order to gain anything out of this series, I expect my readers to understand a few things before attempting anything listed within.
NOTE: The articles will be released periodically over the next several weeks as time makes itself available.
~LJ
It is often projected that man first domesticated the gray wolf many thousands of years ago (est. 30,000 BC) as guardian animal, to help as a hunter, to use as a beast of burden and importantly as a companion in the wild. This long standing relationship with man's "best friend" has obvious benefits for both man and dog in every day life but in a zombie ruled world, this role could become more critical than ever before as our self-reliance becomes more critical. While this article does not directly relate to zombie survival, it could be very useful to have a canine companion present if/when **** proverbially hits the fan.
In this upcoming and possibly controversial series of articles, I intend to discuss my personal convictions and feelings regarding the selection, raising, care and training of your own family dog, and address the various potential uses for a well-rounded, obedient and well-trained dog for post Z-Day life. I will share with you my feelings about what breeds of dog are most suitable for work as well as family life, how to achieve total mastery of your animal and how to train it to be obedient and a well-rounded individual. While I have experience in training "personal defense" dogs, I do not intend to address teaching dogs to attack because there is a certain amount of liability associated with that instruction, and I don't believe that an online forum is the most appropriate way to teach a dog to become violent on command. There's too much risk of misinterpretation or misuse, and in many localities it is illegal.
My personal instructing credentials are very limited, which does add more apprehension to my writing of this article series. I am not a licensed dog trainer, nor have I ever taken lessons or placed one of my own dogs through formalized obedience training. My methods are self-taught through extensive research and experience with different dog breeds and personalities. I have owned dogs my entire life, and my personal favorite breed for general purpose work and family life is the Airedale Terrier (I've owned various Airedales since I was 5) but there are many other breeds that are well-suited to these tasks. I have trained GSD, Chows, Yorkshire Terriers, Schnauzers and mixed breed mutt dogs with good results. Dogs want to learn but in order to teach them, you must establish a relationship with the dog that is conducive to learning first. You must assume the role of pack leader and maintain it through any and all challenges in order to maintain the respect of your canine. I intend to teach you how I do that.
In order to gain anything out of this series, I expect my readers to understand a few things before attempting anything listed within.
- Dogs are living, breathing creatures with different personalities and traits. They are not all necessarily identical to the breed standard for size or personality. Each dog is an individual.
- Striking an animal is completely unnecessary. Under no circumstances will my methods suggest or advice the abuse or mistreatment of your dog or any other living creature. While I firmly believe in the use of "physical correction," I frown upon spanking or striking your animal in the guise of correction. More often than not, striking or spanking your dog reduces the dog's level of trust and faith in your leadership abilities.
- Dogs require maintenance and care that is unique to canine ownership. If you are not prepared to take on these financial and moral responsibilities towards providing this care, do not purchase or rescue any animal.
- Guard dogs don't need to be giant "manstoppers" to be effective in their role. The best alert dog I know weighs 6 pounds but she barks at every disturbance at the entrances of my friend's home. This advance warning system is very reliable and extremely handy in everyday living, and its much more valuable than an electronic security system.
- I am not the end-all expert regarding dog training and I do not claim to be. I accept no liability for your actions because I cannot be there to supervise or aide in any process of the series as outlined.
NOTE: The articles will be released periodically over the next several weeks as time makes itself available.
~LJ
