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Discussion: New dog, new companion, new problems.
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randomknife666 |
New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 11:35 AM EDT
| Post edited: Oct 5 2011, 11:45 AM EDT
Well, with the passing of my old dog this spring, I had to make some small changes to my survival plan (I did intend to bring him with me). Now, we got a new dog, and me being a big softy for dogs (Don't laugh, I'm being honest for a reason) I have decided to add the old pieces back into my plan. However, since the new dog is a Great Dane (This is where the "new problems part of the title comes in) I have to completely change some of the parts related to it. I know for a fact, he will require much more food and water than my Daschund would, and a hell of a lot of extra care.Just thought I would ask for a few suggestions from other "giant breed" dog owners out there in what I could do to keep him with me during the apoc. Do you find this valuable? |
Sharpie41 |
1. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 12:19 PM EDT
Make him carry his own sh!t!! (Doggy backpack)Other than that...nothing, I have small dog 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
brandon_a_boyer |
2. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 1:02 PM EDT
Training is absolutely Critical with big breeds. I've had two big dogs, The first was a Fila (untrained and was annoying as hell) and the second was a Huskey/Malamute/Shepard/Red wolf/Timber wolf mix who was exceedingly well trained.Personally I tend to adopt the Alpha male philosophy with my dogs. They see me as pack leader. They come when called, they don't eat until I say they can, and they don't pull on the leash. Ironically enough the best training I ever saw was with a great Dane at the Michigan Renaissance festival. At one of the Henna Tattoo tents there was this Enormous Brindle Great Dane laying on a pillow in the corner with no leash. I saw his ears perk up and he raised his head. I followed his sight line and saw that he was watching a Great Dane ***** walk by on a leash. He stood up, at which point I thought he was going to take off and cause commotion. But he walked to the edge of the tent and watched her until she walked away. He would not step off the edge of the platform that the tent was on. That is exactly how a big dog needs to be trained. Having said that. I wouldn't hesitate to put a doggy backpack with like 20 lbs of food on his back. A doggy first aid kit and a remote training collar may not be a bad investment either. Also with big dogs I prefer the Martingale type collars over the regular collars for walking. For initial training I will also use a training collar too. Make sure you find an obedience class to help socialize your dog too. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
OutlawJames |
3. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 1:07 PM EDT
"Make him carry his own sh!t!! (Doggy backpack)Or a doggy cart, even better. Then he can haul some extra load. ( on a side note I have a great Laotion recipe for dog if he ever pi55es you off) Do you find this valuable? |
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randomknife666 |
4. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 2:14 PM EDT
"Make him carry his own sh!t!! (Doggy backpack)That actually sounds very convincing, heck, I could give him a light load of my ammo. @brandon_a_boyer- Training is mostly overtaken by my mother (Correction, its the family dog, not just mine), he is being raised to be social (the nature of our business lets him come into contact with a lot of people, and often, a lot of other dogs and animals). I will keep most of what you've said in mind, and will definitely use some of it. Do you find this valuable? |
JPTank |
5. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 2:33 PM EDT
See, I have a dog too. Medium sized, he's somthin like a shepard but what he is, is actually a cross between Jack Russel and boarder collie. So technically, he's a decent hunting dog, and good for taking care of cattle. Only problem is, he's 9, going on ten. He's spoiled to sh*t by my mother. And since he's suck a suckup his bark is way worse than his bite - even though he's touchy. So don't get me wrong, I love my dog; but in a zday situation he'd be kinda useless... Just don't make my mistake; train that dog! If that dog will follow you and do everything you say - you've got it made. My problem is, I tried to train my dog since a pup but my parents baby him. So he does somthing *bad* he gets a treat to *take his mind off it*, but good luck explaining that the dog really just thinks he can get away with sh*t to my parents ;) Man, bad house location... Old stubborn parents, spoiled dog... Am I gonna die? :O Do you find this valuable? |
renet76 |
6. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 8:06 PM EDT
I have a black Labrador that is in training as my gun dog unfortunately labs are a bit goofy for a couple of years and a tad naughty if you don't show them you are the alpha. How ever with constant training she is now able to run free on the beach with out a leash and will return immediately on command and when out in the field "hunting" she will flush game from brush but wont keep chasing it over the hills and far away and is no longer gun shy but to be fair on her i wont use the 300win mag around her as that really hurts her ears the big down side to a lab is they eat and eat infact they eat compulsively and that is a problem. Now i am not sure what great danes are like with food but one thing i would recommend though as this is some thing i did for my dog is when you take it to the vet next find out how much food they need and what dry food the vet recommends and pay the price for it and stock pile some of it if you can call me a softy if you want or a fool but i have 20 x20kg bags of premium dry dog food recommended for my lab by the vet stored at home and every time i use 2 of them i replace them so the food in storage is being rotated people often over look their pets when planning for a SHTF but your pets will still be there looking up to you for company, protection and food Oh yeah one other thing with big dogs or medium sized dogs give them one fish oil tablet a day it helps to ward off hip and joint problems and well um it gives their coat a nice shine as well a lab breeder told me this and i have seen how well it works in older dogs that are getting stiff from old age Do you find this valuable? |
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brandon_a_boyer |
7. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 9:03 PM EDT
"I have a black Labrador that is in training as my gun dog unfortunately labs are a bit goofy for a couple of years and a tad naughty if you don't show them you are the alphaIf you're having issues training a lab then you need to work on your training regimen a bit. Any water dog is supposed to be totally obedient. Try looking to see if there is a training group in your area that does hunting trials, they'll have testing on all aspects of training to help gauge your dog's performance. Do you find this valuable? |
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renet76 |
8. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 9:33 PM EDT
"If you're having issues training a lab then you need to work on your training regimen a bit. Any water dog is supposed to be totally obedient. Try looking to see if there is a training group in your area that does hunting trials, they'll have testing on all aspects of training to help gauge your dog's performance. I never actualy said i was having trouble training her i was just pointing out they are a tad goofy for abit longer then other breeds. Hence the reason the Royal Guide Dogs adopt them out until they are 18 months old then asses them for training as guide dogs for blind people Due to the intelligence level of the labs if you don't let them know you are the alpha they will simply think of you as another chew toy play mate Do you find this valuable? |
KeithRaymond |
9. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 10:36 PM EDT
I've had a number of large dogs over the years, my two most recent were a female black lab and a great pyrenees/ anatolian shepherd mix. Renet 76 is right though, until the alpha is established they WILL push the envelope to see what they can get away with. My Pyrenees/Shepherd mix "Drake" I originally decided to adopt as a guard dog for the house. The FIRST NIGHT he was at my house he caught a burglar trying to break into my camaro. We used to take him camping and he would sleep in the tent with us. The greatest thing about his "guard dog skills" was that he would make an intelligent decision as to which sounds he wanted to alert you to and wake you up. He wouldn't just jump up and bark if he heard a sound, he would listen for a minute or two to determine if it was a threat or just the wind. I loved that dog and this thread is motivating me to possibly get another dog. Also because I LOVE the idea of a doggy BOB and the possibility to carry things on him.. After I had Drake for about 6 months he was VERY well trained, he knew not to go out of his boundary. Not for fear of punishment but also because he really was a "best friend" we always stayed close to each other. Trained big dogs are KEY. Also having the trust of your dog is key. Good thread guys Do you find this valuable? |
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Sharpie41 |
10. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 5 2011, 10:59 PM EDT
"I've had a number of large dogs over the years, my two most recent were a female black lab and a great pyrenees/ anatolian shepherd mix. Renet 76 is right though, until the alpha is established they WILL push the envelope to see what they can get away with.Awesome, my dog just barks like crazy Do you find this valuable? |
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brandon_a_boyer |
11. RE: New dog, new companion, new problems.
Oct 6 2011, 12:18 AM EDT
Onyx wouldn't leave my side. I think a big part of it was the pack mentality of wolves. I tried Lure Coursing him once. He wouldn't chase the lure without me running next to him. He would get 40 feet ahead of me and then slow down,, wait for me to catch up, then get another burst in.Do you find this valuable? |
