Let’s get this straight from the beginning. These pups are not just for Preppers! We realize that most breeds can be trained to fill many roles. However, most breeds have specific instincts that make them especially beneficial in certain circumstances.
I am sure that you have heard dogs called “man’s best friend”. There are several very good reasons for this being said. Dogs are known to be loving, smart and helpful to their human families. But, not all breeds have the same basic, instinctual behavior that would make them ideal for all situations.
With all of the talk about potential situations that would fit into the EOTWAWKI (End Of The World As We Know It), people are asking “What breed of dog is best for Preppers”?
These Pups Are Not Just For Preppers But….
There are many breeds from which to choose as being the best for a canine survival companion. There are so many, in fact, that you might find it challenging to decide on which one is best. Clearly, these are not the only breeds that would serve well for preppers. These are listed in alphabetical order, not ranked by which would be best.
Akbash Hound
The Akbash Hound originated in the mountains of Turkey and were bred to guard livestock from predators and intruders. As a result, they are very loyal toward people they do know and suspicious of people they don’t know.
Although this breed spends much time with livestock, and are seen in the field with livestock for hours at a time, they are not good herding dogs. Rounding up livestock is not one of their skill sets!
You probably would not choose this breed for companionship. Although loyal, as a rule, theydo not appear to enjoy playing fetch as do many other breeds. Akbash Hounds are much more likely to prefer roaming their territory and eeping an eye out for predators and intruders.
Bernese Mountain Dog
They are often seen working on farms and would be an ideal addtion to a survival homestead. Their strength allows the to pull carts. They are snart enough to herd animals and have the innate desire to protect their families from harm. As you could imagine, they prefer being outside and adequate exercise is important to their well being.
Border Collie
Border Collies were first bred in Scotland for the purpose of herding livestock, most commonly used for sheep. Researach scientists have declared them to be the most intelligent of dog breeds. If you wish to teach your dog to perform various tricks or to carry our tasks, this breed would be a great choice. https://happymutt.org/the-worlds-smartest-dog-breed-revealed/
Please keep in ind that this is an exceptionally active breed so they will need lots of exercise. They also love to play and to interact with both kids and adults. They are wonderful family dogs if you meet their physical activity needs. Do not ignore the fact that they can also be very destructive when left inside alone for long periods of time.
Because of their need for social interaction with humans and high energy level, being isolated in tight quarters can cause them to become depressed. This would not be a good choice for some situations. Leaving them home alone all day while you go to work would make them miserable.
German Shepherd
This breed has been trained to perform very specific funtions such as only reacting to certain threatening situations. Of course, this level of training cannot be done by just anyone. Not all breeders are capable of training these dogs so you must be very careful in your choice of trainers for them.
Great Pyrenees
This breed is great for guarding people or livestock. They are an ideal choice to to protect homestead properties such as very large farms or those that border a wilderness.
This breed excells in keeping predators off the property they are quarding. Amazingly, they have even been known to drive bears and other large predators off of the property.
However, if you need a dog to keep human intruders off your land, Great Pyrenees may not be a good choice.This breed was the only one in guard dog trials that did not instantly attack intruding humans.
However, if the dog is distrustful of a person for any reason they may become act aggressively to protect someone they know. Of course, their massive size and very aggressive often act as a deterrent.
Pointers
Although initially bred as a bird hunting dog, Pointers are really good for locating predators and intruders trying to sneak on to your property. Do not depend on them to chase them off, however.
Their sharp eyes can detect intruders or predators sooner than many other breeds. Both they and Retrievers mentioned below work well with livestock and make wonderful family dogs.
Like all dogs in the working class, they need lots of exercise and space in which to run and play. Although they do not make good guard dogs, they make a wonderful alert warning system to ward off intruders and predators .
Retrievers
Often people think of Golden Retrievers when they think of Retrievers but the most popular dog is the Labrador Retriever. Here are two articles on these breeds that I think you will enjoy.
https://happymutt.org/this-dog-truly-is-a-golden-oldie/
Retrievers are usually trained not to be gun shy and can assist the prepper or hunter shooting birds . They can also be trained to collect items for you as well.
Rottweilers
- Must be well trained by one with experience and reputation for producing well trained guard dogs.
- The are active mentally and physically and must have lots of opportunity and space for adequate excercise
Scotch Collie
This breed is the ancestor of our modern day Collies and they maintain more of their initial instincts than do the other Collies. For example, as intelligent as Border Collies have proven to be they have lost the hunting capacity of the Scotch Collie. The Border Collie has maintained its instinct for guarding and hunting, though.
As the originator of the breed, the Scotch Collie was bred to be all-purpose dogs and theystill retains its guarding, herding and hunting hunting instincts. Because of their size and intellect, they must have lots of exercise and the space to engage in it.
Collies require lots of space and exercise. If they are cooped up in a bugging-in scenario, they could create havoc with their excess energy.
Siberian Huskie
Another excellent working dog, able to literally pull its own weight. The challenge with the Huskie is that it is an independent breed that must respect its owner/trainer to be able to work with them. One benefit of the Huskie is that they are not a breed that eats to excess, but will just eat what they need to optimally function.
In Conclusion
I hope this review of dog breeds commonly considered to be good choices for preppers. It is a good idea to speak with people who have had personal experience with the breeds you are considering. Regardless of thich breed you already have or plan to adopt, be sure you are prepared to take the best care of them possible.
Hopefully, this post gave you a better idea of what kind of dog you might want to get. If you already have a dog or intend to get one for prepping purposes, make sure your preps include supplies for your dog. This article might be of help to you in getting prepped to get your dog, especially for urban preppers. https://urbansurvivalsite.com/pet-survival-kit/