Last night another bear decided to visit...he got treed several times before could make his escape. I have to wonder how a 3-400 pound bear feels about getting chased off by something with 6" legs.

A mutt is generally a good dog, but I think it has to have "known parts". I've never met a chow I liked, but I've never met a chow mix that I didn't! lol

Not a well known breed, but one well worth consideration is the Deutsch Draathar. Draw back is the off the shelf price of over a thousand dollars. Google up this canine, and read the "spec sheet " on them

A good dog to have is the standard black lab. They are friendly enough not to become a risk to everyone you meet but will deter intruders because they look tough when barking. They are big and black and tough looking and they also will defend you if threatened in many cases. We were raised with them and I really admire the breed for its many uses. When I was really little my grandma always made me take her lab out on the fields to keep me safe. We never ran into anthing but that dog would bark like he was going to rip your face off to strangers

bloodcontact wrote:Good topic....I really didnt think about gaurd dogs. I was thinking another use for dogs though. Breeding dogs for food. Sounds bad but if things got bad I would kill my dog and eat him (lab). You could breed dogs a bunch of dogs and keep them alive until winter or the months you might struggle getting food. Good option if yur in the city and dont have cows or goats...

On the lewis and clark expodition dog meat was the mens favorite because it had much more fat than game.

phaydra wrote:A good dog to have is the standard black lab. They are friendly enough not to become a risk to everyone you meet but will deter intruders because they look tough when barking. They are big and black and tough looking and they also will defend you if threatened in many cases. We were raised with them and I really admire the breed for its many uses. When I was really little my grandma always made me take her lab out on the fields to keep me safe. We never ran into anthing but that dog would bark like he was going to rip your face off to strangers

Labs are good dogs and amazing in the right hands,which mine are not for that kind of dog lol. I have a friend with a lab in Kodiak which is an amazing dog,taught him all the standard (i guess it's standard) bird hunting stuff,also how to retrieve a overturned canoe(I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes lol),the canoe was setup(big dowel tied to a rope with about a 5ft lead on each end of the canoe that comes out when/if it flips) for being retrieved by the dog. and when the dog got it to the beach it was like "do it again do it again"lol .
Different dogs will fit different people as far as personality goes. I've always had luck with huskies, Mckenzies are nice dogs,so are malamutes. I prefer malamutes to any dog but that's just me....they definitely aren't for everybody especially if you have to keep them couped up(they like to roam) they won't be for you, that's why I don't have one now but as soon as I get back to Alaska(counting the minutes) I'll get another one. I had a malamute/shephard mix that lived for 15yrs that was a great dog.....except for the time I had it tied to a sled(I was really young) and it saw a moose and lit off after it with me and the sled in tow into the bushes lol she was well over 100lbs so the kid and sled behind it didn't really slow her down a bit,lesson learned. But big dogs eat lots of food so that's another consideration to think about too.
Lost

I'm thinking,
During a SHTF scenario a dog that will silently alert its owner of an outside presence would be beneficial. My dogs bark their asses off, which of course alerts one to its presence and location, bad juju.
This point would lead to training, and I don't have the knowledge or time for an intensive training regime.
Lastly,
Maybe the breed isn't the key factor here, but more so training ourselves to train the chosen pooch to be a viable asset in a hardship scenario. Once we have the knowledge to train our pooches then breed and selection will come into play. Anyone here have the knowledge to share on training?
Just my thoughts.

Kuchi dog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sage_Koochee
Breed chosen by a few SF dudes

I would reccomend Ceasers Way because it teaches you the importance of Dominance in a dogs life. He goes into real depth on how the world operates in a dog pack and how humans make major mistakes by trying to humanize dogs. Most americans want to treat thier dogs like children. But they are not people they are dogs. There was some new agey stuff he talked about like the dogs "energy" but other than that it was a good book for establishing your alpha relationship with your dog. We adopted a two year old golden retriever from a lady who told me he was unwalkable because he pulled so hard. I tried ceasers technics and within 10 min of walking he knew to stay next to me and not pull. Now granted goldens are not generally dominant dogs and they are also very eager to please. So training one is easy compared to a cheasapeak bay retriever or German Shepherd. And yes I know that goldens arnt the best choice for SHTF

I have 4 Dobermans and am a registered breeder of Dobermans. I find that for loyalty Dobes are not to be surpassed. I breed my dogs for temperment and intelligence. As far as versatility Dobes are fantastic. They have webbed feet and are powerful swimmers, and they have strong curved toes so they are very powerful diggers. They can be trained as watch dogs, gaurd dogs, attack dogs, trackers, cadaver dogs (the number one cadaver dog in the country is a Doberman), search and rescue, therapy dogs, guide dogs, retrievers, and I have read that they are one of a few breeds that can fill nearly all of the working dog categories. They are excellent with families and kids, and with very little training will protect their family and property to the death. Even my smallest female, around 70lbs, is intimidating when she is on a gaurd or watch command, not to mention Achilles my 94 pound male. They are medium sized generally speaking and are heavily muscled which makes them very fast and nimble, but powerful when attacking. They are instinctively protective as they were initially created by a tax collector as a companion and protector, and are very smart and easy to train. It is suprising to me that nobody has put Dobes up for consideration. Dobes were used as tunnel rats, gaurd dogs, battle buddies, attack dogs, and retrievers by the Marine Corps in WWII, and there is a monument to all of the Dobes who gave their lives doing their jobs (link is below) on Guam. To this day they are still the official war dog of the Marine Corps. My dogs are the most loyal, loving, intelligent dogs I have ever owned and have had occasion to chase people off of my property more than once. Each time they have used just the amount of intimidation to remove the intruders from the premises without anyone getting hurt. I trust them to watch my flanks and my 6, and I would trust them with my life and the lives of my family. Having said that, these are not 300.00 dogs, and you must as with any breed, look for dogs from reputable breeders producing dogs from established lines to get the most out of your dog. These dogs as other breeds have gotten a bad reputation because of bad owners, but with appropriate training they can be very loyal gentle giants, they walk softly and carry a very big stick. Hope that helps.

http://www.dru.org/wardog.htm

I have heard that dobies are good dogs, but usually by owners of dobies ( )...I have also heard horror stories by people attacked by dobies. I think I would feel good about having a dobie if I raised it from a pup. I do worry about whether they would be good for a location such as mine that has extreem cold temps and deep snow. I'd worry about them being too cold and somehow I doubt if the affect of the dog is as good if they have to wear a sweater and booties. lol
Friends around here have short haired breeds, but they baby them and don't let them out unless they are with them and then they take a lot of time rubbing them down and warming them.

Herbal,

Good points all. Of course everyone has their preference, Weimaraners were my first choice but finding a breeder is murder. The facts remain dispite my bias, they are very versatile and loyal and with good training can fit many of the criteria listed in the original post. I live in northern Ohio and it gets cold, but my dogs dont wear sweaters and booties, of course I also don't let them out all day. A German shepherd could stay out in the cold but they are unstable mood wise sometimes and they are not nearly as loyal as a Dobe.

Anyway there is my $.02 don't want this to sound like a sales pitch, just offering it up for consideration.