dogs at your retreat or BOL

[Mortblanc]

I am going to go into history teacher mode here for a while;

On the American frontier dogs were considered a necessity. This was in a time that would very closely duplicate the situation post SHTF. Danger everywhere, enemies hiding behind ever bush, crude living conditions.

One of the REQUIREMENTS for joining a troop of longhunters, usually the first people into a colonial frontier area thick with native hostiles, was that they have a good horse and at least one good dog.

The prefered breed in the frontier fort settlements was a cross between an English mastaff and a foxhound. German boarhounds were also favored breeds, often crossed with bulldogs and mastaffs.

To this day it is almost impossible to approach a farm house without alerting the family dog/security system. In modern times it is usually a shepard, collie, or border collie mix.

I have had a couple of magnifican mutts down through the years. One cocker spaniel mix was excellent with my children when they were small. He appointed himself as their pesonal body guard.

However, the best/smartest dog I have had was an Austrailian blue heeler.

I have a friend that operates a grayhound rescue and has been begging me to take a grayhound of late. I travel too much to deal with it now.

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The idea of a coursier that can range for its own food and add to the pot is appealing in a SHTF dog.