How To Train Your Dog For A Survival Scenario

What would you do if a catastrophe changed the world as we know it? Preparing for such a scenario includes protecting every member of your family, including your pets. If you have a dog, there are a few things you can do to train your beloved pet to survive a number of scenarios and to help you survive as well. Training your dog takes time and it is best to know about what you can do to train your dog for survival in advance so you can get started.

Dogs have amazing instincts and can usually warn you when danger is coming. Dogs can for instance feel earthquakes coming and detect intruders. However, dogs will usually bark to let you know when a danger is approaching. This can give your position away and put you in more danger. This is why you need to teach your dog to speak and be quiet on command.

Your dog will instinctively bark when they want to warn you of something, but you need to teach your dog a simple command to stop barking.
This is fairly simple and you can teach your dog to speak and be quiet on command when they are just a puppy. Get your dog barking by showing them a toy they love and then taking it away or by making noise with their favorite squeaky toy. Repeat the command ‘speak’ or another word of your choice every time your dog barks. Your dog will soon associate this word with barking and will bark on command. Reward your dog when they bark with a treat.

You can then move on to teaching your dog to be quiet on command. Repeat the same action, but introduce a new command, such as ‘quiet’. Get your dog to bark and say ‘quiet’ in a stern voice. Wait for your dog to stop barking before giving them a treat. Repeat this until your dog associates this command with you wanting them to stop barking. Praise and reward your dog every time they obey this command.

Hunting is another skill that can come in handy in a survival scenario. Keep in mind that some dogs are not good hunters and you should look for a breed that can hunt if survival is a concern when choosing your dog. Typically, small and toy breeds do not make good hunters and cannot be trained to help you find food. Training a hunting dog requires a lot of time, patience and practice.

However, a dog that can help you find food would be a real advantage in a survival scenario. You should at least try to teach your dog to stop and point when they detect another animal so you can easily find a game. Most hunting dogs will do this instinctively, but you will probably have to show your dog the position you want them to adopt to indicate they have found an animal and praise them when they stop and wait instead of going after the animal they have found.

You might also want to teach a silent version of the commands your dog already knows so you can get them to obey without getting detected. This could be a good way to keep your dog quiet, tell your dog to stay near you or even tell them to attack an intruder without revealing your location. All you have to do is use a sign along with a voice command whenever you teach your dog a new command. Choose signs that are easy to recognize and make sure your dog gets plenty of practice so they do not forget these signs.

Training your dog requires time, patience and a lot of treats. The specific commands you teach your dog really depend on what you expect your pet to do for survival. Think about adopting a dog that can protect you or hunt with you want to be ready for any kind of scenario. You should seek help from a professional dog trainer if you are not sure how to train your dog, or talk to other people who are preparing for survival and who have pets to learn more about the methods they used.

We hope that this post will help both you and your dog, and we wish the two of you the best!

Jason and Erin