Submissions     Contact     Advertise     Donate     BlogRoll     Subscribe                         

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Is Survival Transportation with Dogs in Your Future?

Sacco-CartImage via Wikipedia
A few weeks ago I wrote that dogs should have a role in your survival strategy. It’s something a lot of preppers may already know about. Dogs are highly cherished and valued for what they are to us and for what they can do. One of my readers asks why we’re not thinking more about dogs for survival transportation. And is there a book on the subject? More on that question shortly.
Several dog breeds can pull gear or even people in carts or wagons. American Indians used a travois attached to a dog for pulling things.
In a world where cars might not be usable for any number of reasons, using dogs to aid with transport makes sense to me. They don’t require the space or feed that horses do, and they’re plentiful.
While dogs are used more and more as service dogs, perhaps they could be useful today for the elderly or disabled in ways we simply haven’t thought of and, thus, haven’t tried. Think of all the dogs in animal shelters who could be rescued for utilitarian purposes.
As for a book on dogs and transportation, I recommend Mush! Revised: A Beginner’s Manual of Sled Dog Training, by Charlene G. LaBelle. But don’t be fooled into thinking this book has to be only about sled dog racing.
Mush! Is a reference book that includes step by step instructions and helpful illustrations. You’ll find information for those with various levels of experience on topics such as buying dogs and equipment, training and other considerations. Use your imagination to transfer this knowledge for transport in addition to pulling a sled.
As author and editor of this latest edition, LaBelle carries on after Bella Levorsen, who put together the first three editions. This is the latest compilation of expertise from the members of The Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers, Inc.
With the wintry weather we’ve been experiencing, perhaps you’ve had fanciful visions of dogs pulling sleds through the snow. But if you’re not so inclined, you can still get this book and daydream of one day using dogs to pull a garden cart of your survival supplies.
Mush! has a 4.0 out of 5 star rating on Amazon.com, and I’m making it this week’s DestinySurvival Amazon Pick of the week. Get your copy today by clicking on the image of the book below. That takes you to the Amazon.com page where you can place your order by adding it to your cart.
What do you think? Why aren’t we thinking about or making plans to use dogs for survival transportation?

Enhanced by Zemanta

1 comment:

  1. http://harnessesbycarol.com/ makes fabulous draft harnesses for dogs, although the one I have is now too small for either of my dogs. I must order new ones here soon.

    I'm not entirely sure I would use my dogs as "transportation." They'd be more valuable as security and hunting dogs.

    ReplyDelete