Dogs vs Armed Attackers

This one is in Spanish but check it out, the images speak for themselves.

Pretty amazing how the animals react and save the owner. Goes to show how valuable dogs are for self defense.

Oh, don’t worry, none of the shots hit the puppies!

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Getting a Dogo Argentino

Hello Fernando,
My husband and I read your book "Surviving The Economic Collapse."
You mentioned the Dogo Argentino and we tried to locate one in the states with little success. Can you recommend a way we can purchase a few of these?
Thank you very much!
-Jocelyn
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Hi Jocelyn, thank you for buying my book. I hope you found it useful. ;-)
The Dogo Argentino is an amazing dog as I explain in The Modern Survival Manual. I believe that the main reason why its such a great dog is that it’s a recently created breed and it hasn’t been polluted yet (at least not much) by breeders who want a show dog rather than a working dog.
There are several people in USA selling Dogo Argentino. I cannot vouch for any of them but I do have some advice for you and others reading this considering buying this great dog.

• Make sure you want a Dogo Argentino. It’s a pretty powerful animal and even though it is known for having a very stable temperament it is recommended to have some experience with big dogs and a firm hand.
• Before buying, try adopting a Dogo Argentino from a shelter. Sometimes people get them and don’t know what they are getting into, maybe they get scared because they feel they got more than they bargained for. Most Dogo Argentinos that I’ve come across are very consistent in their temperament so adoption is safe and much cheaper than buying one.
• There are some breeders that are mixing Dogos with bigger dogs such as Great Danes. They believe bigger is better, or more likely, they believe its good for business, accurately estimating that most of their clients also go for the bigger is better mentality. In the case of the Dogo Argentino the opposite is true. The original Dogo Argentino wasn’t that big, the parents should weight about 95 lbs for the male and 80 lbs for the female and the early Dogos would weight considerably less than that, therefore the smaller the Dogo Argentino, the more likely you have the real deal.
• If youre buying a Dogo Argentino in America, try getting one from people that actually use it for hunting rather than show. That way you are more likely to get one that has the trait the creators of the breed were looking for.

Try looking here first, Dogo Argentino Rescue Network
https://www.facebook.com/DogoRsq/
DcDogos
http://www.dcdogos.org/adopt.html
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Best Dog for Preppers: The Dogo Argentino

Hello Mr. Aguirre,
I just finished reading your book and found it very insightful and informative without the usual "panic." Thank you for writing it.
One thing on my mind is to have a pair of Dogo Argentinos for companion and
protection with the added ability to raise some puppies for sale those who would like them. Here in the States I can only find breeders in the US and Canada. Unfortunately those breeders concentrate on show dogs which are bred to be docile. I had Bullmastiff who looked fierce but was a total whimp.... I'd like to contact a few breeders in Argentina was wondering if you'd be willing to help me in this area.
Have a great day and thanks in advance,
Joe

Hello Joe,
As I wrote in my book “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse”, I really do like the Dogo Argentino. In my opinion it’s the perfect dog for someone looking for a multitask work dog, especially for someone living out in the country. This is a dog that will hunt large game, defend the property, but most of all defend the family from both men and beast. When it comes to courage and ferocity when it counts, no other dog compares to the Dogo Argentino. Other dogs will bark when they detect and intruder in the house. The Dogo will stalk and attack. Dogo Argentinos kill home invaders all the time in Argentina. Its mentioned in the news often. A small lap dog may be easier to care for, but a Dogo can actually keep you safe when going for a walk.
I wouldn’t worry much about buying Dogo Argentinos in USA. There’s some people already breeding them in America and using them for what they are supposed to be used, which is hunting wild boar. Having said that, if you want the best of the best then yes, go to Argentina and visit the Nores family in Cordoba, who are the family that originally created the Dogo Argentino and are still very much passionate about it. It wasn’t that long ago that one of their Dogos, “Morocho”, killed a puma (cougar) protecting a couple small girls of the family.

Nores Family Dogos De la Cocha
http://www.dogoargentinonores.com/
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Guard Dog Rips Off Owner’s Arm

http://www.clarin.com/sociedad/rottweiler-neuquen-brazo-mordio_0_1256874410.html
There’s no dangerous dogs any more than there’s dangerous guns, it all depends on the human handling either one.

Emilio Muñoz lives in Huiliches, a lightly populated district in the province of Neuquen, Argentina. Because of the crime problem that affects the entire country, Muñoz bought two Rottweilers as a guard dogs. Mister Muñoz suffered seven robbery attempts in four and a half years. His male Rottweiler called Otto did the job it was supposed to, defending the house, even killing two robbers during break in attempts, one in 2011 and another one in 2012.

The dog had never bitten its owner before but two nights ago when Emilio Muñoz parked his car after dinner Otto attacked him and didn’t let go for 12 minutes. The female dog did not attack him but it didn’t defend him either, instead retrieving to its dog house and occasionally coming back to lick him as he was struggling with Otto. A neighbor eventually heard the screams and came to his aid, pulling back the attacking dog and eventually strangling it to death with the choke collar.

Just buying a dog and letting it take charge of your household is a VERY bad idea. Large, powerful breeds require an owner with years of experience handling dogs of all sizes. The Rottweiler is not my favorite dog. It’s not as much the dog’s fault as the people owning them and breeding them, in many cases looking to develop and breed dogs with more violent tendencies rather than focusing more on maturity and obedience. The Dogo Argentino would be such a dog, powerful yet with an extremely cool temper. Dogos will defend the home and owners well from both two and four legged predators. Last year A Dogo killed a puma (cougar) that attacked two little girls in a farm.

Over the years I’ve heard of many incidents where dogs kill family members in Argentina. Without exaggerating at least eight out of ten times it involves a Rottweiler. Again, they are all animals, they all may have instinctive reactions, but either they are focusing on breeding particularly violent, unstable specimens of Rottweilers in the country, or those buying them are particularly ill equipped to handle them.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

How to Prepare for Pets: 5 Key Points

Pets are an important part of our lives. Maybe I’m a bit too old school, but to me a kid growing up without a dog isnt having the full childhood experience.

They can fulfill some important roles when it comes to preparedness as well. Dogs can hunt and protect the family from predators. They can be excellent warning systems, even deterrents in some cases, but  above all, they are loyal partners, part of our family.

The following steps will help you prepare keeping in mind our furry pals:

1)Pet Supplies

Pets will have the same basic needs you have. They need shelter, food, water and medical supplies. Just like you store food for emergency use in your home, do the same for your pet. Dog food is cheap enough as it is. You can buy a big bag of dry dog food that will store well, rotate as you use it up, and always keep a good supply for emergencies. Don’t forget to keep your pet in mind when planning how much water you will be needing during an emergency. Some of the first aid kit supplies for humans can be used in animals as well, but talk with your vet and stock up on any medication your pet may need. A supply of flea drops for example makes sense. Apply this same logic to all your kits. Keep food for your pet in any kits you keep in your vehicle (3 day supply) or caches that you have in other places like potential bug out locations. Don’t forget to also include dog poop bags and kitty litter supplies. 

2)Pet Identification

Your pet cant communicate so its important to make identification as easy and as reliable as possible. A collar with a tag and your phone number is the first line of defense when it comes to lost pets. The problem is that tags can be accidentally or intentionally removed. An implanted chip stays with the pet and anyone scanning the animal will be able to return it to the rightful owner. This doesn’t apply just to pets lost during disasters. Thousands of pets get lost or stolen every day.

3)Pet Control

You need a way of controlling your pet when there’s an emergency. Dogs sense when people around them are nervous and excited. Screaming, shouting, confusion, a dog can easily run away, fail to obay command, even bite someone during a crisis. You need a fast way of controlling the animal. A sturdy collar and leash will do the job. The retractable walking leashes are usually flimsy, a short sturdy one should be kept handy for emergencies. A crate or pet carrier is excellent for quickly controlling the animal and transportation. With a crate it will be much easier to carry your nervous pet in your car during evacuation. In some emergency centers and for boarding some evacuation vehicles, having a suitable crate may be mandatory if you expect to bring your pet along with you. It is understandable that rescue services may not want to risk bringing in a loose nervous animal when there’s other priorities such as saving human lives.

 

 

Midwest Life Stages Double-Door Folding Metal Dog Crate  $50.99

 4)Pet Plan

Make your pet part of your bug out plan. Can you bring your pet to your bug out location? Can you bring it to your family or friend’s house during an emergency?

Talk with your vet about vaccinations and stay on schedule. Ask him about shelters where your pet may end up if lost. Add these numbers to your contact list just in case. Have a buddy system by which one of your friends or neighbors can watch over your pet for some time if needed. You probably have someone doing so already when on holidays. 

5)Its just a Pet

People often get very much attached to their pets. They end up becoming part of our families. Some people even consider their pets the closest creatures to them, their children. While this is common we should never lose perspective of our priorities. Pets are precious to us but they are not people and if the moment ever comes you must not hesitate to put your safety and the safety of your family first. Only once your family is taken care should you worry about pets. Don’t risk getting caught by a fire, a flood or other disaster because of a pet.

In my case I had to leave our dog behind when leaving Argentina. A 40 day quarantine was needed, as well as tons of paperwork that we just couldn’t do in time. As mentioned in point 4, I did have someone that could take our dog in. He had a large farm with several dogs of the same breed and was happy to accommodate mine as well. If we had waited until we sorted out our dog’s paperwork plus the 40 day quarantine, there’s a good chance we wouldn’t have been able to leave Argentina. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions, accept the responsibility for your actions and do what’s best for your family.

 

Bonus Tips:

 

1)Treat your pet like a pet

A dog or cat isn’t a person, nor does it wish to be treated like one. If the owner fails to perform its role as leader of the pack, your pet will feel unhappy, not the other way around.  When a dog feels the owner isn’t in control of the pack (the family) the dog may try to take the alpha role. This can be dangerous with some of the larger, more dominant breeds.

2)No excuse for fat pets

Each time I visit the vet, it blows my mind to see so many fat dogs and cats. Last time I checked, neither one has opposable thumbs. Your Pit Bull wont be opening the fridge at 1AM to grab a piece of chocolate cake, its always the owner the one that overfeeds it, projecting his own feelings of pleasure and indulgence towards the animal under the following mechanism: “My pet is happy when it eats, I want my pet to be happy so I’ll feed it a lot”. In my case, my dog would eat five pounds of food beyond its healthy ration if I let it. He eats plants, plastic and metal toys as well if you let him. A lean pet is a healthy, happy pet that will enjoy a better life and statistically live 10% to 20% more than an overfed pet.

3)Get the right Pet

Stay away from exotic animals unless you really know what you are doing and when getting a dog, get one of the right size and breed to fit your needs. Don’t get an animal that needs lots of exercise if you don’t plan on walking it. Don’t get a known dominant or large breed if you have no experience with that kind of dog. 

FerFAL

Stocking up Dog Food for SHTF

Dry dog food stores well and there's no reason not to buy in bulk when on sale. About a year worth of shelf life is pretty reasonable with most kibble. With good packaging you don’t need any special way of storing it, just keeping it in a cool dry place away from bugs and check the integrity of the bag every once in a while. Better yet, put the bag in a metal or plastic container. If rats and other pests don’t get to it, the food should easily last 12 months.

About dog food. Not all dog food is alike. Cheap kibble like Pedigree will keep your dog alive but its not nearly as good as some other choices. The key (and expensive) ingredient in dog food is meat. Chicken, turkey, lamb, any animal will do but the meat protein content is the most important ingredient. Read the label and make sure your dog food has at least 20% of meat in it.  Especially during the first tow years of life when the dog is growing, make sure you feed it quality food if you can afford it. If it ever comes down to rationing your dog food you could mix quality dog food with rice half and half. It wouldn’t be as good but you can stretch good kibble a bit like that if needed.

You can feed your dog the same food you store but it makes more sense to just stock up on kibble when on sale. Besides, during a real emergency it wouldn’t make sense to spend precious food on the dog. A few extra bags avoids that kind of hard decision. At least for a few months!

FerFAL