Call it your "survival dog," ... "prepper pooch," ... "retreat hound," ... or whatever.
:dog:
Haven't seen this topic come up before, ... but what type of dog would make the 'best' survival companion for you (and your family or group) following a catastrophic apocalyptic event? Just so we don't get too ridiculous on the SHTF premise, let's stick to the more realistic ones (no mutant zombies). E.g., weather-related (long-term Katrina-type disaster); epi-plague/pandemic flu; nationwide cyber-"hack" by NoKo which shuts down the entire power grid, etc. Something big, but realistic.
A mixed breed mutt? Pure-bred this or that?
It would seem like the pampered lap-dogs that are food-picky and need to be professionally groomed every week or see a vet once month just won't make it.
A buddy has a dog that's a German Shepard/Pyrenees mix. Great family dog, super-smart. Not real big though, and she's really not a 'hunting' dog. But does that matter?
Or would a large dog be more useful? I once had a Bull-Mastiff. Also a great dog but it got hip dysplacia and eventually died.
Another buddy has an Aussie Shepard which he says is
the smartest dog he's ever owned. Maybe intelligence and train-ability would trump size for a useful post-apocalyptic companion?
Opinions and/or recommendations?