Dogs and Rewilding

Many indigenous peoples around the world used dogs, not only to help them move but help in hunting. Larger dogs carried packs and pulled carts. There are many breeds that fall into the primitive breeds slot. Primitive dogs are versatile survivalists , capable of fending for then selves, At the same time domesticated enuogh to to be specialized in certain activities, hunting , guards, in general a protector for the group and family. Hunting is the primitive dogs oldest profession and primitive dogs adapt to hunting with people and for people. They know how to track game in the right direction, where to find the game, and how to treata bird m smaller game mammals or a moose , wild boar or a bear. Some are chase and kill hunters. The will chase and kill any animal can overcome. This can be a plus for the rewilder. For a hunter using a spear , a bow or atlatl aboriginal dogs are extremely helpful in locating , tracking and bringing to bay and killing animals. Hunting with dogs is most likely one of he oldest forms of hunting the world over. To learn about primitive dogs I have in my library a book " Primitive breeds_perfect dogs by Vladimir Beregovoy and Jill Moore Porter , they go into small detail about these dogs. An excellent book but not cheap. In my library I have around 170 books just on dogs , this is one of the best overviews I have found. Interestingly the best dog books come from England. Another book is “Lost History of the Canine Race:” going back 15,000 years .

In my AO which is the high desert I chose a Scottish Deer Hound , a sight hound , they hunt by sighting the game and running it down , she will bring a jack rabbit back to me and put it in my hand. She will chase and bring down a deer . these dogs hit almost 40 miles an hour for a sustained amount of time. In a related side note when my other dog was still a puppy coyotes had him on the ground and the deer hound killed two of them by crushing their skulls. Saving the pup. I watched it happen. Sight hounds are so fast , viper fast, the coyotes didnt know what hit them . Fittingly her name is Arrow. The other dog is an Auusie Cattle dog or Queensland Heeler. I picked that one because they have a high prey drive and can withstand the heat and cold. He has brought back bushytais and other smaller game. His name is Boddidly or Dingo Dick, depending on my mood. So I have Bo(w) and Arrow.The Heelers were bred from Dingoes I feel these dogs are a perfect fit for the rewilder as are others of the primitive breeds like black mountaian cur
dogs type. I had an Akita for 15 years , a primitive breed she caught quail, doves and ducks , bushytails, among others she must have have ambushed them… Dogs will add to the larder and make hunting a positive outcome for the hungry.

Some other primitive breeds are the West Siberian Laika, The Basenji, so called barkless but make a lot of noise. The Pharaoh hound a sight hound. Karelian bear dogs,NewGuinea singing dogs , while rare they can be found.The Jindo dog is an excellent choice … The Bushmen dogs, dogs of the bushmen , every bushman village has these dogs that hunt with them, they are the only domestic animals they have, the Canaan dog ,and the Carolina dog which is a wild dog found in the Carolinas, a fine dog.

Primitive dogs come from all over the world . The Akita with which I had a lot experience with, is a good choice as well, not as fast as some others however. All the primitive breeds are stubborn as hell and will take a firm master but a fair one, they will not tolerate being hit. they are smart and learn fast. You hit one and you lost the dog.

You can find other primitive breeds by doing a google search. Almost any of them would be a good fit for the rewilder community…

Dude

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Thanks so much Dude. This is a fascinating summary. I don’t have any particular questions but feel free to share more.

thanks Willem , appreciate it… I have hunted with dogs for years… this is the beginning of my new pack… For rewilders I feel it is a no brainer.
I will add some more a bit later… The deer hound stands higher than a dining room table , and is great dog . Just watching her run is a thing to behold. watching her take a bunny on the run is a thrill. And dinner. She weighs about 100 pounds . The cattle dog weighs in at 45 pounds and since he has never s seen any other dogs run tries to copy the deer hound style , he is very fast … Both are protective. When the cattle dog is at attention when on the rare times anyone comes around he seems to grow twice his size and is a sight to see… very intimidating … Playing with them you have to know where they are, the deer hound has taken me down at least three times she just slams into you like you were a deer or some such… Took me 3 minutes to get up…just playing, right… They both come to a whistle , no matter how far afield they may be… important they come to you… I do not teach my dogs parlor tricks , just come, wait , give it and shut up… I dont like yappy dogs … if they bark there is a valid reason. They both will hunt all day. Many of the dogs I mentioned are great to have with you… I have the time to spend with them so it creates a great bond. The Akita I had was a great dog , went everywhere with me. she was a big one at 125 pounds … talk about intimidating… a great hunter , wild boar , bear and anything else that came along. fearless . … She died at 15 , he vet said she was the oldest Akita he had ever seen…She never had any health issues. I laid on the floor with her as she died, and I was a crying mess …

My dogs are all fed raw meat and get part of any kill. other than that I feed them chicken thighs , raw. Cheaper than canned dog food which is crap anyway… Raw meat is a natural food for dogs. They will also eat some veggies and apples. One can google raw food for dogs and find how much better it is for them… perfect for a rewilder or otherwise…

Nothing like being around a remote campfire with your dogs around you ready for whatever comes next… plus they help keep you warm in the late night. and keep away the boogyman… :stuck_out_tongue:

I refrained from getting another Akita right off the bat as I was afraid I would be comparing it with my old Akita. Now having these dogs for almost 2 years Im ready for another Akita as well. Akita’s are a breed apart they will not fetch ,the expression seems to say , you threw it you go get it… They are fast to learn once or twice on a leash and they heel right now , they get bored very fast and will just stop if you push it to long or too far. They get it…If I said go left she would go left and if it was right go right . I use hand and arm signals with my dogs .I will make a large gesture and point , that way, and they will do a 90 and go that way. The primitive dogs are all much a like and will try and please you as long as they understand what it is you want… They are all tough dogs with a built in wilderness sense. They are stubborn and you have to learn to deal with it . They will teach you a lot about game just by observation.

Side story , I was on a trek into the desert with my Akita , she had a pack on , going out for a week. with some extra food , I ran into a few hikers they asked what was in the pack I said beer as a joke , I said someone has to carry it, they got all upset with me and my parting shot was , hell she drinks her share…

Dude

I just read this article and thought it if here. Thoughts?
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/opinionator/2014/08/31/sympathy-for-a-desert-dog/?_php=true&_type=blogs&smid=tw-share&_r=1&referrer=

Ive read that article before… other accounts vary greatly about the Bushman and dogs and how they are treated and there use for hunting…

Dude

for more on dogs in the north America’s history and how they were treated and used… “First Nations First Dogs” by Bryan D. Cummins. very informative and just a very excellent read. Gives one the idea on how to work with the dog in the wild. These re the types/ breeds Indians used and developed

Dude