Prepping For Your Pup | A Dog Is Another Family Member

Lots of us have a dog, or dogs. They’re our furry friends. They love us unconditionally. They are very much a part of the family. Don’t forget about preparedness supplies for them too!

Benefits of having a dog for preparedness

They are not only great companions, but can serve us well in other areas.

threat deterrent

Dogs are great threat deterrents. If an intruder is lurking, or trying to get into your home, your dog is going to growl and bark (hopefully!). The intruder will likely rethink the situation and move on to a home without a dog.

they are an ‘alarm’

No matter how secure you feel your home is, your dog will more than likely be the first one to notify of someone coming. No matter what breed of dog you have, they can hear very well! They have an incredible sense of smell too. If anyone is coming, they will know. Their early warning (built-in bark alarm) will be a sort of early warning system…

physical protection

Your dog loves you unconditionally. No matter what breed, if you are in harm’s way, your dog will likely place themselves with you, to help you. Yes, some breeds will be better at physical protection than others. I used to have a German Shepard / Akita mix who appeared quite intimidating, and would surely ’cause some damage’ if it came to that. However my current little Dachshund doesn’t know he’s just 15 pounds, and would probably bite some ankles pretty good ;)

comfort and companionship

These are other benefits of having a dog. They love you. You could be having a bad day, but when they see you — they’re always just as happy.

Preparedness for your dog

It’s pretty simple:

food

Think of your dog as your family member. Treat them as such when you are prepping.

Obviously, it’s primarily about having enough food. No different from you.

Canned food or dry, whatever you normally feed them. Buy some extra. Bear in mind that dry food (with its oils) will begin to go rancid after awhile (6 – 12 months?). Canned food (logically) will last much longer without issue.

I recently purchased a bunch of extra for our dog, given the coronavirus situation. Better safe than sorry, so to speak.

medications

Heart-worm pills and other such regular maintenance treatments. Flea deterrent meds? Maybe you’re giving your dog Glucosamine? Whatever it might be, maybe you stock up some extra.

So remember, when you are prepping for yourself, don’t forget your pets too.