However, my primary intent is to provide examples of skills and resources which are available to the average urban dweller both for post-apocolyptic survival as well as efficient and community-sufficient day to day living.
Which brings me to the first of many Urban Survival Resources posts, specifically on the importance, nay crucial necessity, of owning a dog.
It is no secret that nearly as long as there as been civilization humans have had a unique social and survivalist relationship with canines of one sort or another. The reasons for this important relationship are precisely the same reasons that you too should own a dog here and now.
Protection: This is a no brainer, guard dogs are more efficient than human guards in nearly every situation. They have a keener sense of hearing and smell, and therefore are instinctually more vigiliant than I could ever be. They are faster and frankly more menacing than even the burliest body guard. I would wager to say that a prospective intruder would much rather encounter a baseball bat wielding guy in a bathrobe than any dog and here is why: First of all, as a friend of mine often reminds me, "an assailant can use your gun against you, but he can never use your dog against you." Don't get me wrong, I believe it is a good idea to arm yourself as well (stay tuned for that post) but he's right. My dog will defend me until its dying breath and will never be used against me in a conflict.
But many of you may be worried because you can't handle the training/care/maintanence/space that a large "guard dog" requires. Do not be fooled into thinking that the size of the dog is of primary concern. Even the smallest of dogs can provide an integral component of home-defense: barking. Most robbers/looters etc. simply don't want to deal with dogs, they are loud and they are pointy. Dogs are superior to home alarm systems not only because they can't be disabled by clever crooks, nor by power outages (for you apocalypse gurus out there) but they add the bonus of intruders being met with a bite after the bark alarm sounds.
Moral of the story? If all you can deal with is a little dachshund, do it. He will provide better protection than you'd ever realize, not to mention the fact that even little dogs come with these added bonus features!:
Warmth. Ok, maybe it sounds silly but in all honesty nobility in the cold northern regions of Europe were always accompanied to bed by their dogs. Certainly having them nearby for protection is one reason but the primary reason they were invited into beds was because they gave added warmth to their owners. Dogs naturally like to huddle together with their pack mentality, they want to draw in on cold nights. However, thanks to God's keen hand in their creation dogs have the added bonus of not only warm coats of fur, but a naturally higher body temperature than humans. Anyone who has taken first aid knows that the fastest way to warm someone suffering from exposure and hypothermia is body to body contact, this is no less true with dogs. So, whether your are braving the chill of nuclear winter, or you are hoping to save a couple of dollars on your heating bill this coming fall, I recommend that you let your dog snuggle in close.
Work. Again, no secret that for ages humans have taken advantage of the loyalty and tenacity of dogs to help in labor. In fact, most civilizations in the world still use dogs for work. Sled dogs are often more preferred than snowmobiles in the frozen northern wastes because frankly they are more reliable. Herding dogs not only are effective, but absolutly born to efficiently and safely herd livestock. Hunting dogs sniff out and flush out game for hunters. But yea... none of those things mean much to the average urban dwelling dog owner. Don't over look the important work that your urban dogs do for you though, work that you probably don't even realize they are doing every day. Maybe your pup doesn't hunt grouse, but he sure as heck hunts mice and rats, and either kills them or scares them away from your home every day. This is nothing to be taken likely, vermin infestation leads to disease, or at best an expensive call to the local exterminator. Save yourself the trouble and keep a dog.
Companionship. This is often a feature of dogs that is gravely overlooked and under appreciated by the average survivalist. Dogs provide entertainment for children and joy to adults. Even if you are separated from your friends or family, if you at least have your dog with you there is some kind of innate consolation which you receive. Don't lie, you shed a quiet little tear when Sam from I Am Legend dies. Not to mention how you are way more pissed when someone kills Dogmeat than any other NPC in Fallout(1/2/3). Plus, as any true grit survivalist knows, keeping up moral is absolutly essential to survival, you lose that, you lose hope, you lose hope, you lose everything.
Again, this is for day to day living too, after you get home from a tough day of pushing a button to further the empire, or even if you just finished a day of edifying, community-sufficient, sweat-of-your-brow labor, there is nothing like being greeted by that wagging tail, those big eyes and that eager tongue of your faithful dog.
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