The dog is man’s best friend. And after everything ends up in the toilet, our best friend just might be our lifesaver.
Last week, I talked about the horse and how infeasible it would be in a PA (post-apocalyptic) world. The vast majority of us know nothing about the animal’s care or training. We do, though, know about cars and things mechanical.
However, before we talk about steam and wood gas, let’s talk about the animal we do know a lot about: the dog. We know dogs. We knew dogs long before we knew horses. And the dog just might be our salvation in the early days after the apocalypse.
Dogs have long been used for work: guarding our homes and possessions, herding our cattle, watching and protecting our sheep, helping us on the hunt. They’ve also been used for war. And they’ve been used as draft animals.
The draft dog has pulled our carts and sleds, and carried our packs for many centuries. Long overshadowed by the horse, dogs have always been the affordable work animal for the poor, and the alternative work animal in environments not hospitable to horses.
So after the SHTF, we will most likely turn to the many dogs we have to save our bacon and pull our fat out of the fire.
Many breeds were once used as draft animals and could still perform that job. Breeds such as Collies, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Saint Bernards, Bouvier des Flandres, Newfoundlands, and Rottweilers. The Mastiff, originally used as a war dog by the Celts, would also make a suitable draft dog. And in a PA world, I suspect we’d breed even larger and more powerful dogs to suit our needs.
We know dogs and dogs know us. There is a symbiosis between humans and dogs that was in existence long before we made use of horses. Which makes them a natural choice to help us survive and thrive in a PA world.
The dog also requires less care than does the horse. Grooming is less exacting for the dog and we don’t need to shoe them.
Dogs are omnivores and will eat what we eat. Unlike the hay burner, whose diet would potentially tax the resources of a tiny PA community.
Dogs are less skittish than horses and easier to train. Their size also makes them easier to control. Getting kicked by a horse can potentially kill you. Or they can trample you to death. And all just because they got spooked. And while a dog can kill a person, the incidents of death by dog are less than that by horse. Even today.
Here is an interesting article on the dangers of the horse as a mode of transportation: https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/exeter-news-letter/2011/01/07/historically-speaking-dangers-horse-buggy/51322350007/
So my word of advice to PA writers everywhere is this: turn your attention to the dog — and your worldbuilding will be far more realistic.
Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!
What PA fiction I’ve read (and I admit it’s little) always focuses on firearms. This is an excellent article that provides much food for thought on PA plots, settings, and even characters. Imagine, a plot around defending dogs an enemy wants to use for breeding or work. Setting descriptions of refugees and dogs pulling carts (seen in the movie Beyond Thunderdome, by the way), or a main character’s relationship with a dog, with the animal not only a means for protection and work, but a friend.
Outstanding article, CW!
I just remembered, the movie I Am Legend from several years ago. Will Smith’s character had a deep relationship with his dog, a German shepherd, as an alarm, scout, and protector. The character showed genuine grief when his dog contracted the zombie virus. As a dog owner, it was one of the saddest scenes in the film, when the character smothered his own dog.
Yes, it was. Very poignant and moving.
Thanks! And I agree 100%, James. Thanks for stopping by!
You know, I’m a frequent commenter here because I like your work, your writing style, and your insights into the Craft, but this is exceptional, and lifts you to a new level. How is it that the first place I encounter this wisdom is in the blog of “some indie on WordPress?” This is epic stuff, and I’ll never be able to view horse-driven post-apocalyptic works the same way again! I don’t know whether to thank you or curse you; you’ve ruined a whole genre for anyone who reads this.
Seriously, I think the proper response is to praise you. It goes without saying that we’ll now be expecting a new world of dog-drawn adventures, so let’s get to it!
Thanks, Jack! I think it’s the western in us that drives us to use horses. That old love affair. But seriously, we’re urban folks these days. We know very little about farming and rural life. It will be a huge adjustment when the stuff hits the fan.