Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

I just let my dog out to pee....he shot down the stairs...ran about 40 yards....grabbed...shook...and retrieved a possum.

Yum....

If you don't think that sounds good....I'll send you my recipe for Squirrel and Dumplins....

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

I want to trust my dog outside without a leash but I found him as a runaway--shivering in the middle of I-80 as traffic rushed by until I happened to drive by and scoop him up, never found the owners despite signs and calls to SPCA, etc--he has made a dash out of the house a few times since when I'm not home but thankfully my family has caught up with him eventually.

I've been thinking about obedience training or something regimented for the two of us to go through so we're formally trained together and then maybe I can take him on hikes and through fields to let him run wide open a bit since he's far to fast for me to keep up jogging behind a leash. I just don't have much experience training a dog...

Congrats on the possum catch, better than a cat bringing you a field mouse!

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i suppose fetching a possum, rabbit or a squirrel is okay, but if I see a dog chasing a moose I will shoot the dog immediately.

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Yeah, but how is he against jackbooted thugs?

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Oh, I don't know. My dog catches squirrels AND mice, but he's afraid of cats!:no_ma:

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He will work out just fine ...he will create the diversion while you lite said shocktroopers @$$ up like a chrisitmas tree with the hollowpoints of your choice in the high cap mag you kept at the ready for such a day when they show up.


You work in tandem.


T

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

Ugh!!! poor possum...Possums have feelings too. You would be amazed. To me eating a possum would be like eating the family dog. :( Here is a photo of one of my pet possums. I am the possum awareness Lady

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expatriate, I taught Dog Obedience classes for over a decade. I have trained a lot of dogs and used to compete.
Allowing your Dog off lead in any situation is a bad idea. No matter how much training they have there are a segment of dogs who will see a rabbit, deer or squirrel and they are going to bolt. They cant help it.

It is the number one obedience problems with dogs and one I used to work with my Students on alot. There are things you can do to help but you have to start when they are a tiny puppy. By the time most people reach an obedience class they have effectively trained their dog not to come when called and then they have to be untrained.

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Interesting that you have a pet opossum.
I was conditioned to despise opossum and my family would kill them on sight.

Not too long ago opossum found a way through my crawl space and into the ceiling of my basement. Not wanting to have a rabid opossum fall onto my head, not knowing for sure how many were up there and not wanting to discharge a firearm in my basement I called the local wildlife removal experts.
When they showed up the threw on gloves and casually reached in and picked them up by their tails (all 3 of the buggers). they explained that opossum are docile creatures and rarely attack even when cornered although they do put on a great show.
We thought we found where they were coming in at and repaired the entry but sure enough more opossum found their way in. I removed these opossum myself in the same gloved hand on the tail method and dumped them at a local stream (saving myself $100+)
I have since found where they were coming in and put a stop to it.

Overall it was an enlightening experience.

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

Avalon, I knew you'd have to reply to this one. I doubt I'll be eating possum, but groundhogs are on my list for shtf food supply. Possums and even the family pets would be fair game before I'd starve to death. Hopefully it never comes to that. The older I get the less meat I seem to need, the garden is my major hope to keep us all fed. Besides, all that rice we bought earlier and the beens we can grow, will go a long ways at keeping possums out of my diet.

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

That is the thing ......... the odds of you starving to death are dam near nill...especially if you own farm land .


If you reach that point where it really is your pet or you..... the world has come to end IMO so what is the use in delaying in enviatable?.

Death would be release at that point.


T

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

While I appreciate that you may be speaking to a completely different context....I think it was okay for me to let my dog out off the lead at 1 AM when we have 5 acres at our disposal....

As far as disclosure goes....I have not trained my dog to do anything ever. I just want him to bark when anything comes near the house....he does that.

I was quite surprised that he took off and did that....he's never really embraced his inner predator before.

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We definitely will look to the garden in the future. Supplemented with turkeys, rabbits, and deer.

Possum is not high on the list....but they stew well. My buddy loves it so we'll cook this greasy critter up.....

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Please tell me this is not true.....

I'm cleaning coffee off my monitor.....

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Is that an animal?:confused_ma: I thought it was a soft toy!!!!

Really?

Sorry if I'm missing something, but I've never seen a possum in my life ....

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Possums are so misunderstood. They are docile creatures [unless you are a chicken] They do NOT carry rabies. The Vet School studies them for that reason. They are tyring to determine why a warm blooded mammal is not susceptible to rabies. They think it has to do with low body temperature. They actually inject live rabies virus into the brain and they still dont get it although on a theoretical basis any mammal can so its not impossible.

Possums are intelligent and curious. They re very affectionate and mine were all fairly well housebroken.
They have a personality that is a little canine and little feline. They can be protective of their owners. My possums would l nip my husband on the ankle if he got to close to me. They would sniff very carefully several times to make sure they had the right ankle. Then give the warning look.. then give a gentle nip if he didnt move away.. Their calculating manner reminded me much more of a cat then a dog.. I have never had a possum bite me or my children even when subjected to medical treatment. They love their humans.

The first time I took a baby possum in as a rescue it was just a wee thing. I used to keep it in an aquarium. One morning I went to feed it and it was gone. It had climbed out of the aquarium and gotten in bed with my daughter and was fast asleep. They were snuggle buddies after that.

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Jul, where do you live that you have never seen a possum.? They are plentiful here int he northeast..roadkill a lot.. :(
They dont get hit because they dumb. They get hit because they freeze with the light.

Undernoob.. no its for real.. I used to be in a Pet Therapy group. We would pack up all the dogs and my possum and go visit the VA center and the nursing homes.. My first and third possum loved the visits as long I held them while people petted them. My second possum had some nerve damage and didnt like leaving home.

I also used to take them to the schools when my daughters were in elementary school. The dogs would do tricks for the kids and the possum would visit the students.. The kids loved it although I suspect some thought I was a little strange. Strange is relative in this community through. The main place of Employment is the Federal Prison and numerous mental institutions. The bar for crazy in the community is very high. There is a very fine line between Residents of the Institutions and Employees.

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

Cool enough...different strokes I say....

More power to ya'!

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Wow........ I never knew that ....

Amazing how a tall tale gets accepted as gosple....


That is very good to know.


T

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

There is some on my monitor too, UberNoob.

When I read your thread starter. I thought! Ouch! Avalon is going to be right in here wielding that sword of hers!:D

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Well, I was born in Scotland and now live just outside London.

The possum isn't too common in these parts. :D

How do they get on with other pets � do they fight with cats?

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What kind of dog do you have?

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cocker spaniel and poodle mixx...... the cockapoo.


T

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

While we're spouting opossum facts:

Opossum are marsupials (i.e. they have a pouch for their young like kangaroos).

Opossum are the only North American animal with a prehensile tail (i.e. their tail can be used to grasp and hang from things)

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

Your dog or UberNoob's? Did I miss that somewhere in this thread?

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

Our bloodhounds won't tolerate a possum, fox, coon, feral cat, or 'yote around our place. Many a beastie has met their doom trying to get into our bird pens. Though, there's usually not much left of the varmint other than some fur and the smiles on my girls' big ugly faces when they get done.

--side note--
My grandad and his family got through the Great Depression hunting/trapping racoon, squirrel, and opossum. What they didn't eat they traded along with the hides for sugar, salt, ammunition, etc. In a real bad shtf situation, I'm figuring on taking a similar tact.

Had alot of old-timers around here say 'possums can be pretty good table fare if you'll pen them up and feed them fresh food and clean water for awhile before you kill and cook 'em.

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Mine is a Ridgeback/Terrier mix.....came from a fighting farm in Florida when he was just a couple months old.

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

My dogs did fine with the possum but I would never trust a strange dog around one. The dogs had the same reaction most people have. They were curious at first but when they saw it was here to stay they said yuck! When ever the possum came in the room they would look insulted and leave. If they could talk they would have asked what that creature was doing in the house..

The key to loving a possum is looking in their beautiful expressive eyes and not looking at their tail. Here is a baby picture..

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Avalon, those pictures are adorable. My dad used to have a friendship with a wild opossum. In the evenings they'd sit out on the deck together, my dad sipping his martini, the opossum sitting next to him, nibbling the Vanilla wafers my dad would feed her. When she had babies, she brought them along, too, so I figure she was pretty trusting of him. I used to have a little short-tail opossum. She was a very interesting little animal. I loved the way she'd carry stuff around with her tail.

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Try to imagine a hedgehog crossed with a weasel.

Avalon, I can tell that your dog is part golden retriever, but what is the other part? I ask because my folks have a dog (my adopted sister :wink: ) who is a Golden/Sharpei mix, and she looks a LOT like that.

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Hm, well thanks for the feedback. He's a tri-color beagle, just had him fixed about a month ago. When we go for walks he is at the full extent of the leash pretty much the entire time even if I try to run or jog along. He follows his nose everywhere and 99% of the time its like I'm not even there. He's very obedient in the house, listens to commands and is at my side as soon as I call him. But outside he's a maniac! Like a sniffing machine... anyway I guess the only option is a fenced in yard/property (I think he'd run right through an 'invisible' fence and besides I wouldn't appreciate being tasered so why would I torture my dog with it?).

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Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

My mother saved a young red squirrel about twenty years ago. That little beast had more personality than any dog cat or bird that I have ever held company with. It wasn't exactly pleasurable to have him run up your bare leg but once he got to your shoulder all was good. Mom eventually let him go back to the wild because that seemed to be what he wanted and because they are a bit destructive. I don't think you'll ever domesticate a tree rat but they are pretty entertaining for the first year.

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Ohhh, that is so cute. I suppose if I rescued one as a baby I would learn to appreciate its finer attributes; but I can't say I've ever been compelled to rescue one, but if it were a baby with a dead mamma, I know I would (if my dogs didn't get to it first). I would have a problem with my female GSD, she'd probably want to eat it as a snack given the chance.

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Okay buddy....time to switch to decaf.....

Let me get this straight.....everytime your dog gets beyond your control...you immediately grab a loaded assault rifle and go looking for your dog.

This is so you can make sure noone is trying to kill your dog....and if you do find someone trying to kill your dog....you will then shoot them?

Really?

That's Really what you would do?

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Does he howl incessanly? I grew up with beagles, they are the freindliest and most gentle dog......but they NEVER SHUT UP!....they are terrific hunters, my dad and I used to take ours out in the fields and let them drive rabbits and fox....they would stay on the trail for hours and would come in at night hoarse from barking.....hunting is pure joy for a beagle....funny how excited they would get when they saw one of us pull out a shotgun....for them, that meant fun times..

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Here is my vote for GIM quote of the week:
"The bar for crazy in the community is very high."- AVALON
I know just what you mean, the biggest employer around my town is 'community Mental Health' crazy is a full time (paying) job around here. to afford rent and utilities in this town, you either have to be rich, crazy or on the dole.

Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

I have a forest in back of the house and occasionally when letting my labrador out in the morning she will see a deer.

The lab will tear out after the deer like a ballistic missile. No barking or growling, just pure speed. She hasn't caught a deer yet but her enthusiasm is undeminished. I don't mind her chasing deer. It gives her some exercise and keeps the deer away from my strawberries.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=j>
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Re: Why I don't worry about TSHTF....
 

Well, I think moose would taste better than dog. Just MHO.:wink: