Could a domestic dog survive in the wild?
Discussion
Just musing really.
Consider that it would be in the wild away from humans, so not a bin scavenger like a town fox. Also for sake of argument, let's agree that the dog would be right for the climate, so not talking about putting a husky in an arid Savannah.
I sometimes look at my dog and think that the raw instincts are still there. She will stalk, chase, find water, find shelter etc.
But other times I set her little problem solving tasks (which she often fails) and think that the only skills she really has is the ability to read humans for her own gain. An example is putting food in a ball with holes in. Does she roll it around so the food eventually falls out the holes? No. She can smell the food in there and just barks at it in order to alert her 'human man servants' that they must take some sort of action!
To be clear, I have no desire for any domestic dogs to be left in the wild, mine included. Just hypothetically wondering how quickly the old wolf survival instincts would kick in.
Are our dogs still wild animals with a veneer of civility? Or so domesticated that they'd know nothing else but to chase some squirrels for a while and then just lie down, patiently wait for master?
Consider that it would be in the wild away from humans, so not a bin scavenger like a town fox. Also for sake of argument, let's agree that the dog would be right for the climate, so not talking about putting a husky in an arid Savannah.
I sometimes look at my dog and think that the raw instincts are still there. She will stalk, chase, find water, find shelter etc.
But other times I set her little problem solving tasks (which she often fails) and think that the only skills she really has is the ability to read humans for her own gain. An example is putting food in a ball with holes in. Does she roll it around so the food eventually falls out the holes? No. She can smell the food in there and just barks at it in order to alert her 'human man servants' that they must take some sort of action!
To be clear, I have no desire for any domestic dogs to be left in the wild, mine included. Just hypothetically wondering how quickly the old wolf survival instincts would kick in.
Are our dogs still wild animals with a veneer of civility? Or so domesticated that they'd know nothing else but to chase some squirrels for a while and then just lie down, patiently wait for master?
My parents have a labrador which spends a fair amount of time roaming the farm. I have no doubt she could survive in the wild. Forever chasing rabbits, and rats as well as scavenging for any other food around. Probably wouldn't have anywhere near as pleasant a life with no home and warmth, but in my opinion could certainly survive.
Would this differ from individual dog to individual dog?
I suspect dogs from houses with feral kids would be able to happily survive in the wild, whilst those from posh PH Company Director homes would struggle without their person servant to tend to their every need
Seriously though my dog, when handed a Kong stuffed with food, quickly learned that he had to get it out himself which he usually did in short order. not sure that would qualify him for a Bear Gryllis doggy world equivalent though.
I suspect dogs from houses with feral kids would be able to happily survive in the wild, whilst those from posh PH Company Director homes would struggle without their person servant to tend to their every need
Seriously though my dog, when handed a Kong stuffed with food, quickly learned that he had to get it out himself which he usually did in short order. not sure that would qualify him for a Bear Gryllis doggy world equivalent though.
MDMA . said:
Knutsford ? Or is that mainly Cougars ?
Lol, very good!We rescued a b
h (very sadly sat in a box next to me now 
) from Cyrpus and she was wild for the first 3 years of her life.She was a MUCH different dog to Bruce. He is our first and we have had him from 11 weeks.
She was much more alert, keen, dominant, instinctive, intelligent etc - I could go on.
Her teeth were well used, chipped/broken, and she had many battle scars.
Love her a lot
MDMA . said:
Ayahuasca said:
Depends also on what predators are out there.
Where I live the dog would probably be eaten by a jaguar or a puma.
Knutsford ? Or is that mainly Cougars ?Where I live the dog would probably be eaten by a jaguar or a puma.
Dogs are social animals and in the wild dogs hunt in packs. Think African wild dogs, wolves, etc.
A solitary dog would have very little chance in the forest.
A big cat would hear it coming, set up an ambush, and eat it.
A few years ago I lost a friends miniature pinscher in the middle of an alpine winter whilst I was looking after it. It went missing for three days. -10 degrees. Tiny dog. Chances didn't look good especially when I googled "dogs with good cold weather resistance" and miniature pinscher was at the top of the list of "dogs with poor cold weather resistance".
Found it after three days of leafleting the area with lost dog signs and stting myself that I had lost their dog. It survived, completely ok. My friend took it to the vets in the evening because it's tummy was completely bloated. The vet gave it an x-ray at huge expense and showed that it had an overly full stomach. It had obviously been eating well somewhere.
So I think that judging by the fact that this dog is a pretty loose definition of a dog, and it survived in freezing temps for three days, and was perfectly ok, that most dogs would be fine. Unless they got run over.
Found it after three days of leafleting the area with lost dog signs and s
tting myself that I had lost their dog. It survived, completely ok. My friend took it to the vets in the evening because it's tummy was completely bloated. The vet gave it an x-ray at huge expense and showed that it had an overly full stomach. It had obviously been eating well somewhere.So I think that judging by the fact that this dog is a pretty loose definition of a dog, and it survived in freezing temps for three days, and was perfectly ok, that most dogs would be fine. Unless they got run over.
I had thought of this scenario following a recent thread 'what would you do if every human disappeared'. I wondered how the animals would fare and which would survive.
I guess that the vast majority of sheep, cows, horses would probably eventually die of starvation/cold/thirst in their fields, although those in an electric fence bordered field may likely escape and return to the wild.
Cats would obviously do just fine as they're still well equipped hunting machines.
Dogs... very breed dependent. A lurcher or terrier would likely be fine, once very hungry their instinct would be very keen.
I guess the dogs would go back to forming large packs and hunting the aforementioned now wild sheep.
Bored and have overthunk this.
I guess that the vast majority of sheep, cows, horses would probably eventually die of starvation/cold/thirst in their fields, although those in an electric fence bordered field may likely escape and return to the wild.
Cats would obviously do just fine as they're still well equipped hunting machines.
Dogs... very breed dependent. A lurcher or terrier would likely be fine, once very hungry their instinct would be very keen.
I guess the dogs would go back to forming large packs and hunting the aforementioned now wild sheep.
Bored and have overthunk this.
The biggest issue for a dog in this country is committing suicide by eating something it shouldn't. My dog has raided the bins plenty of times and I'm sure he'd eat the sharp lid off a tin if it tasted of food. I'm sure he'd make his way to the nearest KFC and fill himself up on cooked chicken bones. 
Courtesy of Pesty on the Show Us Your Animated GIFs thread.
And beware of pugs...they eat people...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1236663/Tw...
And beware of pugs...they eat people...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1236663/Tw...
I have a sighthound so you'd think he would adapt but he doesn't even shake his toys in the way our last whippet did (my last whippet never caught anything in real life though)
However he seems to think most things are edible so may be that would help him?!
I have never seen him 'fight back' for anything or at anything (esp other dogs) so would he discover that in the wild, not sure!
I would be skeptical that he could survive but at the same time I hope he could find a way!
I think certain breeds would do better than others and as they are pack animals by nature I do think my dog would survive if in a pack albeit as a lower ranked dog!!
However he seems to think most things are edible so may be that would help him?!
I have never seen him 'fight back' for anything or at anything (esp other dogs) so would he discover that in the wild, not sure!
I would be skeptical that he could survive but at the same time I hope he could find a way!
I think certain breeds would do better than others and as they are pack animals by nature I do think my dog would survive if in a pack albeit as a lower ranked dog!!
I suspect the breeds that are better aimed at rodent work (rats, rabbits) would survive better in the UK. They could sustain themselves quite well provided they have a good nose and sight.
Larger breeds would be better orientated to pack hunting of larger prey. So short of worrying the sheep, or perhaps more deer-dense areas, I think they'd struggle on their own.
America and mainland Europe generally have larger prey mammals that could perhaps be easier picking for say a pitbull breed.
/in my uneducated opinion
Larger breeds would be better orientated to pack hunting of larger prey. So short of worrying the sheep, or perhaps more deer-dense areas, I think they'd struggle on their own.
America and mainland Europe generally have larger prey mammals that could perhaps be easier picking for say a pitbull breed.
/in my uneducated opinion
Some interesting replies.
Maybe it's not breed dependant and it's just down to each individual dogs personality. In the same way that some humans would survive in the wild, others would merely last a few days.
I definitely think outdoor / working dogs would do better than the average daily walkies / sleep by the fire on a soft bed dogs.
Maybe it's not breed dependant and it's just down to each individual dogs personality. In the same way that some humans would survive in the wild, others would merely last a few days.
I definitely think outdoor / working dogs would do better than the average daily walkies / sleep by the fire on a soft bed dogs.
Our dog killed a sick rabbit once whilst out in the countryside. See saw it, it ran and she chased. The fact she caught it tells me it must have been sick / old.
The instinct was there. She shook it by the neck, in the way she'll do with some toys, and it died instantly. She then tossed it up the air, like a game, as she'll do with her toys.
As this was happening I was running towards her and commanded her to drop it. She did and ran back to me. To this day I'm not actually sure she even considered it food, it was just a cool toy.
The instinct was there. She shook it by the neck, in the way she'll do with some toys, and it died instantly. She then tossed it up the air, like a game, as she'll do with her toys.
As this was happening I was running towards her and commanded her to drop it. She did and ran back to me. To this day I'm not actually sure she even considered it food, it was just a cool toy.
Matt UK said:
Our dog killed a sick rabbit once whilst out in the countryside. See saw it, it ran and she chased. The fact she caught it tells me it must have been sick / old.
The instinct was there. She shook it by the neck, in the way she'll do with some toys, and it died instantly. She then tossed it up the air, like a game, as she'll do with her toys.
As this was happening I was running towards her and commanded her to drop it. She did and ran back to me. To this day I'm not actually sure she even considered it food, it was just a cool toy.
That's because she wasn't hungry. The instinct was there. She shook it by the neck, in the way she'll do with some toys, and it died instantly. She then tossed it up the air, like a game, as she'll do with her toys.
As this was happening I was running towards her and commanded her to drop it. She did and ran back to me. To this day I'm not actually sure she even considered it food, it was just a cool toy.
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