Cats

[Rathlord]

Not all dogs are that high maintenance, it varies greatly on the breed. Especially outdoor dogs are not nearly as high maintenance, and can live relatively human-free with no problems.

 

Also, not all dogs bark at everything. My 10 year old black lab has only barked ~3 times in his entire life.

[Kajin]

I've never had a dog that didn't bark at every little thing. Apparently, one of the first complete sentences I spoke as a kid was "what's that damn dog barking at now?"

 

And any dog would get extremely high maintenance if it spent most of its day trapped inside a house or a fenced in area, which is where any tame animal would be spending most of its time. You can't exactly take a dog out for an afternoon stroll around the neighborhood to burn off excess energy when there be zombies, now can you? Take your eyes off of it for five seconds and next thing you know it's chewing a hole in the wall just for the sake of chewing a hole in the wall.

 

You'd almost have to have a survivor on hand to take care of the dog when most of the group is out and about, or who knows what sort of mess you'd come back to?

[Rathlord]

I take it you've never had an outdoor dog or a 'barn' dog, because your idea of dogs is kinda silly XD

 

Sure, in an urban setting dogs might not be great. But as someone who's lived on a farm for years, let me tell you... dogs do just fine when left alone outside. I'm almost not even sure how to respond to you- I've had an Australian Shepherd and a bunch of German Shepherds that lived outside, their entire lives, without ever needing any kind of interaction that were still tame and followed commands.

[Kajin]

I've only ever had outdoor dogs. I've mostly been talking about what it would be like to try and keep animals in a typical Zomboid safe house with barricaded doors, fences, and fortified areas where a dog wouldn't otherwise be capable of roaming free and running about to its hearts content. I've been basing my thoughts off of dogs owned by friends and family that lived in the suburbs where leash laws are in effect. Dogs are meant to run, and if they can't they get... mischievous, I believe the polite term is.

 

You wouldn't have any of those problems on a farm like the one you grew up on. Not one that wasn't under siege by the walking dead, anyway.

[Rathlord]

I wouldn't consider having a dog locked up in my safehouse, of that you're correct. But if I was barricaded out in the great outdoors? Hell yes. 

[Kajin]

Of course, the barking annoyances are all mine. Every dog I've ever had has loved to bark at squirrels.

[Kajin]

IRREGARDLESS!

 

I definitely approve the idea of having an Animal Training skill. Dogs would be inconceivably useful in any setting, but different situations would require different methods of handling them. Train your dog to bark at the presence of unknown humans as a deterrent, but sidle up to your side and growl sub-vocally as a way to warn you of approaching undead without alerting them to your presence.

 

If you're in a group, you're gonna need someone to stay behind and watch over the safe house anyway, so have that person learn the Animal Training skill and keep a dog or two on hand while he guards the place. The dogs will alert him to danger and help him drive it off while keeping him occupied with a joyful companion so he doesn't go insane from boredom and loneliness. He can also play with the dogs to keep them occupied so they don't get rambunctious and destroy the place.

[CylonBookworm]

IRREGARDLESS!

*cough*

(I still say cat meat could be a good survival food...)

[Kajin]

I know. I just love saying it. Saying it while gesturing upward with one hand and grinning like someone whose just concocted the most stupid plan in existence.

[Rathlord]

I hate it. White hates it. The Elements of Style hates it. Don't use that word!

[Kajin]

But... But... The gesturing! And the manic grinning! I can't do all of that without a silly word to say!

 

Anyway, does anyone think having an animal training skill would be a good thing? Cause I kinda wanna add it to the list I'm supposed to be keeping.

[matte0802]

I think the cats come when animals, the animals will eat the seeds or food so the cat will scare away the animals but when the dog does it, it could attract zombies cats makes it silent and could help to bordom

[Viceroy]

I think the cats come when animals, the animals will eat the seeds or food so the cat will scare away the animals but when the dog does it, it could attract zombies cats makes it silent and could help to bordom

 

My vote for necro of the year