Do Dog Boys eat dog food?

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

They eat regular people food, though what it is fortified with might vary.

Their intelligent is equal to a human's. Are humans motivated by treats? Depends on who you ask, and what the treat is.

Though I doubt that they are given milk bones for killing a D-Bee.

~ Josh

[Marrowlight]

Wonder what chocolate does to 'em.

[BookWyrm]

I would imagine they get "DB-rations" (Dog-Boy-rations) much like MRE's, but designed for Dog Boys.

Unless taken as a Disadvantage, they could eat chocolate like anyone else, but not get the same effects.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Wonder what chocolate does to 'em.

Where is Private Johnson?

He's sick, sir.

Sick? What the hell happened?

He got into the garbage and ate some chocolate.



~ Josh

[KillingMachine]

I'd say it would depend on the dogboy.

Just like the occasional strange human who might eat dogfood out of a can and then exclaim that it's delicious. It might actually make for an amusing NPC encounter to have a dogboy who happens to love this weird meaty canned stuff labeled "Alpo" that was discovered in some ruins or something.

[Marrowlight]

I'd say it would depend on the dogboy.

Just like the occasional strange human who might eat dogfood out of a can and then exclaim that it's delicious. It might actually make for an amusing NPC encounter to have a dogboy who happens to love this weird meaty canned stuff labeled "Alpo" that was discovered in some ruins or something.

Centuries old dog food....now that'll be a pleasant smell.

[Library Ogre]

Actually, I think Dog Boys would be able to live on human food, but probably do not in what the CS sees as an ideal situation.

First of all, there's the concept of the other, which the CS higher-ups seem to want to preserve for the Dog Boys. If they eat different food at a separate mess, they're different.

Secondly, though, there's nutrition. Despite their similarity, Dog Boys are NOT human, and likely need a diet much higher in animal protiens, and much lower in plant carbohydrates than humans do. Like dogs, they can eat people food, but it's got the possibility of making them sick.

[Marrowlight]

The Psi-Stalker of course.

[Kalinda]

Actually, I think Dog Boys would be able to live on human food, but probably do not in what the CS sees as an ideal situation.

First of all, there's the concept of the other, which the CS higher-ups seem to want to preserve for the Dog Boys. If they eat different food at a separate mess, they're different.

Secondly, though, there's nutrition. Despite their similarity, Dog Boys are NOT human, and likely need a diet much higher in animal protiens, and much lower in plant carbohydrates than humans do. Like dogs, they can eat people food, but it's got the possibility of making them sick.

That's pretty much how I run it. The CS tells the psi-hounds that they need a special diet that contains the extra nutrient they need to stay healthy. This is true to a certain extent, but it's not as important at the CS makes it out to be. Many feral dog boys get by just fine outside the CS, they just have to pay more attention to what they eat and go heavy on the meats. The special rations is just another way to control the dog boys. If they think that they'll sicken and die without their special food, they'll be less likely to run away.

The ruse works to a point, but some CS dog boys have seen feral dog boys while on patrol and figured out that their leaders aren't telling the whole story. Others were forced to eat normal human rations during the SoT (mainly during the retreat.) and suffered little ill effect. So the ruse isn't perfect, but most dog boys still think that they need their special rations.

Another reason that the CS gives the dog boys special rations is so they can give them drugs to lower their sex drive (fewer discipline problems and less chance of runaways if they're not distracted in that way.) and prevent females from getting pregnant outside of the normal breeding program.

[Kalinda]

But would they use cups?

I have been wanting to run a Dog Boy and you have now made me think about things, do they use drinking cups or just get a bowl and lap it up? I know they have Human intellagance, but they don't have the lips and tounge to fit a cup or straw correctly.

It kind of depends on how realistic you want to get with things. You could just not worry about it and assume that they have enough lip control to manage a cup. After all, they have almost normal human speech, which would be pretty hard with no lips.

If you want to go more realistic, they yes, they would need to use drinking bowls of some kind. The CS would probably issue them a canteen with a drinking bowl included with it.

[Danger]

Actually, I think Dog Boys would be able to live on human food, but probably do not in what the CS sees as an ideal situation.

First of all, there's the concept of the other, which the CS higher-ups seem to want to preserve for the Dog Boys. If they eat different food at a separate mess, they're different.

Secondly, though, there's nutrition. Despite their similarity, Dog Boys are NOT human, and likely need a diet much higher in animal protiens, and much lower in plant carbohydrates than humans do. Like dogs, they can eat people food, but it's got the possibility of making them sick.

Agreed.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Despite their similarity, Dog Boys are NOT human

Also keep in mind that they are NOT dogs either.

~ Josh

[Danger]

Despite their similarity, Dog Boys are NOT human

Also keep in mind that they are NOT dogs either.

~ Josh

That's true, but I don't think he's talking about tossing them dinner scraps or milkbones. Just that they would most likely have a different diet than the humans in the Coalition.

[Library Ogre]

Despite their similarity, Dog Boys are NOT human

Also keep in mind that they are NOT dogs either.

True, which is why they don't eat Alpo, but rather their own rations. Digestively, I picture them as being a lot closer to dogs... it alllows them some of their strength and speed to be on a high-protien diet.

To Kalinda, I would actually say that most psi-hounds are likely neutered or spayed... or, more likely, the males are given vascetomies, so they keep the androgen production from the testes, but lose the ability to procreate. Females might still be spayed, however, to reduce the distraction of being in heat (on both them and other psi-hounds).

As for drinking, I figure they use a sports-bottle arrangement, most of the time, to squirt it into their mouth... though they might be able to handle straws, which are better than bowls.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

I would actually say that most psi-hounds are likely neutered or spayed... or, more likely, the males are given vascetomies, so they keep the androgen production from the testes, but lose the ability to procreate. Females might still be spayed, however, to reduce the distraction of being in heat (on both them and other psi-hounds).

I'm not sure how much a Psi-Hounds physiology relates to an actual dog, but: Is it not possible that getting "snipped" might hinder the agression of the Dog Boy? (This all depends on whether or not that part of their physiology is more human or canine).

I'm not really sure if they would go into heat either, no more than a human would.

~ Josh

[Library Ogre]

I would actually say that most psi-hounds are likely neutered or spayed... or, more likely, the males are given vascetomies, so they keep the androgen production from the testes, but lose the ability to procreate. Females might still be spayed, however, to reduce the distraction of being in heat (on both them and other psi-hounds).

I'm not sure how much a Psi-Hounds physiology relates to an actual dog, but: Is it not possible that getting "snipped" might hinder the agression of the Dog Boy? (This all depends on whether or not that part of their physiology is more human or canine).

I'm not really sure if they would go into heat either, no more than a human would.

I'm not sure they'd go into heat, either, truthfully. I work from the theory that they did as little modification as possible to make the working models they have.

I figure males get vascetomies because, while it greatly reduces the chance that they'll be able to breed, it is less likely to reduce aggression than a full neuter... the bits are still there, they just don't pump to anything.

[BookWyrm]

ROFL!

[Danger]

So toilet trained, then?

Do you think they have weird sideways facing urinals?

you know, for the old up and at 'em?

are they painted red?

[Rimmer]

For some reason this rifts inspired cat food commercial jingle just popped into my head as i was reading this thread

"Kill Cat, Cat-Nip, to sooth the savage beast, before he eats you !"


Yes i am very bored ATM.

[Kalinda]

I considered the option of 'snipping' all the dog boys, but decided to go the drug route in my game.

Lone Star talks a bit about the breeding program and the fact that half of the female dog boys created/bred (about 15% of the total.) are used as breeders. They're artificially inseminated every 18-24 months and produce most of the dog boys the CS uses. (only 10% of the dog boys are lab grown.) Also, it says that males and females who have proven themselves loyal and have several years of good service are occasionally allowed to cohabitate and breed.

Taking this into account, I think the CS would want to keep all their options open when it came to 'breeding stock.' You never know when a dog boy with particulary desirable traits will show up, and those traits may not become apparent until he's out of basic training and in the field.

Put bluntly, in my game world any CS dog boy who has proven himself to be exceptionally brave, loyal and fierce in battle, or who has very good physical stats, has to make regular donations to the sperm bank.

Note that none of this stuff has EVER come up in a game. (yet) Like many things it's all just back story detail that I think up while on the bus to and from work, then jot down in a notebook.

[Kalinda]

On the subject of drinking, when I mentioned a canteen and cup I was thinking of the older US military issue canteens that came with a cup that slid over the canteen, like the ones shown here.

I like the sport bottle idea though.

[Library Ogre]

I considered the option of 'snipping' all the dog boys, but decided to go the drug route in my game.

Yes, but tubal ligations and vasectomies are reversible... and even if the ligation isn't, they can extract eggs from the ovaries.

[Kalinda]

I considered the option of 'snipping' all the dog boys, but decided to go the drug route in my game.

Yes, but tubal ligations and vasectomies are reversible... and even if the ligation isn't, they can extract eggs from the ovaries.

More work and more surgery, requiring the Psi-hound to be out of the field and away from their unit for a time. They have to prepare the food specially anyway to meet the dog boy's dietary requirements, so slipping something extra in should be no big deal.

Anyway, different GMs, different worlds. I just like the drug route better, it seems to fit the CS's mentality.

[DocS]

Rifts is post-apocalyptic....

Dog Boys would eat Dog Food...

And so would just about any other character. Times are hard, The Burbs are tough, and Purina is DEEEEE-Licious! The boom Gun is a Pre-Rifts weapon... if the guns of the pre-rifts time were that good, one can only imagine how wonderful the dog food was!

Ok, so maybe 'True' Atlanteans wouldn't eat the Alpo, but there's not many of them walking around, and that's a good part of why.

-Damon

[Greyaxe]

that is an interesting question.

I would agree that although they can eat Human food, theyt are not human and probably need a "Dog" diet. and given what they are and what the CS thinks, they don't get "good" meals. they probably get the Centuries old "Alpo" or the equivelent "low grade"

And I think they would inheret (sp) the Dog traits of Choclate and other stuff like it. But would they use cups?

I have been wanting to run a Dog Boy and you have now made me think about things, do they use drinking cups or just get a bowl and lap it up? I know they have Human intellagance, but they don't have the lips and tounge to fit a cup or straw correctly.

on a funny note: if a dog boy farts, who does he blame it on?

We had a Dog Boy character eat bones from the garbage as he sniffed arround for a D-Bee. Wolven drink from a cup I expect dog boys could too.

[Wise_Owl]

The question regarding things like diet depends largely on the elements of Human 'Genes' as compared to 'Dog' Genes. Sometimes, as most geneticist discovery quit early, chaning one element can lead to drastic changes in another, but assuming we've got a 'proofed' creation in the Dog-Boy, this is what I woudl assume;

Dog Boys probably retain a principally Carnivorous diet, thus requiring larger ammounts of Animal Protein than a human, but they would still be entirely capable of eating a variety of Human Foods. Given their enhanced Olfatory sense they most likely also enjoy foods very different from humans. Fruit, for example, wouldn't 'do it' for a Dog boy, nor would Candy or other things high in Sugar, Citrus, etc. But a Salsbury Steak smothered in Chicken Gravy would be a salivating experience. Since it appears their 'Dog' sense are retained, their Dog 'Tastes' are also probably retained.

In the CS I Imagine there is a standard selection of Dog-Boy Rations as well as standard Mess-Hall Meals(Yah! Thursday, it's Round Grey Meat Day!!!), nutritionally balanced and targeted to Dog Boy particulars with regards tastes.
Dog Boy Males almost certainly urinate standing up like human's do, because their bipedual symetry basically demands it.
I definetly lilke the idea of some sort of birth-control drug utilized on the Dog Boys, it seems to make a great deal of sense to me. Though perhaps some sort of yearly injection might be more the norm. Since Dog Boys at least semi-frequently breed outside of the CS, it must be assumed that whatever the CS uses to keep them from breeding(aside from discipline) is easily reversible or wears off.

[The Galactus Kid]

I can't believe this thread is back. I thought it was dead. dammit.

I told kevin about it and he laughed. Didn't give his opinion though.

[Kalinda]

I can't believe this thread is back. I thought it was dead. dammit.

I told kevin about it and he laughed. Didn't give his opinion though.

This thread is proof that some of us put Wayyy too much thought into our game worlds....

[Lord_Dalgard]

Chello!

As for drinking, I figure they use a sports-bottle arrangement, most of the time, to squirt it into their mouth... though they might be able to handle straws, which are better than bowls.

As an aside, as a kid I read the E.T. novelization...E.T. determined that the greatest human invemtion was the straw!!!

As to topic...yep, meat-heavy diets, definitely. i also doubt that it would aestetically pleasing to human's eyes either. Something that looks a lot like Alpo. For emergency field rations or extended patrols, I would think that they would have something like Kibble...specially fortified dry food that they need less of per day but can carry more of.

I like the drug idea to surpress the sex drive. For surgery, i don't think it's bad from a service standpoint though....it wouldn't necessarily take away from service time. It could be something done during training...like a vaccination!

Tony

[glitterboy2098]

they'd be able to eat 'human food', but they'd have to avoid some types of it. (after all, 'dog food' is the same stuff humans eat, just formed and packaged differently)

they wouldn't be able to eat chocolate. (Carob would be a popular treat though, i bet.) they could drink coffee, but would have to be careful about theobromine levels. they'd have to avoid a lot of foods (onions, grapes, nutmeg, ect) that they just can't eat.

of more interest is ettiquete. canines indicate social status by the order in which the pack members eat. the higher the rank in the pack, the earlier you eat. the alpha eats his fill first, and the lowest ranking member eats last. which could cause some confusion when the human commanders don't understand dogboy behavior.
a dogboy unit very likely would wait until the unit leader (human, psistalker, or dogboy) finishes their meal before starting to eat themselves. of course, the leader could easily just grab a snack to lessen such instinct.
of course, being hunting animals, dogboys would enjoy food more if they 'killed' it first. so odds are dogboy units have trouble with the troops 'stealing' each others ration packs in mock hunting behavior.


of course then there are other aspects of dogboy biology to think about.
enhanced hearing for one. i bet the coalition had a problem with dogboys shouting to overcome a background noise no human could hear early on.

or color blindness. "cut the red wire!" "what red wire?" scent coded wires might be the way to go, given the better noses of canines, but little tags would be easier to maintain.

[asajosh]

A normal dog's nutritional requirements are remarkably similar to humans. I would think that Bradsford would have planned for a Dog Boy's dietary needs. In fact, in the field Im sure that human troops and Dog Boys eat nearly identical MREs (canine troops' food would be exclusively vitamin packed meat paste).

EDIT: glitterboy2098, Love the Idea of scnt tags for dog boys.

[Vinny]

and are they highly motivated by treats?

theman

Josh is highly motivated by curly fries.

[asajosh]

I dont think that the coalition would make a certain food for dog hounds. They would just give them meat. think of the money theyd have to pay to make just dog food. Theyd let them eat either human rations or aniaml meat.
that would be a more cost effective way and everyone can eat meat.

Except that vegetables are good for people and are just filler for dogs.

[asajosh]

so as long as it fills them up they can fight

Try fighting on a stomach full of Gummy Bears or rocks for that matter, after all they too "fill you up"

Seriously any state that is going thru the expense and trouble of creating a fightinng force from the double helix up is probably going to spend a few extra 1/10ths of a credit per soldier to feed them properly. Otherwise its like building yourself a car and trying run it on vinegar to save a few pennies.

[Pepsi Jedi]

This is actually addressed pretty well in the Lone Star book.

1) Dog boys arn't snipped or 'fixed'. The breeding populations of the feral dog boys pretty much make this a clear and easy fact. I think it was Wise owl (( not sure if I"m mis attributing I"m sorry)) That said something more like a yearly shot for the females, is about 100 times more likely. We have 3 month shots for human women. The dog boys wouldn't be as "Loved" and there's no dog boy FDA to make sure the shots don't do "long term damage"

So yeah once a year the females (( A smaller percentage anyway)) Line up for "Inspection" and one lab tech goes down the line with an air injector Pssst psst pssst pssst pssst psst pssst pssst pssst pssst. No muss no fuss.

The aggressiveness isn't worked out of the males and the females (( that the CS don't want to)) can't conceave. Sex can still be held out like a treat (( and trust me. Army troops, human or dogs, respond well to treats.))


2) About the food. In the Lone star book they talk about the mess halls and what not. I imagine they get pretty much the same food that the CS troops get. I'll explain why.
1) It's cheeper. If you have to have two meals that's twice the ammount of effort. Twice the ammount of prep. Twice the ammount of people dedicated to making it either in factorys or as per the rifter, the CS cookies.
2) This is an army we're talking about. They're gonna wanna go by the simplest means possible. Instead of having to resuppy "1000 humans worth of MRE's for 3 months and 5000 Dog boy kibbles for3 months"
They're just going to requisition MRE's for 6000. (( Yes I"m aware that armys can go the exact oppisite way into over specialisation to an ABSURD degree but this is chow.... I'm hoping they don't here))
3) ease of utility and cross use. In the army you want the most bang for your dollar. You don't want a unit that can't eat people food or that's a bother if you can't get the doggie food there in time. Genetics make them walk up right, able to fire a laser rifle, comprehend in a sentient level, have full speach, but can't address a few dietary concerns? I don't buy it. When ever the "Dog boy package" was made this had to be taken into concideration. I mean these are super advanced super genetics.. but the dogs can't eat people food? Heck ALIENS are eatin' people food. Dogs can't?


As a side note. I don't think the Dog boys are going to be getting a more prevelent "Meat" Diet that many are condoning here. I"ll explain why there as well.

1) I still think they're eating the same as the standard CS troop. Just ease of use principal. and

2) What alot are forgetting is that Army food is ALREADY Designed to be super packed. MRE's have 1000s of calories to keep fighting men going while they fight. More than your adverage plate of food. This is done on purpose and with forthought, as the very active and demanding life style of a soldier requires that extra fuel.

As the extra fuel is already put in, they wouldn't need to put extra EXTRA in for the dog boys.

and 3) Not for nothing... but I'm pretty sure there's not giant herds of cows out there substaining the CS food pryimid.... I'm sure there's some but meat on a large scale is probably harder for the CS to get (( so many things out there to kill it now or spook it causing it to stampeed or run away even if the MD baddies don't eat it themselves)) So there's probably

______ALOT______ More protean substitutes in the CS diet. Think shadow run where there was the Soy foods with "Flavor despensors" to make the mush taste like what ever you want.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

On the subject of cows: the CS does maintain large cattle ranches. In fact, their cows are genetically engineered and tweaked to be larger, healthier, and tastier.

Refer to page 68 of Lone Star.

Otherwise, everything else Pepsi Jedi said is golden.

~Josh

[Pepsi Jedi]

Ok by large I mean in compairison to pre rifts stuff.... I mean McDonalds alone probably owns more cattle than all of the CS put together.

I knew they had some. but enough to feed every man woman and child in the CS meat every day and then have enough to put 'extra' meat on their dogs plates? I don't think they have THAT much cattle.

[Pepsi Jedi]

You'd probably just pick one set of bonouses.... and be lucky. "Mutts" are generally concidered baseline dog boys with no bonouses.... which is what any mix is. a "mutt"

So yeah pick husky, or shepard, or wolf and say that YOUR dog boy took after THAT part of his breed the most.

[Pepsi Jedi]

You can if you like man. Your game. but a "German shepard, Husky, Wolf" is the merging of 3 distinct species. You've got yourself a mutt Hybrid. I'm sure she's a wonderful dog and stuff but mixing two breeds doesn't give you a new breed. INSPITE Of all the "Yoorkie-poo" and "Cocker-poo" Owners. They've got themselves.. Mutts.


(( Nothing wrong with a mutt, their genetically less prone to dozens of things, but mutts they are. ))

[asajosh]

yes but if theirs ownly so much cars and gas their is need to make a car that runs not on vinager that is totally alien like rocks but electricitie meat

Im not trying to be mean really, but your posts are un readable.
Im seriously at a loss as to what your trying to say.

Im simply saying, yes while dogs (and dog boys) can eat veggies, its not ideal for them. And its VERY easy for the CS to provide Dog Boy specific MREs. Im thinking something similar to modern canned dog food that they can eat hands free. If you want to feed them the same diet as human troops, I dont think it really matters in game terms.

And if you run into a situation where humans may have to subsist off dog food (ala the Road Warrior), they can, it just tastes bad. Bon Apetit!

[Spinachcat]

>Do Dog Boys eat dog food?

Nope, that's for Vagabonds!!!

[asajosh]

>Do Dog Boys eat dog food?

Nope, that's for Vagabonds!!!

Naw they live on candy! See my above post about fighting on a belly full of gummy worms

[taalismn]

As to the original question:

Heck, if they're hungry enough, HUMANS will eat dogfood...that's what the modern packaging industry is really aiming the ads at anyway...

But seriously, an Alaskan vetrinarian who happened to be a bushpilot carried a 10 lbs sack of dry dogfood with him in his plane...he knew that if he went down and survivd the crash, he was carrying pound-for-pound the most nutritious and stable survival rations he could lay hands on(plus the stuff was cheap and required no preparation...which would be handy if he couldn't build a fire or otherwise cook himself a meal)...

Small wonder if the CS field rations and those of the Dog Boys wouldn't be identical kibble...and the inspiration for endless complaining jokes about 'fit for Man AND Beast'. 'everybody's equal in the chowline', and 'we're all in agreement on how much this stuff sucks.'

[Colt47]

All dogs can impregnate each other. Doesn't matter what breed. It's just sort of hard for a german shepherd to mate with something tiny.

[asajosh]

yes but if theirs ownly so much cars and gas their is need to make a car that runs not on vinager that is totally alien like rocks but electricitie meat

Im not trying to be mean really, but your posts are un readable.
Im seriously at a loss as to what your trying to say.

Im simply saying, yes while dogs (and dog boys) can eat veggies, its not ideal for them. And its VERY easy for the CS to provide Dog Boy specific MREs. Im thinking something similar to modern canned dog food that they can eat hands free. If you want to feed them the same diet as human troops, I dont think it really matters in game terms.

And if you run into a situation where humans may have to subsist off dog food (ala the Road Warrior), they can, it just tastes bad. Bon Apetit!

sorry about that but i was tring to say was that your not going to create a food supply for half your army that the other half cant use if they both eat meat. The wolf hounds back in the day ate raw meat. So why cant they now? Its simple they still can and instead of paying big manufactiuring dollars just for some kibble and bits theys just give them more meat and less vegetables

Ahh I gottcha now. But we make a variety of MREs now for soldiers, 100's in fact. Why do you think its so dificult to make a variety for dog boys (again humans can easily metabolize wet dog food, but )?

But then maybe your right, EPIC's post about bachelor chow gets me thinking... maybe the CS makes a "one size fits all" food paste for all the troops in the field. It sure would simplify things. And officers can get to eat real food while the grunts eat the slops. Mmmm dinner time!

[Crazy Lou]

Actually, I think Dog Boys would be able to live on human food, but probably do not in what the CS sees as an ideal situation.

First of all, there's the concept of the other, which the CS higher-ups seem to want to preserve for the Dog Boys. If they eat different food at a separate mess, they're different.

Secondly, though, there's nutrition. Despite their similarity, Dog Boys are NOT human, and likely need a diet much higher in animal protiens, and much lower in plant carbohydrates than humans do. Like dogs, they can eat people food, but it's got the possibility of making them sick.

That's pretty much how I run it. The CS tells the psi-hounds that they need a special diet that contains the extra nutrient they need to stay healthy. This is true to a certain extent, but it's not as important at the CS makes it out to be. Many feral dog boys get by just fine outside the CS, they just have to pay more attention to what they eat and go heavy on the meats. The special rations is just another way to control the dog boys. If they think that they'll sicken and die without their special food, they'll be less likely to run away.

The ruse works to a point, but some CS dog boys have seen feral dog boys while on patrol and figured out that their leaders aren't telling the whole story. Others were forced to eat normal human rations during the SoT (mainly during the retreat.) and suffered little ill effect. So the ruse isn't perfect, but most dog boys still think that they need their special rations.

I just had this thought, but I can't believe I never thought of this before. Since the dog boys are genetically designed anyway, how come the geneticists don't just make them dependant on something not usually in their diet (think Jurassic Park). Since as stated they'd most likely need more protein, etc and thus separate rations from the regular troops, why not make it so they actually are dependant on the CS for survival? That'd ameliorate the problem of ferals even more.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Actually, I think Dog Boys would be able to live on human food, but probably do not in what the CS sees as an ideal situation.

First of all, there's the concept of the other, which the CS higher-ups seem to want to preserve for the Dog Boys. If they eat different food at a separate mess, they're different.

Secondly, though, there's nutrition. Despite their similarity, Dog Boys are NOT human, and likely need a diet much higher in animal protiens, and much lower in plant carbohydrates than humans do. Like dogs, they can eat people food, but it's got the possibility of making them sick.

That's pretty much how I run it. The CS tells the psi-hounds that they need a special diet that contains the extra nutrient they need to stay healthy. This is true to a certain extent, but it's not as important at the CS makes it out to be. Many feral dog boys get by just fine outside the CS, they just have to pay more attention to what they eat and go heavy on the meats. The special rations is just another way to control the dog boys. If they think that they'll sicken and die without their special food, they'll be less likely to run away.

The ruse works to a point, but some CS dog boys have seen feral dog boys while on patrol and figured out that their leaders aren't telling the whole story. Others were forced to eat normal human rations during the SoT (mainly during the retreat.) and suffered little ill effect. So the ruse isn't perfect, but most dog boys still think that they need their special rations.

I just had this thought, but I can't believe I never thought of this before. Since the dog boys are genetically designed anyway, how come the geneticists don't just make them dependant on something not usually in their diet (think Jurassic Park). Since as stated they'd most likely need more protein, etc and thus separate rations from the regular troops, why not make it so they actually are dependant on the CS for survival? That'd ameliorate the problem of ferals even more.

Because, the Dog boys, even more than the human troops, are prone to working in the wilderness away from "Civilisation" for longer periods of time.

If there was a genetic dependancy of this nature, and... a squad's rations got stolen or something, they'd be dead with in ((( incert time period here))

While ones with out said dependancy can suppliment their food with hunting, or trading or any number of ways that would not render them instantly dead.

While not a horrid idea, the special diet and making SURE your hundreads of thousands of DB's eat that one little thing, would be more expensive and frankly a bleedin' hassel, than just implanting a small cortex bomb that could be triggered by remote control of any CS officer.

And they don't do that.

You also have to factor in dogs sense of smell. They could very likely sniff out what ever chemical they're being fed and figure it out. Once they know, the ferals can either 1) injest it knowingly or 2) all the dog boys just stop eating that _______ and suddenly when thousands of dog boys start getting sick the CS has to buckel down and stop that crap.

But yeah. I'd say the "Inibility to garentee long range patrols and field units with said life or death chemical" factors in more than anything else.

Simple unweildly logistics.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Yeah.. I read Jurrassic park like 15 years ago too.


Remember what happened at the end?

The dinosaurs with the brains the size of peas figured out how to live off the island.. on their own.


Pea sized brains......


Not sentient beings with the oral factrory senses of GODS.

*Grins*

Dogs have been used to detect drugs, corpses, tracking even cancer these days and doctors have no clue how that works.

I think they can figure out after eating ___ or skipping ____ at a few meal times make them feel sick and what ever _____ is being figured out what's in it and other stuff.



(( Sorry if it sounded snarky. Just re read it. It's supposed to be in a HUMOROUS tone))