Pit Bull Fast Approaching

[ppkheat]

I'd really hate to shoot someone's pet, especially if I had mistaken it's "friendly" intentions. With many publicized dog attacks and with just seconds to decide what to do, it can be a tough call. One skill that would be beneficial is reading the dogs body language. If a local dog has a bad reputation and he's loose and comes charging at you, that's getting pretty serious.........DOG BEWARE

If an unknown dog is running towards us, and not appearing vicious, I'd wait as long as I could. If children were nearby, and we didn't have time for higher ground, I'd make a move to attract the dog to me.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Luis50]

Attacking dog threads seem to bring out emotional repsonses and understandably so. We, as humans are attached to dogs more than any other animal in history so being attacked by them is seen sometimes as being betrayed...one very powerful feeling.

I edited my previous post to show options to stopping an attack before you or someone else is bitten as Old School did and Tcox4freedom's 11 year old son did. It doesn't take an animal trainer or behaviourist to do this.

If it's charging at you, assume it will bite and be prepared to defend yourself but, don't think gun first is all i'm saying. I'm done.

[rubicon1000]

I shot my Dad's neighbors dog a few years ago and after explaining to the owner the dog was trying to kill my nephew who was 10 at the time all was well. I felt pretty bad after it was over but I couldn't stop the dog any other way. It was a husky. The pitbull they have is a lover.

[atctimmy]

I think you missed my point, timmy. My point, and I believe Luis', was in regards to breed specific legislation. It's just as bad as the bills being introduced/passed on limiting certain firearms.

No, I understood your point. My point perhaps was not very well written. What I was trying to say is that there IS a higher propensity for certain breeds of dogs to attack and hurt humans. Guns are inanimate objects. They have no will of their own and are neither good nor evil. On the other hand dogs do have wills of their own and some breeds have a reputation (for better or worse) as being more dangerous than other dogs. I completely understand how a community would want to legislate by breed. I don't want to live next door to a house full of pit bulls and I would be seriously mad if someone moved in with them. On the other hand a house full of Labs doesn't bother me one bit.

[kelcarry]

Interesting comments on both sides of the aisle. One thing that was not mentioned by the shooters was how well they will be able to fire their weapon at a raging running pit pull with a small front profile without missing and killing one of the other neighbors or friends or children on the street. Once the dog has gotten hold of you how easy will it be for you to actually be able to aim the weapon as he is taking a chunk out of your arm. Personally, when I walk in my neighborhood, and I have seen some houses where unleashed dogs are present (some are what we would call a pit), I carry a serrated knife, which would serve me better if it came down to a serious problem. Others in other threads have mentioned pepper, wasp spray etal as serious defenses, as well. If you are a shooter and it comes down to that side of this argument, it seems to me there is a good chance that the dog may never get hurt while someone on the street or in the locale is laying there with a gunshot wound.

[hogdaddy]

One dog aint too bad get two of them charging, & I'll drop em both JMO
H/D

[Biggie313]

Be careful. I just heard on the radio this morning, a 7 year old girl was hospitalized who lived 5 minutes from me when she was attacked by 2 pits. They nearly ripped her throat out.

[4my son]

This is a hotly debatable topic, pets to some people are their children. I have experienced both sides of that, Dogs that I treated as my children before having a child of my own.
I grew up with dogs from as early as I can remember. I have also seen both sides of the argument on the good and bad behavior. I had a neighbor back 17 years ago, well before my child was born, they had a Rottweiler, nicest most friendly dog I ever met, I was not afraid of her because I knew her. One day she jumped the fence and came bounding toward me, I was getting nervous because I had never seen her jumping that way. She got to me and put her front paws on my shoulders wanting to play.
Another time I saw a lady pull up to the Burger King on Fort Richardson in Alaska in a pickup truck, I was coming out to get back in to my car as the lady exited her truck, her two young daughters were in the back of the open bed, with two very large Rottweilers chained to the roll bar. Mom told the girls not to get out of the truck. looked like friendly dogs to me, and a pretty darned good security system also. I had to smile as I walked s--l--o--w--l--e--y to me car that was parked next to the truck.

The best dog I ever had was a lab mix, we got him as a puppy, and he grew up with baby chickens and ducks and goats, he never harmed one of them his whole life. But over time he began to change, he chewed the siding on the house, chewed the fender on our car, and then bit my wife on both arms, leaving small puncture wounds on one arm and a 5 inch open wound on the other. I had to put down my best friend, with all that and a 3 year old at the time, it had to be done. I could not trust him enough to try and give him away. I saw this happen once when I was young with a neighborhood dog too. His mind just kind of went when he got older.

I have seen more than one time where breeds that are classified as "aggressive by nature" be some to be the nicest dogs around. and some dogs that are considered "safe and docile" by a lot of people turn aggressive, non of which were rabid by the way, that was confirmed. I don't assume ANY DOG to be freindly until I get to know it personally.

As far as the OP's post, I have to agree with his assessment. My view, for what it's worth, I'd hate to have to kill someones dog, and any chance of avoiding doing so will be tried. When it comes down to it, I will protect my family and myself as best as I have the means to do so (including a warning shot into the ground if the terrain allows it). If I can't discern a dogs true intent, I will have to play it as it appears. If I never have to use my weapon, I'll be happy.

[Bear67]

I love dogs more than most and have used working stock dogs, bird dogs, and hound dogs all my life. BUT I have no use for your Pit Bulls. In this part of Texas we have has 5 children killed and 4 severely injured in the last 12 months. It has become a major issue with cities and counties as to regulating dangerous animals. Some of these jumped fences and broke chains, but one case in Rusk County was a Grandfather's dog killing a 3 year old grandson in the yard.

If you own Pit Bulls, you should be responsible for keeping them on your property, period. If they show up on my land as a threat to my grand children or livestock, I will take care of the problem. I will get off of my soap box now, but I feel strongly about this.

[ZeBool]

If a pit bull, rot, doberman or any other vicious breed of dog charges me, it is getting shot. Period. I would hesitate FAR less to shoot a dog than a human being. I'm not going to jail for the rest of my life if I unjustly kill a dog, therefore I refuse to be bitten by someone's unruly animal while waiting to determine if it wanted to "play". No thanks, I will see you in court where you can explain how fluffy the pitbull was the friendliest animal in the world, and I can explain how cujo came charging at my family.

[carracer]

I would not hesitate to shoot even my own dog to protect another person.

[Old School]

"If a pit bull, rot, doberman or any other vicious breed of dog charges me, it is getting shot. "
Quote from ZeBoll

There is no such breed as a vicious breed, there are however vicious dogs in all breeds.

[21bubba]

It's for this very reason I always carry a cat strapped to my belt. I can draw and tactically deploy the cat giving me enough time to save the children and the damsels in distress.

[Moga]

Given the situation as described by the OP, I could have discharged my firearm. You can't ever tell. I love dogs, have and currently own large breeds including APBT. When I think about the scenario, I hope that the blast and concussion will at least give it pause if I can't draw a bead on the beast. As another thought, I'd make sure that the owner knew the full brunt of my reaction to such a frightening scenario.

I also would dispatch my own pets to save the life of another human being, assuming that they weren't in the commission of a crime against me and mine.

[ZeBool]

"If a pit bull, rot, doberman or any other vicious breed of dog charges me, it is getting shot. "
Quote from ZeBoll

There is no such breed as a vicious breed, there are however vicious dogs in all breeds.

That's funny, I can't seem to recall the last deadly attack on a child by a golden retriever. Do you want me to find some news articles regarding pitbull attacks?