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Had to draw and fire to stop a dog attack a few weeks ago.

15K views 61 replies 44 participants last post by  TexasSlinger 
#1 ·
Happened on a bright Saturday afternoon right around the corner from my home as I was walking my dog on a 15 foot reel type leash. As I turn the corner from my house I see a big Alapaha bull mastiff at the back corner of a home 3 doors down As soon as the big bull saw my dog he crouched and like a cat after a mouse began to circle behind some shrubbery as it was stalking my dog. When he got say 20 or so feet away I began SCREAMING HEY at the thing but it was absolutely fixated on my dog. My mutt was oblivious and never saw him till he bounded out from behind a tree he had circled behind and grabbed my mutt by the rear flipped him then grabbed him by the neck. I was carrying a Taurus .380 loaded with Corebond +P 95 grain JHP in a side holster that looks like a PDF case and drew then fired. I was shooting one handed at about 10 feet or so with my dog on the end of one of the reel leashes and the big bull had him by the neck. The first round I placed about an inch or so directly behind the big bulls left front shoulder but it did it not seem to faze the big bull and only shocked him enough for my dog to break free for a second before the bull hit him again. I then fired a second round straight down about 2 inches below the first round and put the big bull down for good! Put both 2 rounds solidly in the big bull and am still in disbelief that the first round + the sound did almost nothing to stop the attack!! My dog had deep bites on his back legs but survived because I was carrying did not panic and trained well enough that I could place my shots well. I have no doubt that had I not been armed here my dog would have been killed and I would have been badly mauled.
Filed a report and cops were cool as they checked my permit then ran my SN on the TCP.
With my dog on leash bleeding from bite wounds in the the rear and bull Mastiff slobber covering his entire head and neck area + the big Alapaha being unleashed with no collar and down with 2 bullet wounds there was no doubt in the officers minds what had just gone down. After they ran everything they gave me my pistol back said good shooting and sent me on my way.
For reference the dog that attacked looked exactly like the one pictured here.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ala...tterfunk.com%2Fimage-89%2Fbulldog.htm;800;752
 
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#4 ·
Wow, .380 to center mass and he barely noticed. Really makes you think about "stopping power".

Granted, a dog probably doesn't realized that he's been shot and a person probably would, but I can easily envision a 200 pound enraged or determined human could probably finish what they intended to do before becoming disabled.
 
#5 ·
Had the same thing happen to me, my dog was a rottweiler though and the attacker was a lab wolf mix...about ripped my dogs butt out and killed our neighbors dog.

I was 40-50ft away and had my glock 17, shot him with 115gr RN...It was about 15 years ago and i've learned alot on defensive rounds.

I shot and hit this dog 6 times in the shoulder.
 
#6 ·
Congrats on a semi-happy ending. Reminds me of the rules of gunfighting. You got the first one right - Bring a gun. But I might reconsider another important one - Bring enough gun. IMHO, two shots from a .380 acp to stop an aggressing Bull Mastiff isn't something upon which I would take an even-odds gamble. Tell your pup to get well soon.
 
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#16 ·
The owner picked the still moving bull up and left for the vet. She had left him out with her working in the back yard with out a leash which was a SERIOUS mistake with this particular breed!
As soon as the big Alapaha saw my dog it was on and there was no where to go that would have gotten us clear of this one. As soon as the big bull saw my dog he was in full attack mode and coming in. I got my dog under some control and was trying to move away but the big bull was determined. As soon as I saw him I thought never seen that dog before hope he is chained and not aggressive --- found out real quick it was nope on both counts. The big bull was 30 yards out when I first saw him and I was trying to back away without a fight but he had other ideas. Never seen a dog attack like this one never made a sound and used cover to stalk like a cat would. My dog never saw him coming before it hit him but I sure did!
Here is a description of this particular very rare and very aggressive breed of dog.
The Alapaha is a bull breed developed in the American South as a “catch dog” to drive or capture unruly cattle or other animals. Alapahas are alert, outgoing and self-assured. They tend to be aloof toward strangers and don’t welcome unknown dogs.
The not welcoming unknown dogs part was a serious understatement!
This Page shows what we faced that Saturday and I hope I never see another one of these dogs!!!
http://www.vetstreet.com/dogs/alapaha-blue-blood-bulldog
 
#9 ·
I recently read about a guy who shot a pair of pit bulls attacking his horse. He emptied 18 rounds from his Glock into the two dogs before they dropped, coming at him at full bore charge from about 100 yards away where the horse was. I'm not a big .380 fan, but maybe it's time to start considering a .460 Rowland 1911. :)
 
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#10 ·
Well, the .380 did get the job done. Shot placement was the key to it's effectiveness. Two shots to stop the threat-pretty good I'd say. Good shooting. I still carry a 9mm or my .45 1911.
 
#12 ·
We can't assume that a .45 or .357 would have stopped the dog in one shot either.

It's really annoying that we have a caliber debate every chance we get. I'm not a huge fan of .380 but as far as I'm concerned it worked just fine.

No caliber is a magic death ray, and pistols as a whole are not ideal defensive weapons, especially against a massive dog with a taste for blood.
 
#17 ·
Disturbing! I'm glad you're both OK.
 
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#22 ·
wow, glad you are ok and your dog is still alive. good quick reactions on your part. also glad the LEOs were cool about it.

idk why discussions like this always bring up caliber size debates. i dont know how many times you see hunters on TV using high caliber rifles and it doesnt bring the animal down the first shot. even while im hunting i have seen this. shot placement is key. if you hit something where the vital organs are in center mass it will go down. caliber size doesnt always matter, ive watched my great grandfather kill a black bear with a 22lr.
 
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#23 ·
Glad it all worked out.. however, get rid of that stupid reel leash.. walking your dog with a 30ft shoe string is not a good idea. Also, those leashes are known to blow apart and fail when a good sized dog gets a running start and takes off while you have the other end.

I would agree with others, considering the attacker was a determined 200lb dog made of solid muscle, the 380 did just fine. If anything, it teaches us both shot placement above caliber size, and doubletaps dont hurt.
 
#25 ·
The thing about going to a 10mm or .460 Rowland from .380, isn't the diameter of the round, but the energy delivered. You're increasing the spread diameter with a larger round, but you're also getting a LOT more powder behind that round, too. Put those together (with a hollow point) and it does make a difference.
 
#28 ·
A caliber (for self defense purposes against human beings - bad guys) debate should not stem from this incident due to what someone already said. A dog or animal has no idea of the ramifications of being shot. They're not thinking "oh my god I need to get to a hospital before I bleed out and die from this!". They're animals... and when in a hunting mode, they only have one goal. You can say that some humans are "animals" especially when on drugs; but that's a different debate.
 
#31 ·
Good ending from the standpoint of you and your dog coming out to the relative good. You should do some homework and identify the owner of the aggressive dog. Once that ID is made, I'd send them the vet bills and escalate to small claims if necessary.

As for some of the comments about calber of gun, it really gets weary having this constant debate on this forum. Regardless of caliber, the only "one shot stop" that approaches instantaneous is one that disrupts the central nervous system (brain, brain stem or proximal spinal cord). Anything else anatomically, you must wait on the physiologic effect of bleeding out, lung collapse/respiratory failure, etc.---none of which is instantaneous, particularly when the adrenaline is pumping.

Good luck to you and your pup.
 
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#32 ·
Glad all is well, you did what you had to do and came out on top.

I used to carry a 380, I stopped when I had to shoot a pit bull in the head from 5 feet as it was attacking. The bullet a WW STHP glanced off the forehead and the dog just looked at me. I pumped 3 into his chest and that ended it.

People that discount more powerful rounds as more effective are naive. There are too many variables, with bullet construction, shot placement etc. to give any hard and fast answer.
 
#53 ·
I used to carry a 380, I stopped when I had to shoot a pit bull in the head from 5 feet as it was attacking. The bullet a WW STHP glanced off the forehead and the dog just looked at me. I pumped 3 into his chest and that ended it.
Once again this statement shows shot placement and not caliber is what counts. You can shoot a bear charging in the head with 12 gauge slugs or a 300 win mag and get the same glancing of the skull. Shoot a person to high in the forehead and the bullet could glance off the skull but put the shots in the nose or eye area and you will get penatration.
 
#33 ·
This is one reason to always make sure you carry at Dog Parks. Altho I have never seen a fight at one it is easily possible.

A situation like the OP is different in that you are isolated from others and can only assume that if the attack continues it may involve yourself. You are responsible for your own safety.
 
#39 ·
Wow. That dog could have attacked a little kid!

You did good.

I love dogs, but a stray running loose in attack mode cannot be tolerated.
 
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