almost had to use my gun today

[kingofwylietx]

I've prepared myself to shoot a dog twice, I've actually shot a dog zero times.

The first time, I was walking my dog at night and a huge something (looked like a rotty on steroids) came running up. I grasped my pistol, ready to draw and fire (a round was already chambered) and waited to see how it would shake out. The 4-legged giant ran up to us and just sniffed my dog, all the while, I stayed in a position to shoot within a second. The owner came running up, apologized, and they went away.

The second time, I arrived home with my 2 year old to find a pit bull in the neighbors front yard. I sat in the truck a few minutes to see if he would go away, he didn't and I wasn't going to sit in my truck very long, so I got out. He kept a close eye on us and even barked as I exited the vehicle. I moved my pistol to a non-discreet [but faster to access] spot and got my daughter out of her car seat. I had already opened the garage door, so I just told her to go inside. I stayed at the edge of my driveway, between her and the dog, until she was clear in the garage and almost in the house. I kept my hand on the grip, I had already decided my actions if he came to the property line. I was not going to take any chance of him even getting close to her.

Both situations ended fine, no dogs were hurt, and I didn't have to anything more than to be at the edge of pulling the pistol.

 

[Shorts]

I've prepared myself to shoot a racoon twice, I've actually shot a racoon zero times. ...(clip)

Both situations ended fine, no racoons were hurt, and I didn't have to anything more than to be at the edge of pulling the pistol.

Fixed it for ya

 

[Big country]

I would like to say that there is not a breed specific "mean dog" Dalmatians and labs bite more people a year than pit bulls. Pit bulls are actually very playful good natured dogs, they do need supervision around children but all around there good dogs. I have seen labs that attack unprovoked just as many times as I've seen a pit bull attack unprovoked 0. I'm not saying that pit bulls are a big dumb clumsy breed but that they are dogs and most of the time when they are running up to you unless they are growling and barking they are not "attacking" they are just playing. I would be weary of any stray dog especially if I had children with me but to take it down to a specific breed is kinda like racism.

 

[kingofwylietx]

Fixed it for ya

Coons are dangerous animals. Don't you remember how he stood up and and avoided the flying lead just like from the Matrix? It was a ninja-coon..........oh, wait, there wasn't any lead flying.......

 

[Jason]

Gotta watch out for those killer chiauauauauauas too...

 

[Shorts]

Coons are dangerous animals. Don't you remember how he stood up and and avoided the flying lead just like from the Matrix? It was a ninja-coon..........oh, wait, there wasn't any lead flying.......

 

[kingofwylietx]

Gotta watch out for those killer chiauauauauauas too...

Okay, you just listed the only dog that has actually bitten me. I was in Channelview, outside of Houston. When I was young, I delivered phone books door to door (lets just say that if you live within an hour of Houston, I've walked through your yard). I have come across every breed of dog, most are big barkers and that's it. The only bite I ever got was when placing a phone book down next to a fence [and a chichi), the little thing grabbed hold of my index finger. I basically had to shake him off, then I went about delivering more books.

 

[Wolfwood]

Coons are dangerous animals. Don't you remember how he stood up and and avoided the flying lead just like from the Matrix? It was a ninja-coon..........oh, wait, there wasn't any lead flying.......

(Mr. Reeves voice.)
"i know coon-fu....wooaa"

 

[newshooter1970]

...especially if I had children with me but to take it down to a specific breed is kinda like racism.

Not trying to be argumentative, but its not racism as much as profiling. Certain breeds of dogs have become fashionable and therefore over-bred (read in-bred by morons to make more money faster). The in-breeding can result in a higher percentage of these animals have wiring problems that cause behavior problems like eating children unexpectedly. Add to the mix the fact that pits and rottweilers are bred by some morons for the purpose of fighting, which adds a higher level of aggression to the bloodlines. Since you cannot get the breeding papers to help assess the threat from the dog that is running at you, all you can do is determine how badass the dog is (size, aggression level, size and strength of jawline, etc). Assume that any pit, bulldog, or rot will lock onto your body and not let go until its dead...that is what they do when they are serious. I have personally never been threatened by a golden retriever-mutt type dog or heard of such an incident, but have been chased up fences by rotts who have escaped their fences or chains.

By the way, they are not called dogs anymore, they are canine-Americans :-)

 

[TexasRedneck]

Let's stop being PC, eh? It's a dog that is a stranger to you and advancing on you - therefore, it's a potential threat. End of story.

Any questions?

 

[Big country]

.......... I would be weary of any stray dog especially if I had children with me but to take it down to a specific breed is kinda like racism.

This is the beginning of my sentence for reference. Taking the part before the bold letters off kinda changes the way I come across don't it.

Not trying to be argumentative, but its not racism as much as profiling. Certain breeds of dogs have become fashionable and therefore over-bred (read in-bred by morons to make more money faster). The in-breeding can result in a higher percentage of these animals have wiring problems that cause behavior problems like eating children unexpectedly. Add to the mix the fact that pits and rottweilers are bred by some morons for the purpose of fighting, which adds a higher level of aggression to the bloodlines. Since you cannot get the breeding papers to help assess the threat from the dog that is running at you, all you can do is determine how badass the dog is (size, aggression level, size and strength of jawline, etc). Assume that any pit, bulldog, or rot will lock onto your body and not let go until its dead...that is what they do when they are serious. I have personally never been threatened by a golden retriever-mutt type dog or heard of such an incident, but have been chased up fences by rotts who have escaped their fences or chains.

By the way, they are not called dogs anymore, they are canine-Americans :-)

It kinda is. Are black people meaner than white people? Or are Hispanic people meaner than the other two? See my point? A strange dog is a dog is a dog man. different breeds don't make a dog any meaner than the rest. They may be better equipped physically to do something about it but that doesn't make them any meaner than the body builder at Wally world helping some old lady to her car and having a cry after watching the special features of Steel Magnolias. I agree there are some mean pits and rotts out there, but they aint the only breed of dogs that are mean. And as I said before no matter the breed I do not trust any dog that is wondering around the streets they all bite with pretty similar effects.

Let's stop being PC, eh? It's a dog that is a stranger to you and advancing on you - therefore, it's a potential threat. End of story.

Any questions?

That's my point.

 

[txinvestigator]

I suspect that those who own Pits will always come to their defense. It is NOTHING like racism, and the attempt to make that a valid comparison is pathetic.

Pits have a bad reputation because they deserve them. All of the rhetoric in the world will not change that.

If you own a pit you have a responsibility to control it.

 

[thorkyl]

My neighbor breeds pits as show dogs, and let me tell you they are the sweetest dogs I have seen other than my own of course. But they do have a bad rap and I dont trust them myself.

Now, I would not hesitate, nor have I hesitated to give a dog a pill.
Those who ride horses know the feeling of having a pack of dogs (wild or otherwise) coming after your mount. You don't think twice, you just start giving them the medicine they need.

As to the OP's OQ, yes keep one in the pipe if your sidearm is designed to carry that way.

 

[Big country]

I suspect that those who own Pits will always come to their defense. It is NOTHING like racism, and the attempt to make that a valid comparison is pathetic.

I do not own a pit. I did at one time. And yes she was a sweet dog. But I would not go as far as calling me "pathetic" for saying that there are other breeds of dogs that bite people and don't get reported because it's not as big a deal as the 'evil pitbull that attacked and consumed a family today' head line. I suspect that anyone who owns a German Shepard would always come to their defense as well.

Pits have a bad reputation because they deserve them. All of the rhetoric in the world will not change that.

Do labs or German shepherds deserve a bad rap because a few of them bit people? How many of the military or police dogs are pit bulls? I have seen bullmastiffs and German Shepard's no pits. Should we call them an aggressive breed because of there reputation in the military and police fields? You see pit bulls are actually a very friendly breed of dog, I've seen more mean dalmatians than I have seen mean pit bulls.

If you own a pit you have a responsibility to control it.

I agree. But if you own any dog you have a responsibility to control it. How does this differ from breed to breed?

 

[kingofwylietx]

There are certain breeds that DO have the ability to do more harm than others. Some breeds, due to certain physical characteristics, have an inherent ability to maim or kill you. It is all part of the equation. Fact is, I was not intimidated by the chihuahua because I knew he had a very limited ability to harm me. A full size healthy pit has much more potential to cause harm than a much smaller dog. There are other breeds with the same abilities, but people know which dogs can harm them more. If you want an analogy, I would never pull a gun on an out of control [and mad as heck] 3 year old kid. I would however, pull one on a huge body builder that was in a steroid/drug craze if he came running at me. Why? Because he can do much more damage or potentially kill me. It's the same with dogs, some just can't do that much damage.

People focus on large breeds, especially when they are a breed that is used for fighting. Is that profiling, yes. Profiling works, it just isn't politically correct.....but it does work.

 

[txinvestigator]

I do not own a pit. I did at one time. And yes she was a sweet dog. But I would not go as far as calling me "pathetic"

Please......I know your posts to well here to call you pathetic. The argument that profiling pits is like racism is pathetic.

for saying that there are other breeds of dogs that bite people and don't get reported because it's not as big a deal as the 'evil pitbull that attacked and consumed a family today' head line.

You cannot prive a negtive, but if fluffy the poodle mauled a 3 year old to death you can bet it would be on the news.

I suspect that anyone who owns a German Shepard would always come to their defense as well.

I DO own a GSD, and if you own one you better give it exercise, a job and training.

Mine bit my mother-in-law.

Do labs or German shepherds deserve a bad rap because a few of them bit people? How many of the military or police dogs are pit bulls? I have seen bullmastiffs and German Shepard's no pits.

Know why there are not pits? They are too difficult to control. Thanks for making that point.

You see pit bulls are actually a very friendly breed of dog, I've seen more mean dalmatians than I have seen mean pit bulls.

You are either being disingenious or you are just not paying attention.

 

[Texas42]

I'm just going to say.

Dogs' life value <<<<Human's life.

You can breed all kinds of traints into a dog, even fighting and aggression. Too much evidence to argue. Same reason that I think it is stupid for those people to have lions and tigers as pets.

This is going to sound callous, but I'm ok with dead dogs.

 

[Big country]

Okay I tried to quote all that but it's to mutch to sift threw. LOL!
The point I'm trying to make is that pit bulls are indeed better equipped to do harm yes but that doesn't mean that they will bite you.
Okay an example: The little dog that my wife and I just had to put down a wile ago showed up at my mothers house with 2 pits. One of the pits (the big black one) Came running out of the bushes straight at me. I will admit openly that I told my wife that if the dog grabbed me to call 911 and stay inside. But she started waging her tail about the time I would have moved my finger from the frame to the trigger and squeezed. So that dog may have been shot without cause in my mind. The little dog fallowed in the younger pit that fallowed in the big black one. So is it wrong to use the race analogy maybe but I think it's the same general principal. I know pit bulls bite people but all I'm saying is that so do labs and dalmatians and GSDs and every other dog breed on the planet. I'm not saying that there are no mean pits out there I have seen them to. But there are mean everything out there that I have seen, and in my mind one dog pissed off at me is no less dangerous than another (baring tea cup chee chee dogs and poodles and what not.)
And yes King I understand why you didn't shoot the little Chee Chee dog. LOL

 

[APatriot]

"Almost had to use my gun"???

well yesterday saturday about 300 p.m. i was leaveing for work i was locking my door. had my back to the street turn around to walk down the sidewalk to my car look up across the street and see a pitbull running full speed at me it happen so fast he was in the middle of the street and i just started to move my arm to grab my gun and he was already in my yard by the time i pulled it out i had no time to chamber a round so i was going to have hit him move load a round and do what i would have to do.thank god he was just a young very big dog and just wanted to play i never seen this dumb dog before

most of the time i would just yell but seeing that poor lady that was attack by that chimp i was not going to take a chance .

so i have a question should i carry one in the chamber from now on what would you guys do ?

First of all, without one in the chamber, the weapon is useless IMO.

Second, "almost"...should never exist. The "cardinal rule" - if you decide to "clear leather" then you shoot. If one has a doubt as to shooting, leave it in the holster. As a private citizen, do not "clear leather" to warn, threaten, or coerce! If you "clear" you shoot.

 

[Texas42]

. . .

Second, "almost"...should never exist. The "cardinal rule" - if you decide to "clear leather" then you shoot. If one has a doubt as to shooting, leave it in the holster. As a private citizen, do not "clear leather" to warn, threaten, or coerce! If you "clear" you shoot.

I disagree. I think that there are situations where you would want to draw your gun, and there are situations where you should shoot. They aren't always the same.

I think for example, if a big, honking dog was running at you in a way that might be agressive, I think drawing would be appropriate in many settings. Seems like it would be a little too late to draw after you know a dog is going to be agressive.