So I almost drew my handgun the other day

Not against a person, thankfully.

I am walking down the street when suddenly I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I look over and there is a pitbull charging me, he crossed 100ft+/- very quickly I did not have much time to react/strategize. The pitbull slows down in my immediate vicinity and has his eyes locked onto my knee and is barking and snarling at my knee.

I stand there, not sure what to do. Afraid that if I move this piece of (*)(*)(*)(*) dog will either grab my leg or my arm (I am left handed, I draw left handed, and this dog is on my left hand), as far as I am concerned I am at a serious disadvantage. The thought of ventilating this dog with my M&P9C crossed my mind multiple times, but I was unsure as to what would constitute a valid threat. I am eight tenths of the way of deciding to lean that way, and the owner came out. Said some nasty things, and carried on my way.

Had the dog actually attacked me, it would be dead. I despise aggressive dogs. I was delivering food packages to people and had a German Shepard charge me barking, growling, snarling, and hackles up. Thankfully he was on a tether. I would have been reduced to stabbing it with a frikken pocket knife or something equally antiquate.

So I guess I walked away with two things:
1. I have never thought about the issue of aggressive animals.
2. Things can come out of the blue quickly, and reaction is important. If you are left handed, allowing an aggressive party/animal to pin down your left side is foolish.
3. Things can be complicated. When something is a threat or not a threat is not necessarily black or white.

Thoughts? Insight? Personal experience?

 

Did you disclose to the owner that you were carrying? Sitting here, and analyzing after the fact (which is easy), I would not have. Being in the situation, I may not have been able to contain myself. I picture myself saying something like; "Your dog was 1 second away from having some extra holes."

 

A friend of mine made the local news for shooting a pitbull. He owns his own business and while he was talking to a customer his kids were playing. A couple strays ran up and were growling at the kids. He was absolutely positive these dogs didn't have good intentions so when he went to chase them off one charged him. He dropped the first one and the second one ran off.

 

Good thing they were not black Pit Bulls.

 

What kinds of things were the local news stations saying? Please tell me they weren't condemning him.

 

#Blacklivesmatter

They called him a hero for saving those kids. Our community is small and pro gun.

 

Good job assessing the situation. Glad you didn't have to shoot, but I'm more glad you had the capacity to defend yourself if you needed to.

 

That's comforting. He was absolutely in the right in what he did.

 

He's pretty cool headed. He would never draw his weapon if he didn't think it was absolutely necessary and he knew not to collect his brass afterwards because police would need to investigate the scene.

 

I just walked away. There's a few things in this world that (*)(*)(*)(*) me off, aggressive uncontrolled dogs would rank in the top five, so it best I just walk away.

Better to do that than inform the owner I was going to shoot the dog and possibility deal the police afterwards and such.

- - - Updated - - -

Good for him. Especially for the kids sake.

 

The only time I've ever had an animal scare me was one fine day in the Utah desert. It was the first time I went out with an SKS, back when you could get one for $80. I was sneaking through a grove of Juniper trees. Something jumped out of a tree to my right, and brushed my right side pretty hard. It was a Golden Eagle who had been napping. It really bothered me that I was totally disoriented and basically helpless for that second or two while I was startled.
On another day, I was in pursuit of what I thought was a coyote, being oh so sneaky with my .223 varminter. There were fresh tracks. Something (yikes!!) nipped at one of my pant cuffs. Trying hard to remain cool, I slowly looked back there. It was a Pit Bull. This one was a little 4 year old girl, who wanted to play. That's the "worst" encounter I've ever had with a dog.

 

I worry about unleashed dogs attacking my and me while we go on walks. It is totally acceptable to have one hand on a leash, one hand in a pocket, so that is where I keep my right hand when I see other dogs (even those on leashes). Usually it is just a hello, hi how are you, let me smell your butt, but some of the more aggressive dogs, strain and snarl. I keep a wide berth from those ones because while I would win that fight in the end, I don't know how injured I would be and if my dog would even make it in the end.

 

Truthfully, it is dogs that made me get into guns for personal defense in the first place. I like to walk in the woods, but here about's a lot of people just let their dogs run loose and sometimes they form packs. You can get 4 dogs that individually would not hurt a fly but something happens when they group up. The aggression goes up an order of magnitude, and they kill anything they come upon. I wanted to be able to protect my dog and me.

Sorry to say I think most (not all) pitbull owners are irresponsible jerks and I would have no issue blowing ones skull open if need be (the dog, not the owner..............well...probably not......depends...)

Anyway, I have my permit now and an Italian police surplus 9mm 92fs. I practice with it on the range couple times a month and am getting pretty good.

Glad you didn't have to shoot...no good would come of it in any case.

 

Top three most dangerous (death causing) animals in North America:

1) white tail deer - about 175 deaths on the highway annually from collisions
2) bees and wasps - can't remember the number but allergic reactions to stings
3) family dogs - average about 35 deaths a year from direct attacks

People think of grizzly bears and mountain lions......they don't even average 1/ year. Now you can't blame the deer, and the bee's are always defending themselves or a nest when they sting, so you are left with fido (usually a pit) as the most deadly animal (except humans of course) due to unprovoked attack in our hemisphere.

 

Hard to relate because of the multiple-year prison sentences for carrying in public round these parts, but I figure it would have to be a pretty aggressive dog. I'd have a similar test for dogs as I would for humans: if it has initiated force against me (biting my leg, etc), or is imminently about to do so (clearly charging me with the intent to do so), then I'd blow it to hell. Provided running away isn't an option.

As for dogs: I think it's important not to hate on specific breeds too much. There are aggressive shihtzu's and docile pit bulls. It's all down to the individual dog, although there are clearly trends within breeds.

 

Breeds concern me, as if a (*)(*)(*)(*)zu get a hold of my hand I can beat it off. If a pitbull gets a hold of my hand, I am not longer able to play guitar.

 

The very worst are the Shihtzu-Pitbull mixed breeds. Those BullShihtz's are MEAN.

 

Well I doubt you can play guitar as it is, but point well taken

Point was: there are a lot of people (round these parts anyway) who want to outlaw pitbulls and rotties. Don't become one of those people.

Just bring your 1911 with you wherever you go

 

At least then you'd have an EXCUSE for not being able to play guitar. (j/k)

 

Well, I manage property, and for every good large breed I see another example that is aggressive. Pitbulls, chows, and rots are already prohibited, which is a great trade off between making some pet owners happy and ensuing the children around here make it to college without physical disfigurement from someone's aggressive piece of (*)(*)(*)(*) dog.

The guitar comment is reference to damage done, a small dog nipping at your heels is not going to remove digits and tear out tendons. I have tried to free small dogs from large dogs jaws before, they don't let go until they are ready, and they can cause a great deal of damage in a short amount of time.

 

Better than my reaction would have been. I tend to run up to stray animals and try and hug them. Note: not everything in nature that is cute and cuddly looking wants a hug.

 

I fly fish along rivers that are fairly remote from roads and houses, and often walk a couple of river miles to get to good fishing water and away from people. I have carried for over 35 years when in these areas, and have been challenged several times by aggressive dogs way out in the woods. Twice I have dispatched the threat, and both times they were mongrel dogs without any identification. The other times it was always multiple dogs (packs?) with one or more wearing collars. A warning shot always seemed to scare them off. I have owned labs for as long as I remember, and didn't take likely to putting these animals down, knowing that they may have been someone's pet. But at the end of the day, when you have a dog coming at you growling and with teeth barred for no apparent reason, they left me little choice but to protect myself. (FWIW, I can't climb a tree, so I'm stuck on the ground)

I shared this with the local game protector for our county, and he advised to do what I need to do to protect myself. Pet dogs are to be confined to their yards by some form of restraint, and it's the owner's responsibility to make sure they don't escape. If they do and they threaten people's lives, they are within their rights to protect themselves by any means. It's still not something that's easy to do.

 

Here, we have a lot of varmints that carry rabies. Both skunks and possum are running rabies at an all time high in southern Indiana. I have dogs. I shoot the varmints to keep my dogs off of them. Raccoons are another irritant. They are very hard on gardens. We also have a lot of coyote down here. They are fond of chained dogs.
Caution: Never shoot an agitated skunk. Shoot them from behind and by surprise. They don't have time to let their scent loose.

 

How big was this dog?? No really - is this not a little exaggerated?


Now it did not actually attack you or even come close so why the concern?

 

Like most Aussies I have no problem with dealing with Ferals. We have enough problems with them as it is, I have no issue even with cat hunts and shooting wild dogs/camels/horses/caseloads/pigs or any other feral

But to advocate that the occasional snarling dog is reason to be armed is just silly