[.45FMJoe]

OK, first to start off, my heart is going at about 100000 beat sper second. If my typing is sporadic its because I'm still calming down.

OK, I was just out for my nightly hour long run (I need to make a little room in my pants waist for an NRM Colt 1991.) Now, I had my headphones on and was listening to "Locomotive Breath" by Jethro Tull and I was running my usual route through the neighborhood. As I'm tooling along all the sudden I hear a dark barking and growling so ferociously I almost tripped over myself. I then turned my head to the left in time to see a big, black dog running full steam towards me snarling and growling up a storm. I, without even thinking, started to slowly step back as he had slowed down himself about 25 feet away from me. I thought if I slowly backed away, he would leave me be. Wrong. He kept following me, growling and snarling as loud as ever. I turned and saw a blue plastic recycling tub at the foot of someone's driveway. I immediately ran for it, picked it up and turned towards the dog. I had to weapon, I figured I could improvise. Then, I thought...I've got a decent lead on him ... he hasn't moved much. I dropped the recycling tub and ran just as fast as God would allow me. I have never run so hard or fast in my life. I was already hurting and had slowed down as I was nearing the end of my walk. I ran so, so fast with my head up, back straight and arms swaying as to grab the air and pull me along faster. I looked back to see the dog following me. He must have chased me for a good 100 yards and then he backed down, seemingly uninterested in killing or harming me anymore. I continued to run just as fast as I can for about 1/4 mile back to my house and just got off the phone with 911 before I started typing this.

Now, big deal you might say. Dog chased you, wow. NO, please listen. I am a CWL holder in FL and carry daily. I either carry my Kel-tec P-3AT or Colt Gov't .380 on my person and have a Taurus PT-940 in my car. I would carry a fullsize .45 but I don't have the room in my pants to spare. Now, the point to my thread is I will never go running without my Kel-tec again. I will never run back in the neighbor hood this dog was in, but I will keep running. What I realized tonight was how quickly he bore down on me and how helpless I was. If I was carrying my Colt, it would have been round chambered, hammer down safety off. I will always carry it C&L now. I believe I will send my P-3AT back to KEl-tec for a fluff and buff so it feeds HPs reliably and carry it with me while running.

Now, the police officer that was dispatched just knocked on my door. He said he didn't see the dog but would go back out and look after I explained just what had happened. I also told him I think I should carry some pepper spray or something with me. He looked at me and said "I run with a gun." I thought about it, and said "I have a concealed weapons permit and a kel-tec .380. I'm going to run with a gun too."

The point to this is not about running and dogs it IS about carrying safely but in a manner that would allow you to react to a threat instantly. I might have been able to cock the hammer of my Colt, but with my mind racing, adrenaline pumping and my mind going HOLY SH$%, I don't think so. All of you who carry without one in the hole and say I'll just practice unholstering and chambering...those precious seconds could mean being attacked by a rabid animal, a human with a knife or being shot. Now, that was about the ultimate test of my situational awareness, reaction time, action under stress and problem solving. I couldn't see the dog as he was all black, the street lights were uber dim and he was behind bushes. However, as soon as I heard him, I reacted and I believe I reacted in a manner that saved me from at very leasst being mauled. I don't know what his intentions were, but they did not look friendly by any means. To be honest, I wasn't even scared until after the fact. My mind took over and I ran for cover and looked for a weapon. In this case a rubbermaid recycling bin. I'm sorry if I seem high and mighty but I'm very proud of the way I handled myself under pressure. Please think, people...This may or may not have been a life threatening event. At any rate, a dog bite by a stray would still lead to hospitalization. Please don't any of you fall because you think you can practice racking a slide in .00000000001 seconds. In this case the dog was already charging me before I saw him. Think about this. For all my 1911 bretheren, keep it cocked and locked. For all my DA/SA people, keep it hot. Most of all, be safe.

P.S. The Garand, M4, 590, 1911-A1, Gov't .380, Kel-tec, and all of my other guns did me absolutely ZERO good being locked up at home.

And now animal services is coming to pick me up so I can show them where it was becasue the cop called it off saying he couldn't find the dog and I was unco-operative. details at 11.

[Preacherman]

Thanks for posting this. Valuable lessons learned!

[Carbonator]

Wow, glad you're ok. I think you did everything right, with or without the gun.

Interesting though - if you were packing, would you have acted differently, like not have tried as hard to avoid firing? Though the dog was not a human, would you still have used every chance of escape from the threat to avoid using your gun, even though it was "just a dog"?

[Tim Wilson]

Glad you're ok.

However:If I was carrying my Colt, it would have been round chambered, hammer down safety off.

It actually would be safer to be cocked with the saftey off, at least that way you've got the grip saftey in play and you don't have the hammer against the firing pin against the primer.

[Oleg Volk]

Jogging with guns has some interesting issues:

1. Get a good holster or use a very light gun. Otherwise, off-center weight will hurt your back. I used to jog with a Kel-tec P32, then a Kahr P9. Better holsters (http://www.jsholsters.com/kydex.asp) allow comfortable jogging with a Glock 17 or 23.

2. When your heart rate is up, when you are tired, you may find it hard to aim steadily or even stand steadily. A baton may be a better tool in some cases. However, if you practice shooting after excercise, you will know how to compensate for the fatigue and high heart rate.

3. Use a holster which retains well...else you might lose the gun.

4. Remain aware of your surroundings. A running person is less stable than a walking one. Ending up in a contact fight won't go well.

[.45FMJoe]

Idiot! It actually would be safer to be cocked with the saftey off, at least that way you've got the grip saftey in play and you don't have the hammer against the firing pin against the primer.

No, silly. No griup safety. I would have been carrying my Gov't .380 not my WWII repro. This is why I'm running everyday to lose some weight so I can buy an NRM 1991 and carry it everyday IWB.

[.45FMJoe]

Wow, glad you're ok. I think you did everything right, with or without the gun.

Interesting though - if you were packing, would you have acted differently, like not have tried as hard to avoid firing? Though the dog was not a human, would you still have used every chance of escape from the threat to avoid using your gun, even though it was "just a dog"?

I would like to say no. I would have drawn, but not fired unless I absolutely had to. Remember with our stupid liberal laws, you are put through the ringer regaurdless. I would have still backed away and attempted to run. God was on my side tonight. However, if I WAS packing and I could NOT outrun him...let's just say I'd be a couple $ richer after dropping his deceased canine a$$ off at the local Vietnamese restaurant.

[.45FMJoe]

So, now for the update.

Animal control called me and said that the police officer cancelled the call because I was "un-cooperative". She handed me her pager so I could see the message myself. Funny, said I, I told him everything and he was the one who was in a great hurry to leave. Lazy S.O.B.

So I hopped in my truck and they followed me to the house. She said that there is a dog who lives directly across from where he jumped out at me that bit a girl rollerblading last year. I described the dog as best I could and she said she would be back tomorrow to talk to both homeonwners. If the it turns out to be the same dog that bit the girl, she will ask me to identify it and then write the owner a citation. I will very politely explain to the owner that his gross negligence could very well have cost him his dog had I been carrying. I do believe in that situation I would have been justified in shooting. Even the animal control officer told me to carry an "object" while running because I have every right to defend myself.

So, we shall see what becomes of this tomorrow. I'm just happy I'm not in Tampa General Hospital getting a tetnis shot in the stomach and some bandages, ya know?

[Topgun]

EVERY time I walk OR my wife walks OR we walk together, we take our "stick." It's a stout cherry shillelagh and very handy. I have CCW but have no desire to try to shoot a dog in a populated area. I would DO it but prefer to use the stick. All you have to do is RAISE it and every growly mutt I have met decides there are better legs to hump elsewhere.

I also believe I have read where one should "stand ground" in the face of a dog attack and not try backing or running. Standing ground with a stout stick says bye bye to Bowser.

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

Glad you are OK. Were the Nikes on fire?:banghead:

You did good, and got a great workout.

I have outrun a few dogs, because they are usually territorial. Wild/feral dogs, on the other hand, are not.

[Ky Larry]

I killed a pit bull several years ago with a 12 gauge pump with #OO buckshot. The dog had already bit neighbor a few minutes earlier and was running loose in the neighborhood. The dog was between me and my 4 year old neice so I grabbed my shotgun and ran at the dog yelling at the top of my lungs. The dog came growling and running at me. At about 15 yards I dropped to my knees and fired. On shot was all it took. If you have to fire at an animal coming directly at you, drop to your knees or you may overshoot. Hope you don't ever have to.

[Porter Rockwell]

LMAO!!
Postal workers in every city manage to avoid the use of firearms with a simple thing called pepper spray!

[.45FMJoe]

LMAO!!
Postal workers in every city manage to avoid the use of firearms with a simple thing called pepper spray!

Couldn't resist being a male sex organ, huh? I don't care if it was only a dog. It was a nasty mofro. Personally, I don't want to get close enough to be able to use pepper spray.

Besides, I already made the point that the post was more about HOW you carry. How quickly situations appear.

[DJ E.]

Hmmm...glad you're okay! I wouldn't want to be in a hospital either getting a bunch of shots and/or stitches.

Ky-Good advice on dropping to the knees, I've never even thought about that...

DJ

[George Hill]

I think I'd go "running" with a T-bone hanging around my neck and a .44 Magnum under my shirt.

[.45FMJoe]

Yes, indeed KY....Thanks for the advice. You never know, it might come in handy.

and George...that was like the funniest thing I've read today. lol

[sgt127]

"I will never run back in the neighbor hood this dog was in, but I will keep running."


I would run back in that neighborhood.

[BluesBear]

Tim Wilson, first let me say "Welcome to THR"

Second thing, we don't call each other idiots around here.

Third, Colt uses an inertia firing pin. That means when the hammer is down, even though the firing pin is pressing against the hammer it is NOT, repeat NOT touching the primer.

Older or non-series 80 or 90 Colts are safe to carry in condition two (hammer down on loaded chamber) UNLESS you drop them on the muzzle. A muzzle drop with the hammer cock is usually no problem unless you have a weak FP spring. A muzzle drop with the hammer down will make it go boom.

Of course a Series 80 or 90 can be safely carried condition two since the firing pin is blocked from forward movement unless the trigger is pulled.


Once again, Welcome aboard. (Pun intended)

[.45FMJoe]

oh and thanks DJE for the nice words :)

[BluesBear]

45FMJoe, glad you're OK.

Dog bites are NOT fun. Glad you were aware.
Thundering Madness kinda sums it all up huh?
:D LB is my fav Tull tune.


Porter Rockwell,

Well it's obvious that you have never used OC against an angry St Bernard.

I have, didn't work, wanna see the scar?

Ever see anyone OC a Pit Bull?

I have, didn't work, took THREE .41mag 175 gr full wadcutters to stop it.

The woman with her 5 year old daughter, who were walking their poodle now knows OC ain't the be all end all it was advertised to be.

And if Postal Workers think OC is all that great why do they shoot each other with 9mm? :neener:

[.45FMJoe]

So I've been searching for pics of dogs that resemble it. I'm thinking it might have been a mutt with perhaps some pitbull.

All black, white tuft of hair on the chest. Very stout, and stood firm. Very long black tail that curved at the end. I'd guess no more than 40 pounds max. It's face reminded me of my cousin's pitbull, though. Also had white around it's mouth. All I know is I wanted nothing to do with it. Thankfully I was able to get away safely and I learned a valuable lesson.


And Blues, thanks for the words, brother.

Yeah, I still get funny looks at stoglights....Imagine me - a 22 year old male, white, short black hair spiked in the front, glasses, always wearing a Yankees hat. Driving my zx3 focus with both windows down, the sunroof open blaring such classics as "Hotel California," "Bad Company," "Stairway to Heaven," "Locomotive Breath" you get the idea. It's humurous to say the least.

[BluesBear]

What's that old saying?

Good taste is always in Fashion.

Except for a Yankees hat, that is. :neener:

[rayjay]

I KNOW what he went thru. I was walking around a neighborhood where I used to live and got jumped by a pitbull. The pitbulls owner was standing on the front porch watching me walk along on the side walk. The dog was raising hell barking at me so I guess the owner thought it would be funny to unleash the dog and watch him chase down the street. I seen the dog coming across the lawn at me. So reflex kicks in and I take off running. I managed to get to a garbage can and use it like a sheild. It worked for a few seconds. As I was playing ring-around-the-rosy with the pitbull I noticed the owner and a few friends were now standing in the front yard pointing and laughing at me. I yelled for the owner to call off his dog 3 times but no dice. I guess he was laughing to hard. I desided to use lethal force. I managed to smack the dog over the head with the garbage can and send him back a few steps. I reached into my fanny pack removed my S&W 5906 9mm and pointed it at the dog. Now training kicks in and I'm now ordering the dog to get on the ground, yes I realized this fact 2/10th of a second after I ordered the dog to the ground. The pitbull starts to come at me and I fire two rnds. One round hits in the middle of his back and the other round hits under his nose and thru bottom jaw. Dog goes down and starts yelping. I get on my cell phone call 911 tell them what happened. When the police show up the pitbulls owner said it wasn't his dog and tried denying the whole thing. Two other neighors comfirmed my story and the owner was arrested for assault. If I didn't have a weapon with me I believe the dog would have tore me a new one. I'm glad there was only one dog, if there were 2 or more I would have really been in trouble. If you are out running, jogging or walking, take your weapon because you never know. It's better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.

[BluesBear]

Dang Rayjay too bad you didn't have some pepper spray.

Good thing you had Smith, Wesson and a few witnesses.

[Lennyjoe]

Think after that I would run with a sidearm too.

[Hal]

I'd guess no more than 40 pounds max. LOL! 40? One of our dogs weighs a hair over that herself.



I call her "Peanut" :D

[OEF_VET]

rayjay, you're obviously a better man than I. After shooting the dog, I'd have been real tempted to shoot the owner. I bet he didn't think it was too funny when his dog got killed for his stupidity. Jacka$$!

Frank

[MJRW]

Whoops, bet Tim wishes he had shut up. Better luck next time, Timbo.

Joe, have you considered carrying in a hip pack? The bounce of the pack might not be very fun, but at least you could locate it some place comfortable.

P.S. You wouldn't catch me shooting at a dog with a .380. Dogs are tough mfers. However, you would catch me pepper spraying him like a bad waiter and a salad.

[.45FMJoe]

LOL! 40? One of our dogs weighs a hair over that herself.



I call her "Peanut"

You are right, but I tell you what...at the time, that was the biggest dang Great Dane I'd ever seen. :P Akin to people having .22s stuffed in their face and they thinking they are staring down a sewer pipe.

[jwmoore]

Posted by rayjay:
Now training kicks in and I'm now ordering the dog to get on the ground, yes I realized this fact 2/10th of a second after I ordered the dog to the ground.


LMAO! Thanks!

~W

[roscoe]

Joe, I carry my P32 in my running shorts all the time. Mine has the belt clip and I just make sure the drawstring on my shorts is tied firmly - no problem for any distance. If you wear Underarmour, it wouldn't even bounce a bit when running. Your P3AT would be great in this mode.

Tim Wilson, you need to be housebroken to play on this forum. And, make sure you know what you are talking about - you will be called out.

[Kestrel]

George H. - hahaha - maybe tie the T-bone on a string around your waist, dragging the ground to leave a scent trail...

Blues Bear - funny about the postal workers with 9mm...

By the way. About carrying a stick. Have you ever seen a stick used against a pit bull? Might as well be a cardboard tube. I would also want to carry something stronger than a .380. I don't know if a .380 would drop a pit bull. Something like a J-frame with +P 158gr SWCHPs or bigger (Glock 36?). And a lot of times, against a pit bull, it takes practically a contact head-shot to stop one. They are a whole 'nother class of dog.

Steve

[Boondock Saint]

Its a sad thing when an owner treats a dog so poorly that it becomes so vicous and then makes you have to kill it defending your own life...

[spacemanspiff]

i've used pepper spray several times on dogs that are loose and behaving aggressively. its not a cureall, but it might give you a few extra seconds to get away.
the one pit i sprayed sneezed it off and came back for seconds.
that was before i carried, now its going to be several rounds of 45acp.
never thought about dropping to a knee, sounds like a good idea. hope i can remember that when i have a growling demondog bearing down on me.
:D

[Dorrin79]

Glad you're ok, 45FMJoe

All this talk is giving me lots of reasons to never start jogging

:D

and yes, I'd find a way to start carrying after that too.

Forget pepper spray. It may be useful for those who have to subdue suspects, but I would never trust my life to it.

[DJ E.]

Heh, I had a dream about a dog chasing me last night, and it got me thinking: I couldn't outrun a dog 25yds away from me for more than maybe 4-6 secs. Not that I'm super slow, it's just that my dog will chase me down in no time. This means I'd have to turn and fight or look for cover...I'd probably look for a minivan or something I could hop onto.

Bleh...I need to get back in shape.

[lee n. field]

Now, I had my headphones on and was listening to "Locomotive Breath" by Jethro Tull and I was running my usual route through the neighborhood. As I'm tooling along all the sudden I hear a dark barking and growling so ferociously I almost tripped over myself.

Could I suggest that you wouldn't have been caught flatfooted if you didn't have the headphones on.

And maybe tossing a doggie treat his way might slow him down.

[TallPine]

This is one reason that we finally gave up and just moved out in the country.

Stray dogs running around town despite the leash law, attacking our kids and our own pets. And the sheriffs won't do anything about it except warn me not to shoot dogs in town. :fire:

Out here I would just shoot any aggressive dogs on our property. (7.62x39 tranquilizer dart)

But all my neighbors are the same way, so we basically don't have dogs running wild out here (just coyotes and cougars :) )

Amazing how we can take care of ourselves better than the "authorities" can.

[Carlos Cabeza]

45FMJoe, you're lucky ! I have seen first hand what a dog can do to a person. A coworker's son had been bitten in the stomach and on the thigh so badly we thought he would bleed out. His mother rushed him to the emergency room and his dad and I walked over to the neighbors house. ( He lives in a semi-rural area so it was quite the walk ) I didn't notice at first but "wildman" (the coworker) had grabbed his .44mag. and was holding it at his side. When we got there the homeowner said "the dog has been here all day". BS !!! So wildman says "go get him........NOW!" and yes there is blood all over the dog's muzzle and chest area. The dog's owner freaked out and started apologizing and in an instant wildman blows the dog's brains all over the front porch, then quietly turns and walks away. I thought for sure the sheriff would be there pronto but I guess the dog's owner understood the legal ramifications of the incident. Wildman's son still has some disfigureing scars but is otherwise OK.

P.S. The dog was a large PitBull

[pmbiker]

I run with a weapon too, couldn't imagine carrying it on my person. His name is chewbaka, a 95 pound white German Shepherd. We faced a very similar situation several months ago. Needless to say the outcome was not good for the attacker. It was a black mutt, like the one described in the story but maybe 60+lbs. My canine weapon performed admirably but unfortunately killed the other dog. The law was called by the owner but they explained to him that he was at fault and if he wished to pursue the incident further HE would be facing charges. My friend defended my safety and I thank him daily for that.(sorry to get sappy, but it meant a lot to me)

[MPFreeman]

Running, walking, crawling, skipping, mowing grass, whatever. I don't leave my Sacred Lair without a full-size 1911 cocked and locked IWB'd at 3:30 position.

Why would you not run without your gun?

I have a young bride and we have young children. Dogs are a very real threat. And my young'ns are a very soft and slow target. Mom & Dad both will be ready.

[spacemanspiff]

Why would you not run without your gun?
maybe it prints too much under the spandex? :neener:

[StuporDave]

All black, white tuft of hair on the chest. Very stout, and stood firm. Very long black tail that curved at the end. I'd guess no more than 40 pounds max. It's face reminded me of my cousin's pitbull, though. Also had white around it's mouth. All I know is I wanted nothing to do with it. Thankfully I was able to get away safely and I learned a valuable lesson.

Dog might have been bigger than you think. Or maybe I'm just no good at guessing a dog's weight.
I would have bet you that my dog weighed about 50lbs untill I took him to the vet recently. They put him on the scale and he actually weighs 85lbs!

Dave

[Standing Wolf]

I will always carry it C&L now.

Lesson learned, I'd say.

[N3rday]

Yeah, I'da put a slug in that dog, I'm not gonna take the effort to beat it with a recyclin bin.

good idea, tho! Eat plastic you b@st@rd dog, and i DON'T mean a glock!

[.45FMJoe]

So tonight I went running with my Gov't .380. Indeed it was cocked & locked. Luckily Cujo was nowhere to be seen. I was never too comfortable carrying my .380 C&L because of the lack of grip safety. But it is a series 80, so I'm safe. If anything, yesterday also made me more comfortable with my mini 1911 (I have always been comfortable carrying a full size Gov't C&L).

[Covey Rise]

I was once in that situation, cept I was riding a bike, and the dog wanted a piece of me, so I got off and kicked him as hard as I could in the neck, he never bothered anyone again. Don't run from dogs, just stand ur gound then if they approach you, take one step foreward then 2 back, if they charge lay em out with your foot, if they jump for you grab them by the neck with your hands and pin them down and make them submit, once they submit let them up and kick hard and walk off. That normally does it.

[Remander]

I have owned and loved many dogs, but any dog we ever owned who showed the slightest tendency to bite folks without provocation was reprimanded severely. Never had one bite a person.

Many dogs owned by irresponsible owners have chased me on bicylce rides. One biking buddy popped a dog with a pepper spray, and it went down like it was shot. Other dogs have run in front of my friends' bikes and caused crashes. One dog got hit by a car and smashed dead while chasing us. Just desserts, you might say.

Through all these cycling incidents, I have avoided the dogs by either confrontation (yelling) or flight, as I though would best serve my interests in the situation. No harm, no foul. But I have always said that if one of them ever bites me, he had better kill or disable me, or he will be dead before sundown. And I mean it.

That's just my personal philosophy, and I'll let the chips fall where they may.

[CB900F]

Fella's;

I'm afraid I can't agree - I hate to run. Therefore, I carry when I bicycle.
Darn near shot the last Subaru that attacked me too. Well, let's say I did think about it.

900F

[Alan Fud]

Depending on the size of the dog, a .380ACP may not do the job right away unless you hit him multiple times. Of course, a gun in ANY caliber is better than no gun at all.

Having lived in Florida, I need to second the Pepper Spray option since it is legal down there. Remember, why you see as a danger of death or serious bodily injury may not be seen that way by a judge & jury.

My in-laws next door neighbor was arrested on some charge (I think it may have been firing off a gun within the city limits or something like that) when several ducks gathered around him and started attacking him and he shot one or two of them.

The defense that he felt that he was in danger of serious bodily injury didn't fly. Yet seeing these duck which stand knee high ... I could easily see his point if several of them started pecking him (or whatever ducks do).

Therefore, Pepper Spray may be a less complicated solution when dealing with aggressive animals and if the pepper spray doesn't work, then you always have the gun as a back up and a better arguement for using the gun by pointing out that you did all that you could and used the gun as a last resource because the pepper spray had no effect.

[Okiecruffler]

I had a similar situation happen once. I was just walking, my body doesn't lend itself to high speed activity. I had gotten in the habit of carrying my P32 instead of my P-11. The dog, one of the biggest rotties I've ever seen stopped only about 5 feet away and I had my P32 trained on it's head. Never thought to try to run away from it (see reference to sluggishness above). Luckily the owner came out and grabbed the dog. She didn't know he was roaming the street. Turns out the meter reader had left her gate open and she didn't know it when she let the pup out. But I remember thinking as I looked down the barrel of that P32, "this isn't going to handle this" I stopped carrying the 32 after that.

[Deepdiver]

.45Joe, if you want to carry while you are running, try a Galco bellyband holster. I think they are about $35-40 at very on-line dealers.

I frequently carry while I run and the belly band works real well under a t-shirt or sweat shirt. Keeps the piece holstered real tight, and does not interfere with your running posture. I carry a .38 snubbie while running, so I don't know how well a 1911 Gov't would work - but the bellyband will accomodate almost any standard handgun.

- FWIW

[rayjay]

I've talked mail carriers that tell me that pepper spray doesn't work on some dogs. I knew better then to run but like I said it was a reflex. And yes the owner got an ear full from me while he was sitting in the back of the sqaud car. Yea I ripped him a new one(made sure the cuffs were on first:D ). Alot of the witnesses were also cased around the neighborhood by the same dog too, so they were glad to see the dog go. They, and I, blame the owner for the dog being so aggressive and I sort of felt bad for having to shoot the dog, after all, it wasn't the dogs fault.

[zxc]

having bit by dogs 3-5 times in my life I can imagine the scare..you ran well though and should you carry, a lightweight baton/ sturdy staff of 4 ft or so in addition to pepperspray is my advice.Id use a gun as lastresort in this case. Too easy to miss a lunging animal. Keep him at bay with the stick, then pop him-head shot. from experience it will likely stun the animal (380) enough for a second ( eye/ ear) shot.Good running !!

[ACP]

I'll second the suggestion that you ditch the CD player/radio and headphones.

[Mastrogiacomo]

Glad to hear you were in great shape to do battle. :D Sometimes when walking my sister's old German Shepard (female), we'd get confronted by aggressive dogs. If there was ever any threat to either myself or the dog, I wouldn't have thought twice to use my gun on the animal. If you're threatened, you're within your rights to do what you must to get through it.

[BluesBear]

I have taken this solemn vow, to protect myself and my family from all enemies both foreign and domesticated. :D

[Gordon]

Here's a hint from someone who loves dogs but worked as an animal control person fom 17 to 19, and a ranch foreman /owner the rest of my 59 years and assisted hundreds to animal heaven one way or another. If it was owned by a home owner, this is the easiest and best paying lawsuit in Ca.:evil: I'd let the sucker have a bite on leg for $100,000 anyday! Call an ambulance and a lawyer! You CAN shoot the dog immediately so the vets can examine it's brain for rabies. You could feed the animal your leg while preparing the pistol! Hint #2 (if youdon't have stomach for that) would be to bait the sucker on to your property and use a rifle(.223 up wok well ) and bury it quietly! Why live in fear?:evil:

[Mannlicher]

I am not all that sure a Keltec .32 or a .380 would be much good against a big dog anyway. Dogs can move real fast, and they are not easy targets. A miss or a flesh wound would probably be the result of a quick shot in low light. He would still own your butt.

I used to control hunt feral dogs, for a large Timber Company in North Florida. They had a lot of trouble with these packs of dogs attacking the guys cruising timber. Trust me, dogs are very hard to hit, and most take a lot of killing. I found a Browning A-5 in 16 Ga, with a heavy load of #2 shot, to be about the best for dogs.