Best Gun For Dog Attack

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mrblenderson

mrblenderson

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Hollywood, FL
Yesterday a neighbor's 80-100lb American Bulldog got out of their yard and attacked my son and small dog.

My wife and 2.5yo son were outside playing in the front yard and this dog came out of nowhere and knocked him over. Fortunately he happened to be wearing his bike helmet so he did not hurt his head. The dog was on top of my son and my wife ripped him off of him, my son did not get bit (I think because of his helmet again). That's when our 15lb dog jumped in to defend and the other dog got him by the neck.

I was working at the table and ran outside as soon as I heard her scream. He had my dog by the throat and would not let go. I managed to choke him enough to get him to release and got him into my garage.

I did not have time to stop by my bedroom to get my pistol out of the quick-access safe and I stopped carrying at home years ago.

My son and wife and I all ended up with minor bumps and scrapes but my dog was pretty badly hurt, he got immediate vet treatment and is doing fine.

This incident was really eye-opening and while I was holding this dog I wished I had a gun but realized that if I had taken the time to go to my bedroom to get one my dog could have been already bleeding out.

I have thought about sticking a quick-access safe on the table right next to our front door but my wife was never into the idea and it didn't seem necessary. We both now agree that it is necessary.

So that being said, what would you put in the safe for large dog and potential human threats?
Long guns are out because I need something one-handed.

I am thinking about a Shield 45, then I also have another CCW option.
 
redneck2 said:
Whatever you can use well.

I have a Shield in .40 and find it easy to shoot and accurate for me. YMMV
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I used to have a Shield 9mm and loved it - I shot it very well.

I am thinking about the 45 as I have read a lot of accounts of big dogs taking several shots of 9mm before slowing down.
 
Jim Watson said:
Anything you would use against a 180 lb human.

Have you dealt with the owner?
I have thought that if you shoot a mean dog you might have to shoot a mean dog owner. Some people don't recognize your right to protect yourself from their animal.
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If it comes to that I will have time to grab my AR
 
S&W 642, Winchester 110 Silvertips (non +P) on your person as much as possible(even the stretchy waistband of gym shorts will support this lightweight option). You sound like a cautious guy, commendable. But your child needs to get "de-Mystified" about guns and you wearing one regularly will do that. Your family was very lucky, this time. Joe
 
What are the legal ramifications if you discharge a weapon on your front lawn where you live? If there are some serious ones, perhaps a pepper spray or similar might be the answer.
First would be calling animal control, then an attorney if the dog owner doesn't pay the bills. Personally, Pits, Dobies, Rottweilers and the like I have zero use for and wouldn't lose a wink if they all disappeared.
 
Jim Watson said:
You need to get some negotiations or at least notifications in place and call Animal Control so you have a basis for action against the dog and (hopefully court) action against the owner.
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This is a good answer. If you had taken the kid to the hospital it's very likely the physician would have notified local law enforcement/animal control about the dog. You didn't mention a doctors visit, so I'm assuming you didn't go. In that case getting the right agency (varies by location) involved is now your responsibility.

As to the gun question, anything suitable for defense against humans should be plenty adequate for dogs. They're very lightly armored... As to the reports of multiple shots required, shot placement is key regardless of caliber used in self defense as well as species of the aggressor. Choose a gun you (and your wife) shoot well. A full-size 9mm makes a lot of sense here to me. Good luck.
 
Any firearm that you can use well against a person, can work against a dog with proper shot placement. The police officers in my area carry a Governor/Judge loaded with 45 Colt rounds to dispatch wild dogs and other animals.

Range is your friend. So the farther you can stay away from a dog fight, the better. 2 of my dogs got into a fight this week, I broke a small bone in my hand to get them separated. Even without being bit myself, I still got injured. One consideration is using a non lethal method. I have used pepper spray more on dogs than people. Their heightened sense of smell can make spray quite effective.
 
Dogs are one of those threats that really anything will work. The problem is getting to your weapon especially if you are the one being attacked. It’s difficult to get to a pistol on your side if there is a big dog on top of you requiring the use of both hands to protect your face and neck.

If my dad were still around I can tell you exactly what he would say though. You don’t need a gun, you need a real dog that can defend you rather than a dog you have to defend. When I was a kid I wasn’t allowed to own a dog that wasn’t able to protect me from other animals. I think the smallest dog we ever had was a sharpei and pit bull mix but he made up for his 50-60 pound frame with being one of the toughest dogs I’ve ever had the privilege of owning.
 
mrblenderson said:
I did not have time to stop by my bedroom to get my pistol out of the quick-access safe and I stopped carrying at home years ago.
Click to expand...

Now you know why some of us say "carry ALL THE TIME. "

mrblenderson said:
So that being said, what would you put in the safe for large dog and potential human threats?
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Nothing. I would just keep my carry gun on me. Also, before thinking about shooting the dog, you should consider the possible penalty for a miss. You are no doubt now aware that the dog won't stand still for you.
 
mrblenderson said:
If it comes to that I will have time to grab my AR
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.....and what happens if next time you are not there? You need to report the attack to the local authorities to document the attack, to have the owner warned and to have his insurance pay your vet bill. Documenting the first attack and it's severity will go a long way to help your defense if you need to defend yourself in the future. It will also probably mean the dog will be gone anyway after the next time.
 
Now, I’m sure there’s not a lot of people here that are going to like this....but..

Probably the best thing would be a can of wasp & hornet spray. The kind that shoots 20 feet. Amazing how many people let their vicious dogs out while a delivery person is there. Sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose because it’s “funny”

My friend used to fill propane tanks. Wasps love building nests in the flip lid on top, so the spray did double duty. He said it could be the most vicious dog you can imagine. A quick shot of attitude adjustment did the trick.
 
I would say 40 or 45, probably a full sized semi auto. Pepper spray or a tazer probably would work too. And yes, you should call the police and file a report on it. Glad your kid is ok, hope he doesn't fear all other dogs from here on out.
 
Kleanbore said:
The approptrate question is not about a "best gun".
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Agreed, pepper spray would have been the best option, and if the owner tries to something, well spray his ass too, he/she well deserves it. The OP's wife should have called the police while all this was happening.

Why in Hell do people own or even want vicious dogs for in the first place?
 
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My neighbor and fellow morning walker used a STUN CANE that he bought from Amazon to put an attacking dog down temporarily. Works slick, cheaper than a gun, legal to use, and won't kill the neighbor's dog.

I hope you reported the incident to Animal Control and presented the medical bills to your neighbor. Small claims court may be in your future if the neighbor fails to recompense you for the expense you incurred.
 
This is the advice of a man who will spare you the photos (14 scars from puncture wounds) of his left forearm that a pit bull decided to chomp on about 6 years ago. First wen the dog bit I did what I gad been trained to do: froze the arm and did not try to pull away. If you pull the limb away the dog will treat it like piece of play rope. Those with dogs know What I mean. Look the dog in the eye. That confuses the dog because it is expecting a totally different reaction. Then draw the pistol you carry 24/7 and shoot the dog. Even a 22 will suffice if you shoot it in the head. If you have to shoot from the rear of the doh shoot on the side behind the ear. If you shoot from the front shoot through the eye. If you the side shoot into the ear. Unless you have a 380 or higher caliber do not shoot into the top of the skull, and , even if you so have a larger caliber, remember a skull can cause a ricochet. If you do it have a gun, smash the dog in the nose with a full fisted punch. That will normally force to dog to let go momentarily. Of course you are not clear for an renewed attack unless you incapacitate the dog. It is another reason I carry even in the house. You never know when you will have to respond to a threat outside the house. There are numerous dogs in the development where I live. I see all of them as a potential threat to me or others. Almost forgot, I put a 9mm JHP in the dog that bit me. He let go real fast and then died.
 
A neighbors Akita attacked my dog awhile back. My dog is 25 lbs vs probably 70 lb Akita. I had talked with the neighbor prior to this and she had said the Akita did not like other dogs so that made me hyper alert whenever my dog was out at the same time. My dog is never outside by itself and neither was the neighbors. Well it eventually happened. The dog charged and lunged at mine and got ahold of her. My wife was right there and immediately headlocked the Akita in maneuver she had learned while she was an employee of the government and started choking it out. It was working too. I wanted to hasten the process so I decided I was going to give it a warning shot and kicked it as hard as I could in its hind end. It let go and the neighbor got there and took it away without any other incident.

The neighbor asked why I hit her dog and I just looked at her with crazy eyes and shrugged and told her there wouldn't be any permanent damage now let me see to my dog that was just in your dogs jaws. I had my 38 snub in my pocket the whole time but never felt I needed it.
 
1942bull said:
Of course you are not clear for an renewed attack unless you incapacitate the dog. It is another reason I carry even in the house. You never know when you will have to respond to a threat outside the house.
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That doesn't make any sense.

How does carrying inside the house enable one to "respond to a threat" outside the house?
 
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