Not quite a dog attack but VERY close

File a complaint with the local Law Enforcement Agency. That way, if you do wind up shooting the dog, you have a paper trail complaining about a vicious dog, whose owner has refused to do anything about.

Although, if you do wind up shooting the dog, make sure it is on your property when you do so.

If the neighbor refuses to take proper responsibility for the actions of a breed dog known to be aggressive if not trained and well controlled... Call animal control. Bad owners ruin a lot of dogs.

I've known plenty of peaceful pits, I'm used to larger breeds. Most notably a friend's Danes. Their bark is a close competitor to their bite.

Ever had a dog that weighs as much as you do put his paws on your shoulders? he could have fit my skull in his mouth.

I own a Newfie mix. Worst he'll do is bruise your skin dragging you out of the water to "save you" he does however patrol the fenceline, and grab birds out of the air mid flight.

I would try really driving it home to your neighbor before you go and get the local government ninjas involved. "I'm calling the county on you for X" "No I'm calling the county on you for Y" gets ugly and dirty quickly. I'm sure others can chime in on how nasty neighbor disputes can get.
What kinda space do you have between your neighbors? Are you in an urban, suburban, rural area? any kind of fence? I ask because these things would likely affect the justification if you were forced to shoot. If a dog is charging you and you shoot it, odds are nothing will happen to you. Especially with all of the misplaced rage against pit bull type dogs floating around. That's best case scenario, worst case in most states it is a misdemeanor to kill an animal, and you open yourself to a civil suit from the neighbor.

make sure you have a paper trail of complaints.

Send him a registered Letter restating your case. Make no threats just establish a paper trail. Then file a complaint with Animal Control. Finally always go armed and Prayers for you and your family.

Awareness provides self defense.

Our "Village" is in one corner of a 2 mi. by 2 mi. square, bounded by asphalt roads in good condition. I bike 8 mi. in the morning and 8 mi. at evening. There was a Black Lab who got more and more territorial each time she saw me biking by. Several joggers and walkers have complained to the dog's owner. Eventually she got into the road to watch for me approaching on my bike. I carried a .45-BackUp AMT in my front bar-bag, set up like a holster. I drew it on the dog three times, each time she came at me from her yard. She regularly made me change position on the road. She really tried one day, and got her teeth on my foot as the pedal reached the bottom of the cycle. I had the AMT held right down beside my foot and I shot her to the left of the spine, between the shoulders. My sneaker and the road took blood, and I saw the brass drop ahead of me and roll to the left on the road. Dog: DRT. I expected the sheriff at least, but nothing came of it. The few dogs I would NOT shoot include police-trained dogs while performing duty directed by the handler. Free-running animals are illegal here. DAO

I you have bite marks on your person or your clothes, there ain't much the owner can say except sorry.

make sure you have a paper trail of complaints.

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+1, also have the other neighbors make complaints too. Where I used to live the SPCA had to come if they received 3 complaints from different people, you may have something similar.

Awareness provides self defense.

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Our "Village" is in one corner of a 2 mi. by 2 mi. square, bounded by asphalt roads in good condition. I bike 8 mi. in the morning and 8 mi. at evening. There was a Black Lab who got more and more territorial each time she saw me biking by. Eventually she got into the road to watch for me approaching on my bike. I carried a .45-BackUp AMT in my front bar-bag, set up like a holster. I drew it on the dog three times, each time she came at me from her yard. She regularly made me change position on the road. She really tried one day, and got her teeth on my foot as the pedal reached the bottom of the cycle. I had the AMT held right down beside my foot and I shot her to the left of the spine, between the shoulders. My sneaker and the road took blood, and I saw the brass drop ahead of me and roll to the left on the road. Dog: DRT. I expected the sheriff at least, but nothing came of it. The few dogs I would NOT shoot include police-trained dogs while performing duty directed by the handler. Free-running animals are illegal here. DAO
from #8

Sounds like when I had a paper route-long time ago except for the 45 part.
I used stones except when I had to go to that house to collect. I dont know why I ever kept that customer.

Make sure you never leave tasty diabetic friendly treats made with the artificial sweetener xyletol out where that poor dog can get to em.


Tapatalk post via IPhone.

I had an instance with a pit once. I was riding my four-wheeler down the road to work on our paintball field when one of the neighbors (long distance neighbor) pit ran out on me and chased me for a bit. I got away and kinda forgot about him while I was workin. On the way back the dog was waiting for me. I tried to gun it past him but I slipped out of gear. By the time I had recovered, he had bit my leg. Now it wasn't a bad bite or anything but it really made me mad. So I went home and grabed a riot sized can of Cap-Stun (good stuff lol) and procceeded back down the road. Well the dog was waiting for me, but then again I was waiting on him too. When he came out I proceeded to paint his face orange...stopped him dead in his tracks. I never had another problem with that dog, nor did I ever hear of anyone else either, lol.

Now me personally if my neighbors dog did that to me or one of my family members I'd probably end the problem swiftly with a shot between the eyes. I have no time to train my neighbors dogs, let alone a pit, and as such wouldn't feel bad about it. But if there is some sort of circumstance that bars this, I would make that dog understand who not to growl at.

In VA on my farm I can shoot any stray dog on my property if it his harassing my sheep. I also have a boneyard and the vultures do a great job of picking carcasses clean. Pits dont get a first chance on my property I kill them and have. I have too much time and money invested in my herding dogs and LGDs to take the risk. I will take full advantage of the law. Other breeds may get a second chance.

Since you have kids and this pit is aggressive and its owner a knucklehead I would complain to animal control and local LE. I would also tell the neighbor next time your pit is on my property and behaving aggressively I will defend myself and my family by any means necessary.

I keep a medium sized bowl of antifreeze near my shed. Strays don't return for seconds and my neighbors free roaming nuisance cats are down in numbers. Someday people will learn their pets need to stay on their property.

I you have bite marks on your person or your clothes, there ain't much the owner can say except sorry.

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True, but if you have a face full of stitches and mayby a broken bone or two to go with it that "Sorry" isn't going to go too far.

Have you actually walked into the animal control office and demanded to see the Supervisor or whomever is the one in charge? State your problems with this dog, hand them a letter detailing the issues and demand action on their part. Whether or not they know it, they work for you and should step in to resolve this problem.

Some of the other methods of dealing with bowser listed above are interesting step two alternatives also, not that I would entertain the thought for a moment.

I don't know about you guys, but the dealings I've had with animal control have always proved fruitless.

At least around here most of my outdoor activities are on public land and I am always well-armed.

I agree that most animal control officers are useless.

Had a stray dog wandering through town growling at people at the gas station. Employee called the Sheriff's Dept. as the town is so small they don't have a local PD. SD dispatch said no one at animal control would be able to act until the following Monday. this event occured on Saturday morning. SD would not send an officer to the area to take care of the situation either, unless there was a confirmed attack. Not their problem, according to the SD, unless it was an emergency situation.

I had my neighbors pit mix charge me as I was walking to the firing range he has set up. Smart dog, charge the guy with a rifle in hand and a .45 on his belt. Nothing happened, I calmly spoke to the dog by name, and he recognized I wasn't a threat. I was on his property after all. A lot of times, it's all in the way you confront the dog that makes the difference.

Deltaboy said:

Send him a registered Letter restating your case. Make no threats just establish a paper trail. Then file a complaint with Animal Control. Finally always go armed and Prayers for you and your family.

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If you want to establish a paper trail of problems with this dog, but don't want to involve authorities (I understand not wanting LE being involved in your life), I would also recommend sending the dog's owner a certified letter explaining the situation. Mention exact dates of encounters if you can recollect. That way it is clear that you have informed the owner about the problem and they have done nothing to prevent it should you have to harm or kill the dog in the future.

I had a real hillbilly of a neighbor that had a Chow that would "get out" quite frequently. It routinely crapped in my yard.

One day my son was in the front yard playing and I was just getting ready to come out of the house when the dog came into the yard looking like it was getting ready to take a dump. Maybe it was because my son had seen me shoo the dog away before, but he started trying to shoo it out of the yard. The dog started to walk away, but then swapped ends and started popping his jaws at my son. I had grabbed my 9mm in the mean time and came out and got my son behind me. I was just getting ready to pull the trigger when a little girl that lived at the house where the dog lived came running over shouting "please don't shoot my dog". Well the dog was starting to leave my yard and I didn't want to cap the little girl's dog in front of her so I just got my son in back in the house and closed the door.

I knew what was going to happen next. As soon as the hillbilly got home, he came roaring over pounding on my door trying to goad me into a fight over pointing a gun at his dog. I told him what happened and explained to him that when it comes down to my son's safety or his dog, his dog is going to lose and If I ever saw his dog in my yard again I was going to kill it. I never saw that dog running loose again.

Way too many personal vignettes and about the only useful advice is the "paper trail" thing. Making sure that it's a case of the dog being in trespass condition is also important.

Other than that, if further talk with the owner proves fruitless, be prepared to do what's necessary.