Carry all the time, video reminder.

[Roknstevo]

Back in the day, I spent about 5 yrs as an underground utility locator. I was outdoors, on both public and private properties, all day, every day. I had dozens of altercations with very aggressive dogs. I never carried then, as my employer wouldn’t allow it. The one thing that saved my ass many times, was my spray paint. I turned many dobermans, pit bulls, rottweillers, etc, into orange, red, or yellow-faced critters. Many attempted to bite me...only one ever bit me, and that was on a boot. He let go when I filled his eyes with spray paint. I had some charging dogs stop in their tracks whenever I sprayed a mist into the air in front of them. The acrid smell would scare them. One aside....any aggressive dog off the owner’s property is fair game to me. There are waaaay too many dog owners who are not responsible, nor knowledgable enough to own a large dog capable of mauling a person. Just my humble $.02 worth.....

 

[TomJ]

Years ago I lived too close to the west side of Chicago, one of the areas where the weekly shootings occur. We moved to a suburb with an almost non-existent violent crime rate. A few months after the move I walked into an armed robbery right in front of my house. Illinois did not allow concealed carry at the time, and I don't remember feeling that helpless. We recently moved to a rural part of Wisconsin where they haven't had a homicide in years. I still carry all the time, unless prohibited by law such as at my son's school. It costs me nothing to carry, but in the incredibly unlikely event that I need a gun I won't find myself helpless, as I was when I walked into that robbery.

 

[plainsdrifter]

I carry all the time and especially outside my house cus them dang javelina's are mean and always around. Not so much to humans but if you happen upon a baby javelina and moms around you be in trouble. Plus they attack dogs and I'm always outside with my dog - a 125lb Mastador who can take care of himself but just in case the ole sp101 is always there.

 

[JTHunter]

In the mid-70s, I would ride my 10-speed to get groceries and had to put up with a German Shepherd that routinely charged out of its fenced yard (gate was always open) at any pedestrians of bike riders going by. I finally wore my lug-soled leather hiking boots and used my motorcycle one day. As expected, the dog charged. I was prepared and had my leg drawn back and let fly when the dog reached me. I caught him under the chin with the toe of the boot and flipped him over backwards. I pulled up about 3 houses down the street and waited. After several seconds, the dog woozily got to his feet and staggered back into his yard.
I never say that dog run out into the street again. He would come out the gate onto the sidewalk but never into the street again, no matter what I was riding.

 

[.308 Norma]

I’ve posted this picture before. Around here there’s plenty of farm and ranch dogs (Border Collies, Blue Heelers, Australian Shepherds and such) that aren’t exactly “friendly,” and will run a hundred yards down their owner’s driveways to confront me for trespassing on “their” sections of a county road when I’m out for my exercise hikes. That’s why I carry the large hiking staff in the picture (that’s our “guard” dog, Ruger peeking around the corner). I also carry pepper spray and a handgun.
I’ve never even had to use the pepper spray, much less the handgun. When one or two of those farm and ranch dogs (that don’t know the difference between a private driveway and a public road) come charging down a driveway to confront me, I just show them my “big stick” by tapping the end of it on the asphalt and yelling, “STOP!” So far, the dogs have always just put their brakes on, then stood there and moaned in frustration as I walked on by.
Nevertheless, if one of those dogs ever gets too close (and I get to say what’s “too close”) I wouldn’t hesitate to smack him up alongside the head with my staff, fill his face full of pepper spray, and/or shoot him - depending on what I felt I needed to do.
The owner would just have to understand - just as I would have to understand if they shot a dog of mine that was chasing their cattle. Because after all, this is Open Range around here. And I can’t imagine a farmer or rancher that wouldn’t shoot a dog that was bothering their cattle whether the animals were on their own property or on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land.

 

[CDW4ME]

Lets try a different scenario, one that doesn't involve dogs.
Eating at a sidewalk table, in the daytime, with traffic passing by ... robbed at gunpoint:
(Ain't about whether a gun could have been deployed; point is, if it aint on you it sure can't be)

 

[Kleanbore]

That one takes us into the realm of "if there is somewhere that you think it likely that you would need a gun, don't go there".

 

[chicharrones]

Lets try a different scenario, one that doesn't involve dogs.
Eating at a sidewalk table, in the daytime, with traffic passing by ... robbed at gunpoint:
(Ain't about whether a gun could have been deployed; point is, if it aint on you it sure can't be)

I'd eat inside as I hate eating outside at restaurants around here. When inside the wind won't blow your napkins off the table, flies won't land on your food, mosquitos won't bite, and thugs would at least have to come through a doorway.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

...and thugs would at least have to come through a doorway.

*locks the door*

"Now youse can't leave."

Sorry...couldn't resist!

Going back to the OP: "Having a gun on person would have been advantageous."

This is true in so many ways. But all the scenarios we can come up with are at best so situational that we can make them out to support any view point we wish on the subject. At worst, we cherry pick what we want to support a single point of view.

Probably the best thing to remember is a firearm is a tool, and ultimately a single tool in a tool box filled with tools.

All those tools represent resources we can call upon to extricate ourselves from potentially dangerous encounters and it's important to choose the best tool for the circumstances at play. If we forget this, the old adage "when all you have is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail" comes into play.

 

[CDW4ME]

I'd eat inside as I hate eating outside at restaurants around here. When inside the wind won't blow your napkins off the table, flies won't land on your food, mosquitos won't bite, and thugs would at least have to come through a doorway.

Eating outside at ocean view restaurants is our favorite, carrying (same as everywhere else) of course.

 

[CDW4ME]

Going back to the OP: "Having a gun on person would have been advantageous."

This is true in so many ways. But all the scenarios we can come up with are at best so situational that we can make them out to support any view point we wish on the subject. At worst, we cherry pick what we want to support a single point of view.

Probably the best thing to remember is a firearm is a tool, and ultimately a single tool in a tool box filled with tools.

All those tools represent resources we can call upon to extricate ourselves from potentially dangerous encounters and it's important to choose the best tool for the circumstances at play. If we forget this, the old adage "when all you have is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail" comes into play.

Having a gun on me is advantageous if I have to defend myself.

Not all tools are equal; a Glock 19 in my hand would be more advantageous than something lesser
Glock 19 > 32/380/38snub

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Having a gun on me is advantageous if I have to defend myself.

Not all tools are equal; a Glock 19 in my hand would be more advantageous than something lesser
Glock 19 > 32/380/38snub

No denying that!

So long as the tool you choose is best suited for the task at hand.

 

[JTHunter]

Lets try a different scenario, one that doesn't involve dogs.
Eating at a sidewalk table, in the daytime, with traffic passing by ... robbed at gunpoint:
(Ain't about whether a gun could have been deployed; point is, if it aint on you it sure can't be)

What city???

 

[CDW4ME]

What city???

Lets assume that if it wasn't a sidewalk café in your town, it could be.

 

[Kleanbore]

What city???

ABC7, The Melrose District, Koreatown, and the LAPD are in LA.

Not hat it matters.

 

[Kleanbore]

I suggest that if one were to try a few well-constructed exercises similar to those sidewalk cafe robberies in FoF training, one would learn very soon that going for the gun is not a good idea,

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

21 posts deleted so far because they were off topic.

If you want to talk about various dog breeds, how to raise them, how not to raise them, argue about which breeds are nice and which are not and why, or why not, then do it somewhere else--all that is off topic for THR. If you feel that you just can't stay on topic then you need to just ignore this thread.

This is thread is about self-defense against dog attacks and given the subforum topic, it is about strategies and tactics to use in dog attacks and how to train to use those strategies and tactics effectively.

With this in mind...

Canines have certain instinctive traits, some breeds of which these traits are stronger while others are less so.

Also just as important is breed capabilities.

There are breeds of canine far more aggressive than "pit bulls" (a slang term, by the way, not a breed). However, many of those aggressive breeds are far less capable of causing serious injury compared to others.

Those annoying little Chihuahua's, for example, are very aggressive dogs. But few people give those little pipsqueaks serious thought when it comes to actual physical danger.

A German Shepard, however, is taken quite seriously, even though they aren't as stupidly aggressive as the Chihuahua.

And don't even touch wolf-hybrid canines. (That's another discussion.)

It's often what the breed can potentially DO that actually worries people rather than their actual aggressive traits.


All that said...you can find a dozen lists online about aggressive dogs and how they're ranked...and likely find they're all ranked differently even if they contain several of the same breeds.

 

[Blue Jays]

In the dog video posted at the top of this thread…it illustrates how things happen so F-A-S-T!
I am wondering if a quickly-deployed knife might be an ideal tool in such a situation?

No need to worry about the dogs grappling the knife away and no need to think about missed shots.
Virtually any contact…whether a thrust, a slice, or a loaded-fist punch…is going to hurt the attacking dogs.

 

[film495]

Two weekends ago my Golden Retreiver got into a scuffle with the neighbors dog. We were all standing right there and it seemed OK, and then it wasn't. Very quickly I started to see them drawing blood from one another and lips and ears getting bitten into, and - yes I had been drinking, I just reached down and grabbed my dog by the scruff of the neck and lifter her up from my left side and put her down to my right, her jaw did not stop snapping the whole time like a dang video game, and as soon as her feet hit the ground, she pushed off and bit into my chest. Minor wound, put a few holes in my shirt, but it hurt like a son of a gun. No vet trip or ER visit was needed so, it was worth it. I was having a good night and kept drinking for 3 or 4 more hours after.

I don't think a firearm would have helped me in that situation, maybe a staff or a stick. It did go from 0-100 in 1 second.

 

[Lnf Crzr]

Regarding the Dog video- and not off topic…. If feel it would be very much inappropriate to intervene ,with a firearm. Defending yourself? Sure and of course! Though to Assist Man and protect as a good person by perhaps wrapping up a dog with a jacket, Kicking, Anything that would help man get away from the dogs…. Yet The possibility of using the “Carrying all the time” Gun could result it A real dramatic issue. What if you glance a 9mm off that Pit bulls skull and it kills the man? Or you miss that little Target… it Impacts ground then the man or a innocent bystander?
The Threads I see can be good tools to learn from… Yet we must be very precautionary as to what we teach.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Lets try a different scenario, one that doesn't involve dogs.
Eating at a sidewalk table, in the daytime, with traffic passing by ... robbed at gunpoint:
(Ain't about whether a gun could have been deployed; point is, if it aint on you it sure can't be)

That was in Los Angeles, where only celebrities get a carry permit. Ask me why I left.

 

[old lady new shooter]

That one takes us into the realm of "if there is somewhere that you think it likely that you would need a gun, don't go there".

A relatively upscale shopping area in broad daylight with lots of traffic?

Of course, in L.A. just about any place is "likely"...

 

[CDW4ME]

That was in Los Angeles, where only celebrities get a carry permit. Ask me why I left.

It was ThatWon'tHappenHereVille , if not it could be - the possibility of it is the only way ThatWon'tHappenHereVille will consistently carry.

Dog attack was on NobodyOwnsLargeDogsOnThisStreetAvenue - if not it could easily be.

 

[Buzznrose]

I think about that too. Shooting the neighbors dog is the last resort.

Yes…and no.

I guess I take the side of shooting a large aggressive dog because I have a daughter who walks her baby in a stroller, as well as other young women around my neighborhood. I don’t know how I’d feel if I simply scared off an attacking large dog that ended up hurting or killing a young mother or kid.

Those dogs in that video needed to be put down…period. I understand that is emotional for many, and could cause legal and other issues later.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Yes…and no.

I guess I take the side of shooting a large aggressive dog because I have a daughter who walks her baby in a stroller, as well as other young women around my neighborhood. I don’t know how I’d feel if I simply scared off an attacking large dog that ended up hurting or killing a young mother or kid.

Those dogs in that video needed to be put down…period. I understand that is emotional for many, and could cause legal and other issues later.

Maybe so...but there are other avenues for this, namely informing the appropriate authorities first or, perhaps if you know the owners, notifying them.

Yes...some people are dirtbag pet owners. And possibly they'll take any such notifications about their dog(s) with less sincerity than they should. But responsible pet owners aren't that way. Certainly I know I take my role as a pet owner very seriously and the idea that my pet may have placed someone else in danger would not have me brushing it off lightly. The very fact that my pet was outside of my control in the first place would be a serious matter for me, even if he was the friendliest thing this side of Casper.

Like it or not...if you take such matters into your own hands, you may very well find yourself in court on the wrong side of the law.

If you can safely disengage...then do so.