Dog went after my kid - 1 year later

[61chalk]

Had pretty much the same happen to me, better the dog than a dead child. Sad thing is the cops were told 2 times an they did nothing, when I had to take things into my own hands, an a Mossberg 12ga, they finally decided to come an see. Happy to say they quickly sided with me, had a long talk with the neighbor with the dog, an he moved about 3 weeks later. You did good,
glad things worked out for you too!

 

[gwillys]

a few weeks ago, just down the road, a 3yr old boy was killed by a neighbors husky.

 

[snipe300]

The apartment complex I live in has a bunch of small (3 feet tall) kids in it. At the bottom of the hill accross the main road into the complex there was a house with about three pit bulls, and I always wondered what would have happened if one had gotten loose.

 

[kilo729]

German Sheppard's are some of the smartest, and easiest to train dogs around.

Sounds like terrible owner bringing up a dog they couldn't handle, sorry to hear about this.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

aside from knocking the kid down and scratching its face had the dog shown any viciousness?

It could have been firendly, however, if it's scratching and maybe biting the kid, it's probably better safe than sorry.

 

[WardenWolf]

Person doesn't teach their dog not to charge and knock down strangers, person's dog gets shot by someone who can't know its intentions but has only one moment to decide between their life and the dog's. No surprise there.

 

[catspa]

I'm quite partial to Shepherds, my girl is well-trained and mellow. But I'd probly have done the same thing, then gone over and jacked the owner for making it necessary. No time to fool around when your child is in danger.

Parker

 

[dacavasi]

+1 on being thankful you and your family are o.k.

I've owned a few German Shephards of my own and they are a great breed if you train them and are a responsible owner. Unfortunately there are alot of people who insist on having these large breeds but pay zero mind to the need for them to be well-managed, trained, and controlled. There are many cases I think some people should just not be allowed to own dogs, and it sounds like your neighbor was one of them.

 

[Ratfood]

Ok thanks for all the support folks. In answer to some of the questions: I shot the dog 3 times very quickly and suprisingly to me all 3 were hits. I have never had to draw like that before but I have been shooting that pistol for over 15 years (My first gun). Also the dog died immediately.

Now as far as the dog acting vicious, yes I had no doubts. It was inside most of the time however they would let it out back for several hours during the day. When we would go out in the back to play the dog would start barking and try to chew through the fence. The owners wife would always run out there and bring the dog inside when she heard this.

When the first police showed up I walked outside the first thing he asked me was "where is the gun?", I told him it was inside and he told me to leave it there. I think he was probably new to the force as he was acting rude and wasn't really taking control of the situation. He was also telling us we can't just go out and shoot a dog because we think its vicious. About 2 or 3 minutes later officer who seemed to outrank him showed up and he took over the questioning, he's the one who asked me if "my life or the life of my family member was in danger". He was the one who seemed to be on my side (probably he had kids too). Luckily he is also the one who put in the call to the Sargent. He went to the neighbors and was scolding them about having a dog out without a leash. The police asked me what caliber the pistol was and how many shots fired but to my amazement they never even asked to look at it.

 

[rogn]

Couldnt let this go. I probably have more dog experience in a week than most folk do in a lifetime, and one of the objective facts is that you are more likely to be bitten by a cocker spaniel or a german shepard than any other breed. Two of my co workers have had their faces ripped open by gs with no warnigs or other manifestations of aggression. ( out 010 encounters with gs require caution and precautions. So under the circumstances described the action taken is/was quite likely the one id have considered. Now before all of you shepard o philes riseup in rath, allow me to say the 1 of 10 is a pleasant tractable friendly dog. Many of the others are dedicated family members and look at us with the same caution we look at them, not really a bad characteristc. There are however large nos. of backyard breeders whose idea of genetics are having a male and a female. There are large # of dogs out there not only gs that are both physically and mentally defective , either condition can lead to some form of aggression. uess my 2 cents says there are good and bad odgs out there of every breed, but one acting as thre dog you had the encounter with was dealt with accordingly, regardless of breed.

 

[sacp81170a]

I love GSD''s and mine (Rudy) is a lover by nature. He's territorial when a stranger comes in the yard or the house, but otherwise he's very friendly. That said, I would NEVER allow him outside off leash, EVER. We had a neighbor down the street who had a pit bull that they used to let run loose. One day I threatened to shoot it if they didn't call him off me and my dog when we were out for a walk. I told them in a loud, clear voice, "Call your dog off or I will shoot him!" The lady came huffing and puffing out, apologizing. I let it go at that, but I never saw their dog out roaming the neighborhood again. They've moved away since.

I can't think of an appropriate punishment for people who can't or won't control a dangerous dog. Having the dog shot is an unfortunate but necessary consequence of your neighbor's actions. I feel sorry for the dog, but the neighbor?

 

[nitetrane98]

I'm going to lay this tragedy squarely on the head of the dog owner. He's obviously done no obedience training and lacking that had no business allowing his dog off leash.
In a million years you won't convince me that that GSD was a vicious dog. I'll bet my bottom dollar that he was probably a young rambunctious 1-2 year old male who's sole purpose in life is to find something/somebody to play with. There is also no doubt in my mind that the original 7yo got knocked down and scratched by exuberance from the dog. If the dog was vicious the kid would be dead.
It saddened me to read this but of course you had no way of knowing and took the better safe than sorry route.
It sickens me to read all the, "Atta boy, great shooting." replies.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Thanks for the repost.

Had a similar situation a few years back with two neighbors across the street. The one neighbor had kids, and most of the summer his front yard was the neighborhood playground. Neighbor #2 had a large GS that wasn't a friendly sort.

Well, one day when I was mowing my front lawn neighbor #1's front yard was full of kids, and neighbor #2 let his dog out in his front yard unsupervised. I went "OH, S^&%, this isn't gonna end well" in my mind.

Sure enough, not 30 seconds after the dog was let out and the door closed behind him he jumped through the hedge between the two yards and pinned one of the neighbor boys down. All the other kids started screaming, and I headed over at a dead run while lifting my shirt clear of my pistol. I knew, given all the kids around, a contact shot was my only option. Just as I cleared the street and put my first step on the sidewalk and my hand on the gun, the neighbor that owned the dog came around the hedge and called it off. The angle things occured at, the owner saw my pistol.

We exchanged a glance or two, and since that day, to neighbor #2s credit, the dog hasn't been outside unsupervised since. We're actually on friendly terms. He came over a few days later and appologized and thanked me for not shooting his dog.

 

[irishsquid]

It's a shame it had to be done but you were absolutely right in doing it. I'm glad your children weren't traumatized by it. It had to be a very ugly situation for all involved.

 

[mgregg85]

I'm sorry for you that you had to do that but I would have done the same thing to protect my family, any reasonable person would.

 

[NobleSniper]

Where I live we have a big problem with pitbulls. Not well bread pits but the kind where some idiot breeds a litter to a liter type dogs.........scatter brained mongrels. I had a old heinz 57 chewed while I was away by a pit years ago. I swore after that I would never tolerate the breed again. Now do not get me wrong I love dogs. Have never been without one and now I have two very well bred pointing labs. Had this joker move into the rental next door with two full grown pits and a pit pup. Mean,mean dogs. He ended up chaining them to my fence. I keep both of my labs kenneled unless they are in the house. I was doing my yard work one day and the two kept snapping at me and tried getting over the fence. He finally came out and yelled at them to quit and tried to assure me they woudln't hurt me. I politely smiled and said not to worry as I am not afraid of them as I had two rounds a piece for each of them if I see them in my yard. He looked at me with the dumbest look and then caught sight of the snubbie S&W on my hip. He said you wouldn't shoot my dogs would you and I said of course not unless they come in the yard............................

 

[frayluisfan]

The trouble with dogs...

...is people. Like many of you, I've seen way to many irresponsible dipsticks who decide it would be cool to own a big, assertive dog. Result is usually what you have been describing.

Keep in mind that the GS breed, from everything I read/hear, has a streak of suspicion toward people who are not part of their pack/family. You have to work with them on that. With a good owner, it should be no problem. With backyard breeding and/or a dingbat owner, look out brother.

To the OP, hats off to you, my friend. It's a no-brainer in my mind. Thank the good Lord your little ones are safe. (sigh of relief).

Regards,
frayluisfan

 

[Katana8869]

When my daughter was two, I shot a viscious dog that was charging her. I remember well how it felt and what it was like. Nothing can describe the blind fear that comes from seeing your little one in harms way. In my instance I fired on the dog from about 12 feet away while the dog was in full charge after having run about 25 yards myself to reach the spot that my daughter was at when the dog and his partner dog had jumped her.

I never made the concious decision to fire, all that I can rember is a full commitment to do something, anything to save my baby girl. I don't rember drawing. I only remember the dog coming at me ( I had reached my daughter and thrown her behind me at that point) and I remember my gun coming up and the shot. The dog went down and the next thing I remember was my daughter crying and my wife being there. I remember tracking the other dog over my sights as he took off in the other direction but I didn't fire on him.

In our case this happened on my parents property in a rural area. My biggest problem afterward was trying to remember where the shovel was. I can't imagine how much stress that the aftermath of your shooting must have caused you in your circumstances, but from one father to another, I want you to know that I get it and I would (and have) done the same thing.

My daughter has had no ill effects as a result of this either. She loves animals and has also learned to love hunting and shooting like her old man. I think that she has also learned that some things in life are worth protecting and standing up for. I hope she also knows that she has a Daddy that would lay his life down for her in a second if he had to to keep her safe.

She is almost 7 now and she and I shoot airguns together. She is my "scout" on squirrel hunts and even an occasional deer or turkey hunt. She is a beautiful little girl and I am glad that I was able to do something that day to preserve that.

 

[Katana8869]

The trouble with dogs... is people.

Very true. If the two that I wrote about had been cared for and handled responsibly by their owners, none of what I experieced would have happened.

 

[Browns Fan]

I also love dogs, currently own two, and agree with most folks here. Great shooting!

 

[Neocode]

I'm going to lay this tragedy squarely on the head of the dog owner. He's obviously done no obedience training and lacking that had no business allowing his dog off leash.
In a million years you won't convince me that that GSD was a vicious dog. I'll bet my bottom dollar that he was probably a young rambunctious 1-2 year old male who's sole purpose in life is to find something/somebody to play with. There is also no doubt in my mind that the original 7yo got knocked down and scratched by exuberance from the dog. If the dog was vicious the kid would be dead.
It saddened me to read this but of course you had no way of knowing and took the better safe than sorry route.
It sickens me to read all the, "Atta boy, great shooting." replies.

nitetrane, I love German Shepherds. My favorite breed. Had two of them growing up. They were good dogs. The one loved people, and loved to wander if you didn't watch her carefully. The other one, she was a good dog, but very suspicious of people she didn't know, coming onto her property. However, my parents made sure she was controlled.

There was a GSD in the neighborhood I grew up in, and he was MEAN. When that dog got loose, you ran for home. Fast. He'd bite with half a chance. Matter of fact, my father went after that dog with a shovel once, because it was sneaking up on my neighbor's son. He was wearing a walkman (this was probably 20+ years ago) and doing yard work. The dog was sneaking up on his back, and my father saw it, and went after the dog.

Eventually, the dog musta died of old age, and the owners moved. So, I would say, you MIGHT be right, in that the dog was young and playful, but, and it's a big but, you weren't there that day. You don't really know the specifics, and it's real difficult to convey some details online.

Rat made the best judgment call he could in the situation. Second-guessing him isn't right.

And, regardless of whether or not he NEEDED to shoot, 3 hits out of 3 shots on a moving target, is good shooting. Like it or not.

Rat, good job protecting your child. I'da done the same.

 

[gunsandreligion]

It just makes me sick to see untrained dogs like that (most likely that shepherd was untrained) that run at you and try to rip you apart.

 

[Aw4g63]

Glad to see you protected your family. That owner will second guess his next dog purchase.

I have two 15lb dogs. They stay leashed and dispite how cute they are, I don't let the neighborhood kids pet them.


They're my dogs. lol Not theirs.

 

[YammyMonkey]

You did the right thing & didn't end up paying for it. That's a good day. 3 for 3 on a charging dog of any sort is impressive shooting.

When we lived in a townhouse a while back our next door neighbors had a pit bull & every time that thing was within sight of my family I mentally ramped myself up for the possibility of killing it one way or another. Let's just say that the owners were not the most attentive or respectful of that dog.

 

[Old Guy]

We had a chap live 3 houses away, a bit dopey, had a BIG! dog, not very old dog, it came running down my path one day, a friend from England and I were sitting outside (he smoked, still does) owner grabbed dog, I told him I will shoot your dog if he comes anywhere near my Wife, not a dog person.

My buddy from the UK was flabbergasted! Dog and owner moved away, no trauma was experienced. Where children are concerned? No chances will be taken.