How to fight attacking dog?

Status
Not open for further replies.
tuj said:
While most pit bulls are not bad, they are responsible for more than half of the fatal dog attacks in the US. (http://www.dogsbite.org/)

If a pit-bull bites you, it will probably bite deep and not let go. In this respect it is more like a shark than other dogs.
Click to expand...

Both of these statements are misinformation.

The first statement, regarding bully breeds being responsible for more than half of the fatal dog attacks is completely false - Irresponsible owners and negligent parents are responsible for MOST of those attacks that turn out to be fatal, not the dogs.

As far as the pit bull bite being more dangerous than other dogs, that's false as well. Pit bulls don't bite any differently than other similarly sized dogs treated the same way - it's not about the dog, it's about the training (or lack thereof) and how the dog is treated and cared for.
 
Heard that Fox Labs spray works well on dogs.
Click to expand...

Any chemical agent that distresses the nose and eyes usually works. Sometimes, it only enrages the dog further, and you can turn a mock charger/territorial bluff into a full-blown attack. Stun guns tend to have the same effect.

Shooting the dog is an option that's always on the table in the boondocks...but not so much in a neighborhood or built-up area. You're trying to hit a fast-moving target while under duress in a handful of seconds. A miss means that the bullet will go skipping around until it comes to a rest. A buncha kids playing dodge ball a block away could bring a lot of grief, and a charge of reckless endangerment. Think of the gun as a last resort instead of a first response.

Hand-to-hand combat with a dog that's committed to the attack is a losing proposition...even with a knife. Everybody will lose a little blood...or a lot of blood.

The 5-foot stick works better because it not only causes pain, but it imposes a physical barrier...and the dog will lock onto it over and over until he literally gets the point and breaks off the attack. Most are bluffing and won't make it to the stick. Win-Win.

That's what walking sticks are for.
 
Moving/retiring to the country lifestyle has been an eye opener for me in a number of ways as it pertains to this thread. First, I haven't seen a link between aggressive behavior and breed of dog. Second, even family pet dogs will kill/severely injure livestock if running in packs. Third, people who drop off the family dog in the country, with the thought that some nice family will take in their pet and care for it, are actually signing the dog's death warrant.

As an example, this past spring I came across a schizuh <sp?> that had, more than likely, died from heat and dehydration. Three Great Danes, two large and one smaller, all died w/i a few days of each other, one was hit by a car and the two remaining by mountain lion. On my property a large mastiff was leading a pack of dogs when it was broadsided by a mountain lion.

While walking in town some years back, two pit bulls jumped a fence and charged me on a fast run. The owner and kids were screaming for them to stop as I braced myself for a hit whilst gripping a Colt XSE. The pit bulls came to an abrupt stop, I didn't have to draw, but I did have dog saliva all over my leg, it was very close.

Another pit bull encounter in Tucson found myself between my p/u and friend's front doorway. Not knowing what to expect, I clapped my hands and said, "Come on boy!" We played for a few minutes and then we went on our separate ways.

I've had a number of encounters at my place, dogs, coyotes and even raccoons can all exhibit unpredictable behavior with humans, and especially so with other dogs.

In the below pic there's a large yellow dog just to the left of the t-post;


Yellowdog026.jpg


It shadowed me and a basset I was tending. It was later confirmed that it led a pack that had had killed pet dogs and goats. Once the word was out, its days were limited.

On one occasion there was an unknown breed of dog that had walked up to the dog pen and lunged at my hand as I was watering the basset. Only the wiring saved me from injury, not responding to verbal commands to leave, I fired two shots into the ground and it ran away. While taking a walk out back, the same dog had circled around, came out of the mesquite and at a full run at me. This time a single shot to the head, less than ten feet, from a Colt 38 Super ended the problem.

Each encounter is different, a little common sense goes a long way. :)
 
I've OC'd several dogs.

Basic rules: Try to rotate upwind. Don't thrust your hand as you spray.

Now note, OC is for dogs that are threatening to bite. Once they bite, it's Glock time. Probably 2-3 contact shots to the ribcage.


Pay close attention here:


I respond to dog bite calls all the time. People frequently ask the police, "When CAN I shoot a dog?" (legally).

At the point A HUMAN is being mauled, you can shoot the dog anywhere any time. Depending ON YOUR LOCAL LAWS, you may shoot to protect livestock or pets. In AZ, livestock are protected, not pets.


If you are in your own yard, and have no escape (can't access a door), then you could shoot a dog threatening to attack, because the dog IS trespassing AND threatening you. To ensure your story is solid, you may want to record something with your phone. Not necessary if you have witnesses.



As a responsible gun owner and moral person, you should recognize a difference between "can" shoot and "must" shoot. I've passed up justified shooting scenarios because I didn't have to, and I sleep better knowing I simply ran away from the 70 year old man with a kitchen knife, badge and all, versus being the cop who shot a senior citizen.



The pitbull that did this, needed to be shot (graphic link):
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL639/2678265/21047685/396910201.jpg
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL639/2678265/21047685/396910163.jpg


There was a school 100 yards away, and the pitbull was adjacent a block wall, making a perfect backstop. I radioed for the dog catcher, who was 30 minutes away. Ten minutes later, the pitbull started to trot off, and I shot him while before I lost containment and my backstop.

pitbull: http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL639/2678265/21047685/396910225.jpg


The dog that made that mess wasn't going anywhere near a human.
 
When I was jogging I would sometimes have dogs chase me. I would stop, turn around, and take a step to the dog and just firmly tell it to go home. Usually they would back off, then I would walk away until they weren't following and go home.

I had one dog that apparently wanted to go for a run with me, so I let him be and he followed for about 3 miles, stopping now and then to check stuff out.

Had a young dog, guess to be a half grown pit bull type, play bite me, he put his teeth on my forearm but didn't clamp down. I grabbed a stick and played with him for a bit. Then when he was calmed down just walked him to his owner's house and they put him on a leash.

Honestly I don't think I've ever run into a genuinely mean dog.
 
oneounceload said:
As to how to deal with a dog attack, one method that has worked in the past is to ball your fist and ram it as hard, fast and deep into the throat as you can while grabbing the dog behind the head so it can't get loose. This will cause the dog to pass out from lack of oxygen. How much damage you continue to inflict is up to you. A stick also works, as does a can of pepper or wasp spray
Click to expand...

I always figured that shoving my fist and arm down his throat was what I would do as a last resort if other solutions to the problem did not keep him out of "my personal space". I figured that even a dog has a gag reflex and can't do much with your arm shoved down his throat.

The best solution is not to let him get in your space though. Don't run, otherwise the prey instinct will take over and they'll chase you since they figure that anything that runs must be prey. I'm a dog person and I've never met a dog that I'm scared of since I know that at the end of the day, I will be at the top of the food chain. It would not be the first time in my life that I had eaten dog. I would not have a problem with shooting the dog if necessary, but I would prefer to just use my walking stick on him to deter him from his endeavor. One thing that I've noticed is that many dogs will think that something like an opened umbrella is a barrier to their progress and will stop. I've never tried it on a dog that was in attack mode, but I've tried it on very large dogs of friends who were known for their "affectionate attacks" that would leave you massively slobbered upon. I had seen the technique used on TV once and thought I would give it a try. I figured that the worst that would happen would be that I would get slobbered upon (like usual).
 
The best solution is not to let him get in your space though. Don't run.
Click to expand...

This.

And this.

I would not have a problem with shooting the dog if necessary, but I would prefer to just use my walking stick on him to deter him from his endeavor
Click to expand...

I can't say enough about the simple walking stick toward off aggressive dogs as long as you're only dealing with one. A pair working together is a different matter, of course. In a determined attack involving two dogs, ram the stick down one's throat and let him chew on it while you turn your attention to his tag-team partner. His attention will be diverted by his friend's agony, and may give him reason to rethink his options when he realizes that he doesn't have any help.

Escalating to firing a shot into the ground in front of a charging dog also does the trick. It startles him and breaks his focus on you, and turns them away 99.9% of the time without the danger of an errant bullet going to parts unknown. Even on hard pavement...at the angle of impact...they don't go far, and you have the added probability of the fragments striking his feet, adding pain to the sound.

A suddenly opening umbrella has the same startling effect, but on a smaller, quieter scale and the illusion of a physical barrier is a bonus...but don't count on it too much. Some aggressive dogs that are behind a fence pay little attention to the barrier and attack the fence to the point of injuring their mouths.
 
One of the issues with dog attack threads is the pit bull fans will always defend the dog and pit bull haters are afraid of them because of their rep (at least partially earned IMO).

Any loose dog is a threat. Period. If it is in a fenced in yard, inside, or leashed to its human, they are relatively safe.

IMO, any dog that is loose and shows aggression towards humans is a candidate for being destroyed, especially larger dogs of the more aggressive species such as rotts, GSD, etc. Pits are not normally human aggressive but if they ever display aggression towards humans they should be destroyed.

While it is true that many times dogs are misidentified as pits, it is also true that the pit bull lovers are guilty of deliberately misleading people in this area. They will often claim that Staffordshire Terriers for instance are not pits, while virtually everyone accepts that they are. They seem to have adopted the notion that only fighting dogs are pits, and while maybe true in some very legalistic sense, it is not particularly helpful.

I like dogs but dogs that are not under control are a problem and sometimes there is just one answer.

BTW, any dog left out on a tether is a dog that will have trouble. Fenced in dogs or penned in dogs are usually much better off if they just cannot stay inside for whatever reason. A dog left on a tether by itself often becomes very neurotic and if it escapes its tether can be dangerous just because of being tethered.

Start a practice of calling animal control if you see any loose dogs.

If you live in a rural area, feral dogs should probably just be dispatched. No good comes from feral dogs. There is a difference between a stray dog and a feral dog, but the difference is about a week.
 
OK dog experts! Here is a very good question IMHO: Is a threatening dog situation another good use for the Taurus Judge? What if you had (maybe custom loaed?) less than lethal .410 shell like rock salt or rubber shot? What about birdshot at a distance?

I have carried pepper spray and a G19 on my various exercise missions and have not had to use either one, but I totally would if attacked.
 
Please look at this before you use the term "pit bull"

People,

We cannot have a rational discussion if we do no use the same terms.

Most people think that any dog with a "big head" is a "pit bull".

My neighbor, who has two boxers, has had animal control called on his "pit bulls" repeatedly. (he lets them run around and play "off leash". My rescue mutt loves them.)

PLEASE look at this website and take the test.

It will help us get onto the same page.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
 
Is a threatening dog situation another good use for the Taurus Judge? What if you had (maybe custom loaed?) less than lethal .410 shell like rock salt or rubber shot? What about birdshot at a distance?

IMHO...

1) No

2) No

3) No

I personally don't see any good use for a Taurus Judge, for a variety of reasons. And I carry a revolver every day.

There is IMHO no legal justification for plain ordinary armed citizens to think about less lethal anything where firearms are concerned. If it can be fired in a firearm, it should be considered lethal, because the firearm is considered a lethal weapon. And if there is no legal justification in killing, then there is no justification in shooting, with ANYTHING. Whether or not some homemade load might or might not discourage an attack is IMHO not at all relevant.

Same thing as above goes for birdshot.

OPMMV of course...
 
Most people think that any dog with a "big head" is a "pit bull".
Click to expand...

Most people identify either the Staffordshire Bull Terrier or the American Staffordshire Terrier as a Pitbull, and in fact...most of the "Pitbull" attacks in the US are Amstaffs or AmStaff mixed.

I've also heard people describe hundred pound Pitbulls. Pits don't get that big. The taller, heavier AmStaff rarely tips the scales at much more than about 80 pounds...and that's for an unusually big male.

But, you know...never mind that. If it looks like a Pitbull, then it's a Pitbull. Don't confuse the issue with facts.

And Pits aren't the only ones that are misidentified by so-called experts. I had an animal control officer inform me that he'd have to seize my "wolf" as he pointed to a big Alaskan Malamute that I was holding for a friend while he was on vacation. Luckily, he was a reasonable type, and called the vet's number on the rabies tag before he made a fool of himself and caused me a lot of trouble.
 
Tuner,

I am a huge dog lover and advocate. While I understand that there is much confusion on the identification and classification please help me understand the differences.

Per the AKC the Staffordshire Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier are classified as pit bulls. They came from the same lineage.

I also was led to believe that the American Bull Dog was also classified as a pit bull, even though the dog is significantly different in size. Isn't this what Petey was on the little rascals? And he was always referred to as a pit bull.

The is no AKC classification to my knowledge of dog called a Pit Bull.

I love watching the dog whisperer and noticed that even Ceasar Milan referred to several different (in appearance) dogs as pit bulls. One of his favorites "Daddy" definitely falls into the Staffordshire Terrier category.

I hold no ill will to any pit bull as there temperment is a result of they way they were raised. But I'd like your opinion in terms of identifying and classifying the different breeds as even I seem to be getting confused on the matter.

Thanks and I look forward to your advice.
 
Although pitbulls bite with the same pressure as other dogs, they hold longer than most. And THAT is a significant difference. Pitbulls hold, because if they release their owner or the owner's cattle could be killed. It's part training and part instinctive. It's the hold that is dangerous, IMO, especially when the victim is pulling away - increasing the damage.

My neighbor has young children and recently got a pitbull. My children are forbidden to visit them, or even pet the dog when walked. Sorry, but the odds of significant damge or death are greatly increased with these animals, especially in the hands of ignorant and immature owners. If you can show me an owner that can have this dog release on command, then I'll trust that dog. They're out there, I'm sure. But the odds are against it and I refuse to put my children at unecessary risk.
 
Per the AKC the Staffordshire Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier are classified as pit bulls. They came from the same lineage.
Click to expand...

They had a common ancestor, but they're not the same dog. The AKC lumping them into a single category doesn't change that. All the old world "Bully" breeds have been used for pit fighting or baiting at one time or another.

The is no AKC classification to my knowledge of dog called a Pit Bull.
Click to expand...

The AKC doesn't recognize "Pit Bull" as a breed because they haven't settled on a breed standard as to size, general build, coloration, or even acceptable eye color. They only recently recognized the Plott Hound, even though it's been around for about 250 years.

There are relatively few pure Pitbulls because of mixing and generally bastardizing the breed. The fight breeders like to mix them with AmStaffs for body mass and jaw strength. The one pictured above is an excellent specimen.

I also was led to believe that the American Bull Dog was also classified as a pit bull.
Click to expand...

Well, there ya go. If it's got a big head and a short muzzle...it's a Pitbull. Like the Boxer, the American Bulldog isn't even closely related to any of the fighting Bully breeds.
 
So the Staffordshire and Am Staff are not pitbulls? So then the pitbull is definietly a mutt breed?

The picture you show as an American Pitbull just looks like a mixed breed to me..lol

Man that poor breed is just surrounded by confusion and mislabeling.
 
The picture you show as an American Pitbull just looks like a mixed breed to me..lol
Click to expand...

And there's where the confusion and misidentification comes from. Most people wouldn't know a real Pitbull if one walked up and offered'em a howdy...mainly because there aren't that many.

They see a powerfully built dog with a big "Bully" head, and they think: "ZOMG! Pitbull!" Never mind the fact that they're looking at a Dogo Argentino or a Cane Corso. It's a Pitbull, and don't waste time tryin' to make'em believe otherwise.

So the Staffordshire and Am Staff are not pitbulls?
Click to expand...

Correct.

So then the pitbull is definietly a mutt breed?
Click to expand...

All modern domestic dogs are the result of cross-breeding, so technically, they're all mutts. The American Pit Bull got off to a good start, and then the slobs started trying to create the perfect fighting dog. They're actually pretty rare.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

4
  • Locked
Friends Mother Attacked by dog.
Replies
2
Views
622
45+
4
G
  • Locked
Dog Attack
2 3 4 5
Replies
113
Views
4K
Kleanbore
K
T
  • Locked
Dogzilla Attacks!
Replies
19
Views
1K
Kager
K
J
  • Locked
Dog attack....ALMOST
2 3 4 5
Replies
104
Views
5K
Ed Harris
E
E
  • Locked
Dog Psychology...
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
Edward429451
E
Back
Top