Minimum caliber for dog protection

[GLOOB]

And you dont have the right to murder someone's dog because it barks at you, steps on your land while lost, or gives you nightmares at bedtime. Call animal control.

+1
As long as the dog doesn't look obviously feral, uncared for, or foaming at the mouth, I don't think I'd ever shoot a strange dog that was just "threatening" me. It could be someone's pet that got off the leash as a one-time event. Even if charged, I'd hold my ground, give it my game face, and get ready to open a can of whoopaz. Until it bites me, it's just a dog being a dog. Bluffing, 99% of the time. I don't care if the law gives me the green light. SWAT teams can murder my share of peoples' pets. In my mind, there are plenty of people in this world that deserve to be shot, but not too many dogs.

Confronted with several large aggressive dogs or a known aggressive dog would be different.

Come to think of it, I don't get the concept of "snake guns," either. I'd rather leave a snake alone than suffer hearing loss. Aside from a water moccasin, the only reason a snake would bite you (in North America) is if you stepped on it. And you'd be a little late with the gun, if that were the case.

 

[Jim NE]

Agreed, but the exact same thing can be said about somebody who instead of doing the rational thing and choosing a rabid bull-mastiff free jogging route decides to go Dirty Harry on every pup who barks at him from behind it's Invisible Fence.

On a weekly basis I'm around a couple dogs who have put people in the hospital. I've never felt the need to strap.

I love almost all dogs and the thought of shooting one is heartbreaking to me. It reminds me of the scene in "To Kill A Mockingbird" when the Gregory Peck character (Aticus?) shoots a rabid dog in front of his daughter. Wow, I couldn't stand that scene.

I agree that trigger happiness as a first line of defense is a bad idea, but "a couple dogs who have put people in the hospital"?? Unless there's more to the story, something's not right with that picture. Those type of animals should not be allowed to exist. (unless, of course, it was bad guy intruders they were chewing on.)I'm thinking mostly about the welfare of little 9 year old kids rather than myself.

 

[macadore]

Agreed, but the exact same thing can be said about somebody who instead of doing the rational thing and choosing a rabid bull-mastiff free jogging route decides to go Dirty Harry on every pup who barks at him from behind it's Invisible Fence.

That would be the jogging route with the unicorns. Right? If you find it , let me know. Take a picture.

If you think about it, you really don't need a gun for anything. Just call the police. Carry a ham bone in your pocket so you can distract the dog and get away.

 

[PRM]

Carry a ham bone in your pocket - macadore

Now that's funny!!!

 

[Ben86]

SWAT teams can murder my share of peoples' pets. In my mind, there are plenty of people in this world that deserve to be shot, but not too many dogs.

It irritates the fire out of me that they break into people's homes and shoot the owner's dog for barking and being aggressive. Seriously, how can you expect it to do anything else? It's a dog, it defends it's turf. They need to use pepper spray or something non lethal before whipping out the M4 and shooting people's poor animals like a bunch of storm troopers.

I think no knock entries need to be seriously curtailed, but that's a different subject.

 

[PabloJ]

Mace Triple-Action is quite effective even on larger specimens. Had to use it 3 times in last 5 years. Be on lookout for enraged dog owners despite the fact they're violating local leash regulation having their dog sprayed really ticks them off. Why do stupid people like that think dog is more important then another human being. I don't get it.

 

[MCgunner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D0pJa05f7M

Mace Triple-Action is quite effective even on larger specimens. Had to use it 3 times in last 5 years. Be on lookout for enraged dog owners despite the fact they're violating local leash regulation having their dog sprayed really ticks them off. Why do stupid people like that think dog is more important then another human being. I don't get it.

Maybe if you explain to the enraged dog owner that your alternative was to shoot fideaux, they might just thank you for the mace? Just a thought.

 

[MCgunner]

I love almost all dogs and the thought of shooting one is heartbreaking to me. It reminds me of the scene in "To Kill A Mockingbird" when the Gregory Peck character (Aticus?) shoots a rabid dog in front of his daughter. Wow, I couldn't stand that scene.

You've obviously never had a calf killed or a chicken pen raided by dogs. I've killed my share of dogs with absolutely no regrets. Only good feral dog is a dead feral dog.

 

[Franco2shoot]

Interesting thread. And I have real life experiences over the past two months. First some background. We live in the Burb's just outside D.C. discharge of any firearm is a no-no. Ok so we have a group of tenents in a house across the street from our home.
They have a cross between pit bull and Rotweiller normally kept in the house(big dog over 80lbs.) , but sometimes locked in back yard. This animal has an accomplice, dog that I am clueless as to breed, it is slightly less aggressive.

So last month, a very windy day and both dogs get out.(pepper spray would not have been an option) They are chasing any person up and down a block in every direction. A couple riding their Mountain bikes come up the hill across from my house, and the larger dog snaps and gets hold of the ladies trousers, she is screaming as it pulls her off her bike, and her boyfriend resorts to throwing his bike at the dog to repel the attack. The main attack came from the Pit, with the second dog snapping but about 3 feet back. By the time I went out towards our Mail box, the couple had turned their bikes down the street and were speeding away, so I became the next victim. At first I just yelled at them, but the attack continued, the Pit bull would not retreat and continued to attempt to bite me, a smallish stick seemed to only further incite them, I kept waving it and retreated inside the house. I got the car keys to our Jeep Commander fullly intending on running them down. I slipped out the garage entrance got in the Jeep and headed for the Pit Bull. As it turns out, leaning on the horn and chasing them with the vehicle got them into their back yard where I slammed the gate. ( seems to validate the Air Horn )

Last Saturday, similar experience, 77 year old man hobbling down the sidewalk attacked by the Pit bull. Wife calls Animal control, and I go get the #1 Golf Driver ready to go for the 250 yard marker. By the time I got out there, the owner had collared the animal and had it back in his yard. Cops came and we swore out a complaint, owners were ticketed.

I am really fearful that one fine day the School bus off-loading will coincide with the Pit's backyard escape, and someone's child will be permanently scar'ed but this is the price one has to pay when living in suburbia. I thought about using my Walther P99 in .40 cal but the legal ramifications have me still leaning towards the golf club.

KKKKFL

 

[Remo223]

I don't even like the thought of shooting a coyote. I'm kind of a big sissy that way. It would be even harder for me to shoot a dog. But a dog like the one described above I would kill in a heartbeat with no mercy and no anguish whatsoever. I have a special kind of hatred for a dog(and owner) that is not disciplined. If you cannot control your own dog, especially a potentially dangerous breed, then you should not be allowed to own it. I don't care if it takes a cattle prod or a baseball bat. You teach that animal to mind your commands or else put it down. I get extremely angry when I see a stupid owner with a misbehaving dog that thinks its "cute" how rambunctious fido is. There's nothing cute about it.

 

[1911Tuner]

Back when I was a younger lad and given to walking in residential areas, the sidearm on my belt was thought of as the last ditch when things went badly wrong with man or dog. Operate on the premise that it's best to avoid pulling the trigger if at all possible. Bullets bouncing down the street with the kiddies playing stickball at the other end isn't exactly conducive to good relations with your neighbors, regardless of your circumstance.

The best defense against a territorial dog is a walking stick with a pointy end and a roughened circumference. A kid's water pistol filled with ammonia is an option that works well. If you're especially nasty, you can add pointy things to the sides. The only limit here is your imagination. Small finishing nails protruding about an eighth of an inch, filed sharp are effective.

When a dog that hasn't been trained specifically to avoid a contact weapon makes his move, he will clamp down on the first thing presented to him. Present the pointy end of the stick to him, and when he bites...shove it down his throat aggressively and keep pushing. All but the most determined will break off the instant that they realize that you can hurt them. For the rare dog that backs off the stick and makes another try...he'll bite the stick again. In the interim...while he's considering his options...you can give him a dose of the ammonia. Lather, rinse, repeat until Fido gets the message.

Firing on a fast-moving dog is a good way to wind up in a jam that you'll need a good lawyer and a lot of money to get yourself out of. It's also a good way to invoke the wrath of the dog's owner. He's much more likely to swallow a trip to the vet with his fuzzy buddy for a sore, lacerated mouth than having his dog shot...and much less likely to plan a payback visit at O-Dark-Thirty while you sleep.

 

[MCgunner]

A kid's water pistol filled with ammonia is an option that works well.

I used that one delivering papers on my bike when I was a kid. I'd been bitten before. One thing, I didn't care at the time, but a shot of ammonia to the eyes can blind permanently. There was at least one blind dog in Jones Creek, Texas back in 1967.

 

[Sniper X]

Yet another person here in NM was killed a couple days ago, by 4 Pit Bulls that got away from the owners. The responding cop had to shoot one that tried to attack him, the other three took off after the gunshot and headed for home. Just think of how much better this all would have been had the lady who was killed had even a .22. The owners might be brought up on charges.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

unless you are looking for an excuse to go buy a new gun, I'd just use what you already own.

 

[Karl Hungus]

I'd pack a SNIPER RIFLE.

...that should lock this ridiculous thread.

 

[Guillermo]

dogs attack people every day

I am amazed at the people that act like this is a silly thread

Of course I should not be surprised.

 

[Averageman]

My Step Dad made soap loads for his .44. Remove the bullet and inset soap or wax.
I never saw him load them, but did get to see him unload one. It flipped the dog completly head over heels and it staggered and then took off.
We had some pretty crazy neighbors back then.

 

[Walking Dead]

Just carry a knife. You can jog with it in your hand folded up and know body would know.

 

[DC3-CVN-72]

when I was stationed at N.A.S. Alameda CA. my wife & I had an APT. in town. One day we were home on a saturday afternoon in agust '94. I was sitting on the coutch watching a baseball game on t.v. & Annie was makeing us some sandwiches. I had the front door open for some air. The land loard was replaceing all the screen doors so nobody had one. A few doors down some people were haveing a party, cool. as I'm watching the game out of the corner of my eye I see a dog running through the front door. I looked to my left to see a black & white pit bull running at me. My cocked & locked COLT Officers .45 ACP was on the end tabel next to me. Before I could even think about picking it up the dogs head was in my lap. So I grabe for its head. before I could even do that it just started licking my face. He was just a big puppy. I started petting him & was just about to get up & take him around the complex to see who he belonged to when a verry large man runs throug my front door at me. He looked at my .45 on the end tabel, stoped in his tracks, & said " I'm sorry Bennie scared you, he's not mean." I said "thats ok, I'm sorry I don't have a screen door !" He invited Annie & I to the party & we had a great time. Had I had shot that dog, I would probaly have had to shoot that man. It all happened inside of 15 seconds. I'm glad it turned out well.

 

[Remo223]

^ha!

There used to be a neighborhood cat that would sneak into my house. I tend to come home late from work(in the dark) The first time I saw the cat in my house it nearly scared me to death. the cat snuck in while was opening the front door in the dark and I didn't see the cat go in, in fact I never knew the cat was anywhere around. I keep the lights in the house turned off too. Well, I was very tired and sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Lights are still turned off btw. In a little while I thought I saw saw something move in the shadows and gave me a start. I shrugged it off...was thinking to myself "buy mousetraps tomorrow". A little while later I DID see something BIG run accross the front room(lights are still off). I was up on the couch screaming trying to climb up the walls and trying to remember where I last left my gun. Then this dumb one-eyed crooked eared cat hops up on my couch with me, sits down, and says "meow".

after that it came in with me everyday for a few minutes after I got off work.

 

[mljdeckard]

If a dog is bad enough that I need to use violence to stop it, I don't want it to get close enough that I can use a knife. (.....same as a human bad guy.)

 

[Jim NE]

Guillermo said "dogs attack people every day

I am amazed at the people that act like this is a silly thread"

You're right, Guillermo. 34 people died last year in the US from dog attacks. A friend of mine was put in the hospital for 2 months when an unleashed dog attacked him while he was riding a motorcycle. But forget about what vicious dogs do to middle aged bikers and joggers armed with pepper spray. Think about what they do to KIDS. The majority of victims are kids. Kids have an innate love of all animals, and think that all animals are sweet and want to be petted. Maybe they should know better, but they don't....because they're KIDS. Anyone who thinks their VICIOUS dog is more valuable than the neighborhood children, and lets that dog roam or walk off the leash, is a sociopath. I'm not characterizing all or most dog owners that way, the vast majority aren't. This thread isn't about the vast majority.

Some more facts from the net: "The median age of patients bitten was 15 years, with children, especially boys aged 5 to 9 years, having the highest incidence rate... The odds that a bite victim will be a child are 3.2 to 1. (CDC.) ...Children seen in emergency departments were more likely than older persons to be bitten on the face, neck, and head. 77% of injuries to children under 10 years old are facial." I should mention that almost half of the kids bitten belong to (or are friends of) the families that own viscious dogs.

Again, I love dogs, but I love my kids a whole lot more.

Oh, and the dogs most likely to kill are Pit bulls and Rottweilers.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I watched my dad shoot a rabid dog multiple times in the head with a .22 when I was a kid. I don't recall how many hits that sick animal soaked up but it was a bunch. Very sad indeed.

Sick animals don't act like regular animals.

Centerfire and make it count. You don't want to get too close to a rabid dog.

 

[lizziedog1]

Stray dogs don't usually do too well around here. A couple of weeks ago I found a dog collar in the desert. No dog, not even a piece of fur. We have predators that help remind folks to be responsible pet owners.

I have dogs. My property is fenced in. They can not get out. I guess for some folks that is a novel situation.

 

[Guillermo]

We have predators that help remind folks to be responsible pet owners.

sadly the responsible pet owner is the exception...not the rule



(as I write this I am listening to a neighbors dog bark incessantly...and yes, they have been polity informed that their dog is a noise problem.)