shooting dogs

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We moved from a ranch with lots of space in the past year. A lot of people dumped their dogs out in the country and they would "pack up."

We had a lot of dangerous stuff in terms of animals - rattlesnakes, coyotes and mountain lions. Rattlers required caution before being disposed of, coyotes required caution, but not as much. Mountain lions ran off as soon as they knew there was a human threat.

But, feral dogs were a completely different story. The wife and kids had standing orders that if you saw more than three dogs together you got behind a door.

We only had one real incident and that was when three got to one of my goats, but feral dogs can be more dangerous than wild animals. They've lost their fear of man and work together.

When I was faced with them I'd use a gun and a lariat. We ended up with a couple good dogs that way. Once out of the pack they were looking for a new leader - me.

Never shot one, never needed to. They fear and respect authority.

I have five dogs. Four of them don't add up to 40 pounds. I don't need a dog for self defense. All I need them to do is let me know I have to take care of something. And, oh yeah, the fifth dog weighs in at 20 pounds.

All my dogs are rat terriers. I don't have to worry about the 20-pounder. He could bring down a horse if he wanted. He's 13 inches at the whithers and when i walk in the door he taps his front paws on my shoulders until I bend over to pay attention to him. I'm only 6-2.

Threats from dogs are in the mind of the beholder. My lariat is the best weapon I have for an errant dog. They get real easy to handle when you have a rope around their necks.

Only had one gave me real trouble. Had to give him to the Humane Society the third time I caught him.

Y'all ought to learn to rope. Good lariat only costs about $35 to 50.
 
The dog is dead!! I would much rather shoot the owner for not protecting their dog by keeping him under control. It's more their fault then the dog. Of course I would end up in prison if I did shoot the owner...Self defence is just that. I wish to live without injuries or scares from injuries. So...The dog is dead!! And if I can get the owner in trouble with the law I will do that too.

I have already dispatched a dog messing with my pregnant mare. Had her cornered in a small paddock when she was 10 months along.
 
I honestlly can't see why a question like this is even asked, other than to initiate an argument and a barrage of posts either way. Another biased leading question. Many here including myself have and love dogs, so you may as well ask if anyone would shoot grandparents or nieces and nephews, if your 4yr old grandaughter or you 89 year old uncle was coming at you at a high rate of speed shaking his cane, or swinging his bedpan at you. That kind of question is just not warrented in a place where most of us are in life. You should know when you are in danger and when your not, and handle things accordinglly
 
PawDaddy, just what would have been your justification for shooting those two dogs taking a walk in the woods?
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It would have depended on how they acted when they got to the point that I had "allowed" them. If they had spotted me and went the other way, I would have let them go. It they had kept coming towards me after seeing me I would have shot them both. (THAT IS, IF THEY WERE NOT ACTING IN A FRIENDLY MANNER) If they had been wagging tails and acting in an unthreatening way I would have tried to keep my distance and encourage them to move on. They were two BIG dogs that could have easily hurt or killed someone. I was not going to take that chance.
 
I knew a federal agent who was called to investigate threats to an IRS agent. When he and his partner arrived at the scene of the problem, a woman sicced her dog on them—one of these little battery operated dogs that yapped. Often underestimated, this dog was too quick for the agents. My friend's partner drew his revolver and emptied it trying to hit the dog. He missed all five times. He then grabbed the nearest thing he could find, an old aluminum trash can lid, and literally beat the dog to death with it. The woman, who had been laughing during the entire attack, was now crying uncontrollably and swearing loudly at the two agents. They arrested her, put the dog's body in a plastic bag and then sought out a doctor to treat the one agent's injuries to his leg and ankle.

Pepper spray is probably a better alternative than firearms in most cases, but having spoken to a number of dog trainers, I've yet to talk to one that will have ANYTHING to do with a Pit Bull. There are people in this world who will defend Pit Bulls to the end, and there are people who used to defend Pit Bulls until theirs attacked them or a neighbor, seemingly without cause.
 
You guys'll find this story interesting. The next door neighbor's miniature collie seriously has some emotional problems - serious anxiety evident by erratic behavior. Anyway, the thing kept getting through the gap in its fence and charging me. And I mean, it was CHARGING me with clear intent to do me harm. After about a dozen times, when the neighbors did nothing to prevent this, I began to carry pepper spray. I hit the dog a couple times with pepper spray and he retreated immediately back to his yard.

But that's not the best part. The best part is that the dog no-doubt carried that pepper spray irritant into the home on its coat and probably caused some pretty good discomfort to the family. Immediately they sealed the gap in the fence. Problem solved.

Wasn't it Hannibal on The A Team who used to say through his cigar-clenched teeth, "I love it when a plan comes together."
 
i have (sadly) had to shoot 2 dogs, (one was rabid, and one was a stray pitbull that had already jumped on and killed a beagle) i have no predijuce aganst a pit bull or any other breed of dog, but rather the owner that make them into agressive dogs.

its like what ArmedBear said about some dog breeds.

i have two bullmastiffs, and the temperment of the dog depeds on the owner.

those two dogs are calm and gentile, i trust those dogs enough to play with my 3 year old cousin, and they have never attacked a human, they HAVE killed snakes, coyoties and other varmits that have found their way into the chicken coop before.

the only time i have ever seen those dogs act agressive towards a human, was the time when the local "thug" had a little too much to drink and decided he wanted to go around looking for trouble.
just so happened he wound up at my driveway.

the police were on the way, and a guy holding a shotgun and two large dogs was enough to turn him around, long story short, he spent the rest of that night and the next day in the "drunk tank" at the local sherrifs office.

dogs are mans best friend, and a good dog is a loyal companion, needles to say, they are people out there who turn dogs into vicious animals.
 
I have killed an attacking dog. Actually, he attacked my two cats in the yard, I waded into it kicking him, he turned on me. I shot him before he did me much harm, though my tom cat got bit on the foot and mama got a busted leg out of the deal and had to go to the vet. He bit me on the leg, but I was moving and it was a glancing blow. That's what made me decide to take him out. I got arrested, spent 2800 on a lawyer and it got dismissed. So, think about it first even if you're being attacked. Seems dogs have more rights than humans. There's a whole animal cruelty statute all its own in Texas law. Legal defenses to prosecution are if it's klling live stock or self defense or defense of property, but that don't mean you won't get arrested and let he courts sort it out at your expense. If you got a knife, you might wanna risk a few bites for a silent kill. Stab, shovel, and shut up.

There is a guy in north Houston that strangled a dog to death, but it tore him up pretty good before he got it killed. Up to you as to how much pain. I'm wishing I'd have done that. I didn't know if the dog was stray or what, just that it was attacking and mean as hell. If I'd let it get to me, I could have sued the people down the street, I guess. That would help out my retirement a bit, though they ain't got much other than their house, but hey, I'd put 'em on the street. We have a leash law in this town and they own 3 such vicious dogs. Damned things get off the leash all the time.

Yeah, I've shot a few feral dogs, too. Chaps me off that people dump dogs like that, but they do. I've found a deer skeleton on my place once that I'm pretty sure was dogs. Coyotes or a bobcat would have ate it and scattered the bones more. Funny thing, though, I have more problems with feral packs in town than out there, go figure.

I had a lab for a while. I just can't keep a dog in town, though, they have a way of breaking the leash and I refuse to keep 'em penned up. That dog was a fantastic retriever, though. He got killed or stolen, not sure. He was here one day, gone the next. I was off hunting in west Texas and the wife was here. If I had a big run, maybe, but in town, keeping a bigger dog is a pain. I'm not real sure why those people down the street mess with it. I had a Beagle for a while, too, got bit by a rattler and died. Poor little fellow, was a good rabbit hound. I have a thing for labs being a life long duck hunter. Nothing like having a hunting buddy that's just waiting on YOU to go. I've always liked Beagles, too, guess because a friend had a good one when I was growing up that I loved to shoot rabbits over.

BUT, that's why I have cats for pets. They stay around. They're fixed, so they don't prowl so much. Well, tom cat got killed by dogs....again. I've had four litters killed by dog packs right on my front porch and several adult cats over the last several years. I'm down to one now, not sure how long she'll last. Maybe I'll try fish, next. :rolleyes: The cats sure keep the rats down out in my old shop building, though. That makes 'em useful.

One morning, when I chased the dogs off my front porch after they'd killed off several cats about 4AM, I called the cops just to get 'em down here to take my statement and record it. The cop told me he was called out to the bay front out in front of my house about 150 yards by two guys wade fishing. That dog pack (sounded like the same one) was stalkin' them and they were afraid to get out of the water. PD dispatch told him to shoot 'em if he could, but he said they moved on. I'm not the only one with the problem down this street, either. A friend with a cat a mile and a half down the road lost his cat to them. They're really bad in this town.

Another true story, friend of mine called just the other day, says a friend of his, local MD, had bought an old house and was cleaning it up to fix it up for sale. It's an old house and the renters were 6 months back on their rent when he ran 'em off. The left a friggin' pot bellied pig in the house. He didn't know what to do with it, my buddy decides he's going to try to slaughter it. Well, he says to me he got a rope around it and went to drag it out and he couldn't do it and it bit him. ROFL! Guy was scared of the danged pig. So, on the way over there to help him, I asked him how much the thing weighs. He says "150 to 200 lbs". Guess that was the fear talkin' cause when I opened the bathroom door where he was, he was all of maybe 60-75 lbs. ROFL! I got a rope over his neck and drug him out no problem kickin' and squeelin' and stuck him in the back of the truck. Now, my buddy knows what I went through with an attacking dog and I told him I don't know what they law would be on shootin' a pet pig, screwed up as animal cruelty laws are. We were going to run down to the gun range and pop it, out of town, but he decided to take it to a farmer friend of his to pen it for a while. He bought some feed corn to fatten it up. It was kind of scrawny being abandoned in that house for who knows how long.

Long post, but just be aware that animal cruelty laws are super stupid now days. Yeah, I don't believe in shooting pets, didn't wanna shoot that stupid pig! Hell, I've killed a buncha pigs, wild ones, stabbed 'em with a knife, killed 'em in a trap with a handgun, shot 'em from a stand and while still hunting. Those were wild. But, hey, if a dog attacks you like it did me and you shoot it, you could be spending the night in lock up waiting on the judge to set bail next morning. Just a word to the wise.
 
i love all animals. and it saddens the hell out of me to kill anything. with that said, i've had to put down-

4 dogs, had animal control come and pick them up
6 coyotes, bonfire
12 raccoons, in the trash
3 possums, in the trash

because they were all cornering or attacking either my dog or one of my cats.

so...... 9mm or 45acp for dogs? :D
 
Killing a dog that needs killing is not like killing a pet. In the summer of 05 my daughter's kitten was killed on our front porch by a chow that had been running the streets. The animal control folks actually had her captured, but someone claimed her and then she was back running around the neighborhood. She had two or three puppies running with her.

After she killed the kitten, I went on a hunt for her. I never saw her again. But, if I had and especially if she was in my yard I would have shot her down. Hopefully she got ran over or came to an end of some kind.

I have killed a couple of dogs, but not just to kill them. I have put many old strays in flight with a few BB's to the rump when I was a kid.
 
For perspective...

From 1991-2003 in the U.S. there have been an average of 6 Mountain Lion attacks on humans per year resulting in an average of 1 death per year for those years covered.

For the last 100 years in all of North America (U.S., Canada, Arctic areas) there has been an average of 1 reported death per year from bear attacks. This includes Black, Brown and Polar bears.

From 1991-2001 there were 208 reported deaths in the U.S. from dog attacks. Many more maimings, many serious.

Of course 533 people died from stings from bees, wasps, and hornets during the same period, 91-01.

tipoc
 
Of course 533 people died from stings from bees, wasps, and hornets during the same period, 91-01
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A girl that my daughter went to school with had her dad killed by a killer bee swarm. I've heard of a few others in the area, sorta freaks ya out. However, I bet a lot thes statistics are people allergic to stings. Some folks are terribly allergic to insect stings. I'm glad I'm not. I'd have been dead a long, long time ago.

The other thing a person can glean from the info. here is how many folks buy a dog because they feel it is a "tough" dog that fits their image then they don't properly train it or look after it.
tipoc
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Yeah, for sure. I think the guy down the street who's dog I shot (BTW, 9mm is plenty :D) is afflicted with this testosterone syndrome. He was a trucker, not sure what he does now. Retired, I guess. Hell, I ain't seen him in a long time, might be in prison for all I know. His boys were always in trouble, daughter knew 'em in school. Cops showed up at the graduation party over there, drag racing down the street stoned/drunk. Arrested the lot. This guy came home one day and this kid was beating the crap out of his kid in their front yard. He took one of those long pipes they use to ratchet down the chains on the load and beat the kid to death, broke his skull. Guy got no billed for it, "protecting his son." Guess so, I wasn't on the grand jury and don't know details. Probably a drug fight or something and the kid might well have been armed.

This type of folk seem to have the mean dogs. It's a macho thing and in his case, might have been protecting a meth lab or the grow lights and pot plants in his garage or something. Lord knows...:rolleyes:
 
In a heart beat.

A few years ago, I had 2 dogs come after me. I got one, but the other bit me on the leg...since then, I haven't been much of a dog fan & since then I've decided if it were ever to happen again, I would take down both dogs.
 
I have two doggy notches to my gun belt. Both tried to come at me in my yard. Both belonged to neighbors. In both cases they were dogs that were normally tied but slipped their chains. A .38 dispatched them both with ease. In one case it was very early and in another it was very late. I got in touch with the owners as soon as I could and told them what had happened. In the first case they were very snotty and rude, but in the second case they apologized and were very sorry that the dog had tried to come at me. If you keep a dog that will bite, you're only asking for trouble.
 
If you keep a dog that will bite, you're only asking for trouble.
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Yep. While I hate the thought of having to shoot a dog...even one that seems bent on doing me harm...I'm not about to let one chew on me in order to prove that I'm a dog lover.

I've shot two myself...and even though I was justified...it still caused me no small measure of grief. I lay the blame on the owners.
They neglected their responsibility and the dogs paid with their lives.
 
I had an experience with an aggressive pit bull once. It came charging across the street at me, looking all business. I had my coat over my left arm and I spun it to give a nice thick padded forearm for the first bite. I then pulled my knife (all I was carrying at the time) which did not impress the dog at all. I backed up yelling "bad dog" over and over. The dog finally turned and pranced off, happy with her performance. It was all bluff. If I had a gun on me I probably would have shot that damn dog.
If you have a dog bigger than punt (the verb, as in kick it 30 yards) size, keep it leashed or fenced in.
 
would any of you ever shoot a dog if it threatened to harm you and of course i mean more that just barking and haveing a menacing demenor.
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Yes I would, and have. And if the dog is on my property, menacing demeanor is enough. Dogs that act agressively toward people without provocation need to be destroyed. Now when I say that, understand that I don't mean a dog that growls at strangers coming onto the property that the dog belongs to. I mean dogs like the Australian Sheperd my ex had that once snapped at my friend's 5 year old daughter's face for no reason. The dog was disciplined, and my ex was informed that if the dog ever went after a person again, I would put it down post haste.

A dog that is on my property and is a threat to any of my pets will also be killed. I don't see it as being any different than a person who comes to my home wishing to do harm to someone in my household.
 
citation?

Do you have some citation for a "nationwide leash law"?

Just remember that there is a leash law USA wide and in some, if not all or most, states there are also fence laws i.e. if your dog can touch the top of the fench with it's front paws while on it's hind legs you legally have to raise that fence 2ft higher.
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That certainly is not the law in the jurisdiction I live in. In fact, immediately around me I have:

state parks - dogs on leash only

state forest land - dogs specifically allowed off leash

federal conservancy lands - dogs specifically allowed off leash in many areas (which is good, since this is prime waterfowl hunting land)

municipal conservancy/wilderness areas - some on leash required, some specifically dogs off leash, some are designated wetlands training areas for retrievers

city parks - some no dogs at all, some dogs on leash only, but there is one area that allows dogs off leash. Frankly, the idea of turning my dogs off leash in a city park does not appeal to me much, even though they are well trained on voice commands, but I see people there with their dogs off leash, chasing balls and frisbees, and so on.

Federal parks under the nps have a leash requirement. This can cover some areas such as parkways, etc.

Point is, there may a a wide variety of laws that apply. The laws applying to shooting a dog, or other domestic animals, also vary widely both by jurisdiction and circumstance. The vast majority of states now have statutes that can get you charged with a felony if you shoot an animal in circumstances not deemed justified. While a bona fide threat to safety or that of livestock is generally justified. shooting an animal on the street or even on your property can get you charged - and fast. I have several such cases right now. They really are becoming more common. This will vary a lot geographically, of course.

It is best to take the time to learn the specific laws of the jurisdiction you live in, hunt in, etc.
 
Yappy or growling dog? Probably not. Dog coming at me in a dead run with ears laid back and looking to bite my legs off and chew the stumps? Yes.

I like dogs, have always had at least one dog most of my life. That doesn't negate the fact that some dogs are just bad eggs, due to how they were treated or some accident of bad genetics.

Just like carrying against two legged predators, be sure you really are in danger. Some dogs will come charging at you just to get their ears scratched. I'd hate to shoot one of those types.
 
Leash laws are generally city ordinances. Ours is. The constitution doesn't allow (tenth amendment) for such a national law.

I just paid off my lawyer today, final $625 I owed him. All that CRAP is history now, case dismissed, got my carry permit back, got my 9mm and my NAA .22 back. Still miffs me off when I think about it, but I'll get over it, I guess.
 
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