shooting dogs

[leathermanwave]

The history of the dog matters, if the barks and charges every single time you walk past and every time it stops and goes back to it's yard leave it alone. If it does this on your own land it is a threat to you.

We had Some neighbors dogs that used to always go on our land and try their best to get at our goats and chickens we told the owner and they wouldn't stop them so we shot at them at about 70 yards with buckshot, anyway they had to bring the dogs to the vet to get the buckshot pellets removed. We saw them outside the next day building a fence. Problem solved.

 

[ArmedBear]

They do have very sensitive smell and a spray bottle with some household ammonia will drive them away fast.

I'll have to experiment with that (low dose). Sometimes, you even want to drive your own dogs away. Like when there's salmon on the dinner table.

BTW if I met someone in person who said he "hates" some animal or other, I'd question his mental stability and intelligence.

I just ate the meat of something I shot, for lunch today. I'm hardly a "bunny-hugger."

It's just not rational to "hate" an animal, even if you need to shoot it. A dog is not a person, and getting emotionally riled by anthropomorphizing its motivations is unproductive at best.

 

[41magsnub]

Same here, I have shot a dog in self defense while it was chasing me and had bitten me before even after a blast of pepper spray. I hated it but it needed to be done since the Sheriff and animal control failed repeatedly to do something about it. I would do it again.

 

[NG VI]

I don't want to be taken the wrong way, I love dogs in general but I am not about to get mauled because someone didn't properly socialize their animal. It seems like some peoples dogs are basically feral but coexist with their owners.

And I don't know if I care to carry around a bottle of windex everywhere I go, seems a bit inconvenient to me for a situation that usually won't happen.

 

[jgo296]

kinna odd but i have a bulldog that fears almost nothing
but i pointed a pistol at her and she got scared and got out of the way
i was really shocked shes never seen a gun fired , never had anything used on her that would resemble a gun, and i didnt do it in any kind of agressive manner
plus she doesnt get scared when you point a camera at her
i was kinna amazed still dont undersgand it though

 

[1911Tuner]

jgo...I've got a Collie that reacts the same way. He's never had any sort of reason to fear a gun...but he does, especially if he hears one go to battery or dry-fire.

Some dogs are just smarter than others.

 

[41magsnub]

Only dogs I had that were afraid of guns were afraid of squirt guns for obvious reasons when I was a kid.

 

[bensdad]

I haven't had to shoot a dog, but I would if it threatened me or mine. I shot a stud horse once with birdshot when I was a kid. It had broken down our fence and was mounting a Morgan Mare we had. He got down and ran home.

I'd also like to add emphasis to those who have mentioned the "tenacity" of a dog. I found a German Shepard in our barn one morning who had been shot in the hind quarters with a shotgun. He had entry wounds in his back legs, testicles, tail, hips. He was a mess: blood had pooled on the floor where he was laying. Nice enough dog - must have run through the wrong yard somewhere in the neighborhood. The nearest house was at least 1/4 mile away, and he had injuries that would have imobilized any man I know.

 

[Fat Boy]

Having read electric meters for a living at one time in my life, I have had a fair share of encounters with dogs, many of whom would have been perceived as bad, or dangerous. As has been stated, the vast majority of "bad" dogs will "talk trash", show you some teeth, act menacing, etc. Many of these animals will stop and move away when you shout at them, step towards them, and otherwise act a bit aggressively towards them. (this aggression on the persons part is only needed long enough for the person to remove themselves from the area) It is the exception, a truly nasty dog that can be a genuine threat, to limb and in extreme cases to life. I had a colleague who spent a few days in a hospital after being set upon by 3 german sheperds; he lost quite a bit of blood and it took lots of stitches to close him up. Fortunately, he was able to get away from the animals, and was eventually no worse for the wear. In those really bad situations, you may have to fight just to get away. However, it is worth noting that if you shoot a dog, (believe this or not), you may be explaining why you had a weapon with you, and why you shouldn't be charged with premeditated cruetly to animals. Just a thought, YMMV

 

[Moonclip]

I hate people that treat dogs as equal to humans and such though I love most dogs,pit bulls included. lets not go there though unless you want to PM me or something.

I hope this thread stays on the best course of action if forced to shoot a dog under dire circumstances. Not on the merits of dogs, their owners, ect.

Wheres the best place to shoot? Head, body? I've had dogs threaten to attack me when I was only armed with maybe a stick or a knife but usually unless a trained dog an agressive response sends them away. Yes they like to chase my motorcycle as well. I hate irresponsible owners who let their dogs roam free causing damage.

 

[tkendrick]

As a kid growing up on a ranch, we would go through spells.

We had one really bad year where we lost five calves in a month to feral dogs running in a pack. We shot IIRC 8 dogs in a week, that time.

Haven't had to do it since.

But a friend of mine in Phoenix was taken down, his mini-dobie killed and a mixed breed cocker had vet bills to the tune of $800.

Under the right circustances, would do it in a heart beat.

 

[USMCDK]

Hey guys I didn't read the whole thing but I don't BELIEVE that this wasn't covered in the thread yet...

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.

With that said, if both those laws are violated and the dog attacks you, you have the right do defend yourself with lethal force, given the dog isn't a K-9 unit's dog i.e. police dog. I know this law to be true, because.

When I was 14y/o I was attacked by a Rotty in the street that had jumped the owners fence just to get at me. when I struggled to get away instinct of kill or be killed kicked in and that's when I did it. I gave up on getting away and wrapped myself around the dog's body with my legs and grabbed, with my free hand, the dogs head and twisted injuring the dog severly. the owner came running out of the house screaming his guts at me about how I harmed his precious dog, all while calling the Manchester PD to report the incident. When they arrived the dog had choke to death and the owner was heavily fined not only that they, the PD, told the owner that what I had done was totally legal and even if I mannaged to get away, with the dog still alive, and report it, they would have put the dog down anyway.

So bare in mind my little run in with a dog that attack outside of it's, legally set, territory.

If it happens to you, you have the right to kill it hands down LEGALLY!!!

Thank you.

So to answer the OP's question... you are damn right I would shoot and kill a dog that has and or is attacking me.

 

[Confederate]

There are so many other effective ways of dealing with dogs that shooting them should always be the final option.

Most dogs won't attack someone with a staff in their hands. If attacked by multiple dogs, that's something else entirely. In that case, you have to determine which one is the pack leader and take him out. After that, the others should scatter.

I'm more of a cat person myself and would unhesitatingly shoot a dog on my property that was an immediate threat to either me or the cat. But again, it would be a last resort.

I once knew a fellow who trained soldiers to kill dogs with their bare hands. "The number one point I try to get across to them," he said, "is that almost any able-bodied man can kill almost any healthy dog with no training, if they keep their wits."

Killing Shepherds is one thing. They're pretty predictable whether they've been trained or not; however Dobermans and Pit Bulls are far more dangerous—the Dobermans because they look for openings and are smart enough to devise tactics, and the Pit Bulls because of their tenacity.

I knew of one fellow who shot a Pit Bull that was attacking his neighbor. He'd just bought a Broomhandle Mauser and was in the middle of inspecting it when he heard the cries next door. He quickly loaded a clip, and ran outside with his Mauser. Spotting the dog, he said it had the woman by her thigh and that it was trying to rip it off her leg. Aiming at the chest, he fired off a round. The dog lurched a bit, released the woman to spit out a part of its lung, and then returned to its grisley attack. The second time this fellow aimed for its neck and squeezed off another round. This time the round almost decapitated the dog and the attact was over.

Now it turned out that the dog belonged to the owner and that it had just attacked for seemingly no reason. The woman was trying to get into her car when her neighbor appeared, but she was too distracted by the dog's vicious onslaught. Had he not appeared, the end of the story would have been much different. As it was, she was seriously injured, but survived.

 

[XDKingslayer]

I once knew a fellow who trained soldiers to kill dogs with their bare hands. "The number one point I try to get across to them," he said, "is that almost any able-bodied man can kill almost any healthy dog with no training, if they keep their wits."

Keeping your wits about you isn't an easy thing to do when you have a 100lb. chainsaw having it's way with you...

The problem with shooting dogs is that you truly don't know the dogs intent. I've had people shy away from my dog when he's simply sitting beside my left leg like he's trained to do. They dog park clears out when I show up with my dog because people think he's automatically going to eat their dog.

They watch and wait for it to eat the little old lady's miniature poodle while they chase each other around the park for hours.

People are so ingrained to think any mean looking dog (oh noes! a pit bull!) is going to attack, even if they aren't a threat to attack. It's mindless prejudice.

Almost none of you would shoot at a woman running at you out of the blue. Almost all of you would shoot a dog running at you out of the blue.

Women have killed more people than pit bulls...

 

[bowl443]

If I'm carrying, and I can't shoot a dog when my life is perceived to be in danger, then I shouldn't be carrying.

 

[saunderscc]

I agree with bowl443. I am carrying for protection. Killing a dog who is heading towards me and I have no other option than to shoot, I shoot. As with humans, lethal force should be a last resort. I have always had dogs in my life from childhood to now. It would kill me to shoot the dog, but if there were no other option...I would.

 

[malakas07]

So everyone that has had to shoot a dog in self defense or for the defense of others within CITY LIMITS.

What happened after the Police arrived? What did they say to you?

 

[leathermanwave]

My sister used to have 3 dogs and we have goats a horse and chickens. We always have geese fly over our house because there is a gravel pit next door so we used to watch for geese and bolt out the door with the shotgun and start shooting, It got so the sight of a shotgun or racking the slide would create a mad rush for the dog house and barn. It's true that a lot of animals seem to know that a gun pointed at them is not good even if they have never seen a gun before.

I think it is kind of funny that these self defense against dogs threads seem to cause more of a stir than a self defense against humans thread.

 

[glocker82]

That's why I only own border collies...they are smart enough not to attack someone with a gun! at least mine is..he hates guns!

 

[PawDaddy]

I love dogs very much and have owned dogs most of my life. A dog is a wonderful companion and a great addition to the family. They can and often are thought of as family members.

Having said that, I would not have a problem killing a dog if I had to.

I was sitting in the woods once while deer hunting. I had my Rem. 1100 and was sitting on the ground on a hillside overlooking a trail. I heard something as saw two dogs meandering through the woods. One was a German Shepherd and the other looked like a bulldog. For some reason chills ran up my spine at the sight of them. As they got closer I slipped the safety off and waited. I had a certain distance that I was going to allow them to get to before taking action. They turned off just before they got there. They never saw me and went on down the trail.

I would have never thought twice about dropping them both in their tracts.

 

[Cosmoline]

They do have very sensitive smell and a spray bottle with some household ammonia will drive them away fast.

Not a great idea. The ammonia mist can get right back in your face if you shoot into a headwind, and unlike pepper spray ammonia can leave you blind for the rest of your life.

When to shoot a dog is like when to shoot a human. You have to make a determination based on facts and circumstances. You can't shoot a dog just because it comes up to you anymore than you can kill a human for coming near you. You have to use common sense and listen to the little voice in your head. 99 times out of 100 the dog is either goofing around or at most hoping for a sucker bite and will back off if you stand ground. But there are times when things look *wrong* and you have to take action.

 

[NG VI]

I think it is kind of funny that these self defense against dogs threads seem to cause more of a stir than a self defense against humans thread.

I think that is because any human old enough to be a threat to anything larger than a mouse knows they better cut it out when someone draws on them, and if they don't then they have made their own decision, what happens when they catch 2-10 bullets is the direct result of their own decisions, no one elses.

Dogs and other animals for the most part don't recognize or take similiar situations the same way. Plus then you get into the fuzz of dogs who just posture and act aggressively but "mean no harm".

 

[USMCDK]

Dogs are also a lil different from humans... Yes we are both territorial creatures, but dogs territory, unless trainned, is far bigger than ours. I.E. a dog that roams the streets on it own vs. a fenced in dog. Yes fenced n dogs will consider what is out side the fence it's territory some times.

With that said, dogs make a totally different judgement called based on that. You come into my territory and I am, not, sure you are authorized I just might bite you to get you to get lost. Dogs don't know the laws of man, they can't tell you RSA 13:9.2b (just something I came up with it's not real at least not that I know of) states that... Blah Blah BLAH... so they handle it in the only way that they can... instinctively.

I am not saying that shooting a dog is wrong or right. and I will tell you this. I would find it just as hard to shoot one as I would a human being. It's not liek I am hunting deer to put on my dinner plate, totally different ball game. In the event that the laws have been broken just like in my story, then yes I would shoot and shoot to kill for that matter dog or human, and have my sadness and regret afterwards and hundress of $ in theropy probably just to get over it.

 

[owlhoot]

On the whole I like most dogs better than I like most people. And I've met many more bad people than I have bad dogs. But both are out there and need to be dealt with in like manner.

PawDaddy, just what would have been your justification for shooting those two dogs taking a walk in the woods?

 

[copaup]

Yep that was me. Not really able to claim credit for the ammo change, but like to think I had some part in it.

I worked a scene once where a medium sized mixed breed of about 50lbs took a grown and healthy man to the ground and nearly killed him, very nearly removing one of his hands in the process. You do not want to fight a dog. Period.

That said, I adopted a pit puppy I found in an abandoned house at work and she is the sweetest, goofiest dog ever. I also have a 125lb Rottie mix that wouldn't hurt a flea and shows belly to the neighborhood poodle. The problem isn't the dogs, its the owners.