Dog Threat? How to Handle? Laws?

You people that put animals above humans make me sick. Its just a dog get over it. It all boils down to this, if you love your dog so much keep control over it and I wont shoot it.
 
The mail man delivers mail in the city, he carries pepper spray. Many get bit even with that.

Police are looking for a pit bull now in Omaha bit the face of a little girl. Owner took dog and is in hiding. Now if dog dont show I bet the girl will also have to undergo the shots for rabies as my brother did.

Bad stuff. Pet lovers will deny almost everything, look at the chimp took the face off that gal. Owner denied all. But she also stabbed the chimp trying to get it off her friend.

If you love your pet, keep it secure, dont let it run around. It may not bite someone but it may get hit by a car which is real bad.
 
It's the same with dogs. More exposure and interaction with them provide higher comfort levels; comfort levels build confidence; dogs (like women - okay, men, too but women tend to rank it higher in surveys) respect confidence.

Learn to be an Alpha without getting out of control, and most dog problems will get resolved without need of ANY weapon.
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You clearly know a lot about dogs, I respect that. I've owned many over the years, some that included breeds that require a lot of training and confidence. With all due respect I wouldn't expect a stranger to know how to assume alpha status over my dogs. That's why I'm always with my dogs if they're outside.

There will always be that very small percentage that actually are truly aggressive. They are a different story, but again more exposure will help you to better recognize the dogs that really are threats.
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I agree. But in the worst case scenario you have only seconds to make that determination, and in my experience the problem often occurs when you have you own dog or child to consider too. I wouldn't expect a stranger to risk his health if one of my dogs charged him on the street, it's my job to keep them under my complete control. If I can't, then I have failed them.
 
Mainah, you are right. Even so, I have had good luck or good reads to date. When I am older, or lose mobility, my defaults may change.

I still think sticks and sprays are safer for the neighbors, though.
 
I was walking on a sidewalk once and a group of young men were walking toward me and the young man in the lead had a pit bull on a very long lease - about a 8' leash. I stepped way off the sidewalk, actually almost 10 feet off the sidewalk. When the dog approached it was growling and straining at the lease to get to me and the group got near me the leader said "That was the smartest thing you ever did homes..."

To me this was a very clear threat.

If someone had made a similar threat by waving a firearm, it's obviously a crime and punishable. But using a dangerous animal in a similar way is much harder to prove that it was used in a threatening manner and the penalties are much less severe than threatening someone with a firearm.

I was in a city that had some of the very most restrictive firearms law in the nation and I was not carrying.

I actually wouldn't advocate carrying a firearm just so someone could stay on the sidewalk and see what played out... I would have gotten off the sidewalk whether I'd been carrying or not.

But when that pit bull was pulling on the lease to get to me, I was looking around for someplace to run, I've had dogs all my life and my German Shepherd once broke a leash just because she was happy to see my mom. So I know collars and leashes can break, and I was in this situation where there is this extremely powerful and vicious animal trying to get to me and the owner is chuckling about it and I have no place to run to.

When it was over I felt humiliated and victimized by that gang, and I felt angry. I also realized I was in a totally helpless situation and it happened so quickly. I just kept thinking "Man I wished I'd had my 9 on me..." Not out of anger to cow those punks or hurt the animal, it was just at that moment when I looked around and realized I had no where to run to if that kid let go of the leash or it broke, or slipped out of his hands or whatever... that was a bad feeling.
 
Local law really does prevail. Also, local "enforcement". Where I live, it is illegal to let your dog outside without a leash (very strict leash law). However, more than half the houses in my neighborhood with dogs have invisible dog fence. Everyone lets their dog out without a leash. LEO's drive by and don't do anything. Neighbors don't say anything. I NEVER take my dogs outside without a leash. Just a responsible dog owner, I guess. I would never set my dogs up to fail. My dogs are trained extremely well, also. You never know...even the sweetest dog can bite/attack. It's only a matter of time before a dog strikes in my neighborhood. The only person who will win is the attorney pleading the leash law.
 
I guess I will put in my two cents worth here. I work as a telephone technician, I am the guy who shows up when your phone or internet doesn't work, so I get to see and deal with lots and lots of dogs. Very often the owners aren't home or the dog is at a location other than the customers home. Telephone trouble can be anywhere between the customers home and the source miles away.
My experience with dogs is that shouting at or speaking to the dog doesn't help and usually makes the dog more excited. Can't tell you how many times people that couldn't be home have told me on the phone, "the dogs name is Sparky, just call him by his name and it will be ok." How many times has calling the dog by his name helped? Zero. So, remain silent, verbalizing will only amp the dog up. If the dog will respond to verbalizations, it was never a threat in the first place.
If a dog charges aggressively toward you, stand up straight, chest out, facing almost directly at it but at a very slight angle. Take one step and only one step toward the dog. Look at the dog, but do not look into its eyes directly or stare it down. Do NOT verbalize. Important, head up, chest out. Try to remain clam and project an aura of calm power. When you do this, watch the dogs demeanor, 99.9% of the time you will see a change in its attitude. Usually you will see its hindquarters drop slightly or a change in ear position as it slows its approach. If you do, what I have said and the dog doesn't alter his approach or aspect, you are probably in deep doo doo and all options should be on the table.
If the dog does alter its approach, you very probably don't have a truly viscious dog on your hands. However, you aren't out of the woods yet. Never turn your back on a dog that has charged you, it will try to bite you the moment your back is turned. Try to remain calm, don't try to leave immediately, stay facing the dog for a minute, then slowly calmly back away while still remaining in an upright assertive posture. Always face the dog. Once you get backed away far enough the dog will usually disengage and you can then leave.
If you are charged by more than one dog at the same time, you are in deep doo doo. Dogs are pack hunters and one of them will try to get behind you and attack you from behind while the other keeps you distracted from the front.
Pepper spray is good and I have used it on several dogs to good effect. That being said, you can't count on it, as I have seen a couple of dogs that acted like I was spraying them with candy for all the effect it had.
As for hitting one with a stick, good luck. Try hitting a cattle dog with a stick. These things are fast beyond belief and have been bred to avoid the kicking hooves of cattle. Getting a good hit with pepper spray is hard enough.
I have not found most pit bulls or rotties to be particularly viscious, but due to their size and power you have to nonetheless be especially carefull of the big breeds. I hope this helps. It has worked for me. Your mileage may vary. Good luck.
 
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First of all I live in the country..only house on my road..and I don't have a dog...always wanted one of those timber wolves :)...but I greww up playing with them..rough rolling around letting dogs chew on me..similar to what someone had said earlier in the thread with no cops showing up at the ending...I have had several dogs run up to me growling..but I knew they w as bluffing...funny enough though..I have never seen a little dog bluff they always try to sink there little teeth into you..but they dnt even require kicking...harmless really..and if I was walking down the street in town and somones dog came running at me I dnt think my .45 would be the answer I would have my knife at the ready but I know the dog would probably get a few feet away and just growl slobber and try to tell me who the tough guy is lol..and it wouldn't bother me..but I would have been prepared ...now the same situation ..im walkin down the street with my little 5 year old niece and a 40+ pound dog comes running up at us growling and such I would shoot it when it got about 8 feet away...I wouldnt put her life in danger $250000.00 or not...and the owner callin the cops is cool with me..him raising hell is cool with me but the 8 feet rule applies to him as well and I would let him know that...I love dogs...love my neice more..I would never forgive myself if one of the dogs I used to have ran up and killed some little girl...and I would be sad for the loss of my dog..but happy the child is safe..now if someone was walking in my yard which they have no business here in the first place and shot my future wolf then I would in turn shoot the dude..I live out in the boodocks..it would be different if I lived in the city....
 
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