Dogs!

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I love dogs, but I completely agree with defending yourself if you feel threatened. Glad it got stopped before you had to shoot. I can't believe the owner responded that way. Once that guy's dogs actually bite someone it will probably change his perspective a little. There are a lot of ramifications. I've been through it. Even though the person wasn't injured too seriously the guilt was terrible and I was dropped from my insurance.
 
@Meric35 - You did the right thing and set and good, level headed example for your son.

gaseousclay said:
I don't think you were in the wrong per se, but I do think shooting a dog without knowing it's true intentions is a bad thing. if a dog wanted to attack and bite you it would have, immediately. you prepared yourself for the worst and luckily you didn't pull the trigger. I'm a dog owner and live in a very dog friendly neighborhood. i've had a lot of dogs bark at me, but I never perceived a threat to my well-being. I think you have to take it on a case by case scenario. i'd say the vast majority of dogs won't bite but making any gesture, whether it be pulling your gun or trying to shoo the dog away, could be perceived as a threat by the dog. I think the best thing you could do in this situation is to remain calm and stand still. if the dog makes any attempt to attack you then you might have reason to shoot it. you have to remember, they're dogs and dogs bark a lot - just because one barks at you doesn't mean he wants to eat you for dinner.
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I understand everything that you are saying, but remember that the vast majority of people aren't familiar enough with dogs to know false aggression from real aggression, and four large dogs such as in the OP's story can harm someone very seriously before they can figure it out.

Dog owners have a responsibility to control their dogs when in public and follow all applicable leash laws. I understand that people get very emotional about dogs, and want them to be able to run free, my dog has never growled, bitten, etc., but it's irresponsible, extremely rude, and usually illegal to allow your dog to run free in public places.
 
Dog owners have the responsibility to control their dogs when in public and follow all applicable leash laws. I understand that people get very emotional about dogs, and want them to be able to run free, my dog has never growled, bitten, etc., but it's irresponsible, extremely rude, and usually illegal to allow your dog to run free in public places.
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VERY well said Dr. This should be a sticky on dog owner forums everywhere.;)

Welcome to TFL meric35.

From your post, I don't think you over reacted at all.

There are those in the 'gun-world' that do stupid things with guns that give all gun owners a bad rep.
There are those in the 'dog owner world' that do stupid things with their dogs that give all dog owners a bad rep.

Sounds like you ran into the later.
 
I have to agree, you handled the situation fine. I was going to comment on the post by gaseousclay but, it seems that I can't say it any better than Dr. Strangelove already did.

I would also like to know as Art asked, at what distance would you shoot. I have 2 daughters that like to go out hunting with me. I can tell you that if I have any more than 1 dog charge me when the first one hits about 10-15 feet it is getting a face full. If it is one dog I can probably handle the hands on combat with it. More than 1 and there is a real chance that one of my girls is getting attacked and that isn't going to happen.

I think I would be inclined (if no owner comes a running and yelling) to shoot all the dogs even if some start to turn and run. Not knowing at that point if they have owners, what if they head off and attack someone else that doesn't have a gun to defend themselves.
 
I love my dogs and treat them like family members. I have no doubt they'd lay down their lives for me or my wife and children and they know they are loved and cared for.

That said, F a pit bull. I've been charged/attacked by dogs 4 times in my life. 1 Presa Canario and 3X Pit Bulls, the Presa owner got 2 warnings and when it charged my pregnant wife and GSP puppy, that was it, it died right in front of its owner. The first pit attack I was 13 years old and they treed me and almost got me. I killed one with a 30/30 and my uncle killed the other with a 12ga. The second and third time were dogs on the hunt and not put up, all died after showing agression.

Seems the famous last words on some of these dogs is don't worry, it won't bite, or its all how you raise them. BS, its like one of those idiots raising snakes, spiders or alligators and calling them harmless or caring, they aren't, they have no conciense.

That owner could have kissed my posterior because the first time that PB growled at me I'd have put it down
 
Wow, I wouldn't go so far as saying it was anything more than those dogs. Trying to say all pit bulls are nasty is a little much.

I have friends that have a half pit half lab and a rottweiler. The half pit is about 65 pounds and the rot is about 90 now. My 9 year old daughter who is a tiny thing only weighs 50 pounds will get right in the middle of them. She controls those two dogs when we are at their house and when they are at ours. She has on more than one occasion pulled them apart when they were play fighting. These dogs are very well behaved and not aggressive at all. I have seen the pit attack another dog but only after the other dog when after it. My buddy wrestled them apart and his pit settled right down after they were separated.

My buddy would be one of the first to get out his pistol and shot one of his dogs if they went crazy.
 
Wow, I wouldn't go so far as saying it was anything more than those dogs. Trying to say all pit bulls are nasty is a little much.
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I don't think his comment is unreasonable though. I love dogs but I loathe pit bulls. my opinion is based largely on statistics and personal experience when i've taken my dog to the dog park. the largest percentage of human fatalities by dog attacks are by pit bulls. I mean, they're fighting dogs who are bred to maim and kill, so I believe they're predisposed to aggressive behaviour. I know I shouldn't make generalisations about dog breeds and that not all pit bulls are aggressive, but practically all of the ones i've encountered were. I keep hearing the argument about how a pit bull's behavior should be attributed to how the owner raised it, but why is it that I almost never see aggressive behaviour being exhibited by most other dog breeds? I hate to say it but the only dog I would consider shooting is a pit bull. call me irrational
 
I would say you did not react strongly enough. I had almost 40 stitches in my face & head when I was 8 years old thanks to a german shepard. Had I been in the op's shoes those dogs would have never, NEVER gotten close to my son. I would gladly deal with any repercussions of my actions to keep my little boy from going through what I went through & wearing the scars I wear. Those dogs' first stride toward us would have been their very last.
 
Sounds like the OP did the right thing. No body got bit and no dogs got shot.

My question is, if you were done hunting and returning to the car, why were your guns still loaded?
 
my opinion is based largely on statistics and personal experience when i've taken my dog to the dog park. the largest percentage of human fatalities by dog attacks are by pit bulls. I mean, they're fighting dogs who are bred to maim and kill,
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See this is where I have a problem though. You always hear about the PB that bit/killed someone. Why because there are people out there that breed them to fight. Not all of them are bred to fight. There are people out there that buy them and teach them to fight, not everyone that owns a PB trains it to fight. How often do you hear about all the PBs that are owned and never hurt anyone. I can tell you it isn't cause they don't exist. Now just in case someone reads my other post about this PB being 1/2 lab, I had a neighbor growing up that had a pure bred PB and that dog was awesome. He was very well mannered, until another dog would come running up off its lease being aggressive toward it. My neighbor always had that dog on a leash.

Both my neighbor and my friends have had issues though. People let their dogs off their leash to run around. The dog comes running up to their PBs (that are on their leashes) and attack their dog. So what do they do.....They have to let their dog defend itself. Then the owner of the dog that wasn't on the leash gets upset when their dog gets its you know what handed to it. They claim the dog is violent for no other reason than it is a PB. I am sorry to hear about people being attacked by PB or any other large dog. I myself have been bitten by a couple dogs. Each time it wasn't a big mean nasty fighting PB or Rot...it was a worthless ankle biting dog.
 
I think you did the right thing. You didn't even shoot(even though it was well within your right to). All that you did was prepare to defend yourself&your son(a solid witness). funny how this guy happened to finally show up and/or start yelling After the firearm came into play. wonder where he was the 50seconds before that? neither here nor there I guess but some people might think its funny because: "my dogs would never bite anyone" and it seems via your account some dogs were sniffing around your vehicle ahead of time.
 
My question is, if you were done hunting and returning to the car, why were your guns still loaded?
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We always unload once we get about 10/15 yard from our car. We sometimes head back to the car thinking we're done, when we decide to head off into another field to do some more searching. I never load or unload at my car but usually within 15 yards or so of my car.
 
I have friends that have a half pit half lab and a rottweiler. The half pit is about 65 pounds and the rot is about 90 now. My 9 year old daughter who is a tiny thing only weighs 50 pounds will get right in the middle of them.
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That seems unwise. Even if you and she are familiar with the dogs. I thought my bulldog would never bite someone. He did. He made a quick snap before I could jerk on the leash and the neighbor lady had to get 8 stitches in her upper lip. I also thought he would never bite me. Then, in the midst of trying to prevent a dog fight I got bit. The bully-breed dogs and rottweilers have such jaw strength and speed they can cause serious damage in one quick snap before you can even think to react. You never know what can trigger it, even in nice dogs.
 
I'll be honest, but if a dog charges me with fangs showing and I have a gun, well lets just say ShootShovelShutup. I love dogs but there is a place for them and its not on hunting ground. I hate when I catch dogs on my trail cams chasing deer or random dogs anywhere from homes. I respect dogs and actually love dogs but it doesnt bother me to shoot one if need be. You were in a unique situation where the owner was near where you probably did the right thing. But if I ever see a stupid worthless pit bull while im hunting it is dead on sight. I think the rule from where I am at is its illegal to shoot dogs during hunting season unless you first report it to your local game officer or if its attacking you.
 
I wonder how many "aggressive breed" dog owners who tout how peaceful and nice their dogs are,,ever stopped to consider that years and years of breeding have been based off of strength, tenacity, muscular conformation,,etc? The very reputation on these dogs is based off of those very attributes.
I for one, go on high alert when there is a pit, shepherd, dobie, etc in my presence. Perhaps unnecessary but every time I have been bitten entailed one of the more "aggressive" breeds. I don't think twice when confronted by an uncontrolled canine. I am and will defend myself by whatever means, even if I then have to take on the owner.
I once kicked a husky in the head due to him being uncontrolled,,attacking my lab pup who was controlled. Luckily that was enough to deter him. Dad wasn't happy though but,,oh well.
elkamn06
 
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