To the OP. Please respond with size & weight information but NOT the breed.
The dogs weighed in between 50 and 60 pounds per with the height of a medium sized labrador. I should've included that information, sorry.
Well, considering there was kids involved, it's understandable that you wanted extra precaution, but I have to say that warning shots just waste ammo. What if the dogs didn't back off and continued to engage you and your warning shots caused your gun to jam? Also too, it's the Fourth, is it possible that the dogs were just freaked out a bit from the fireworks and just running around?
While it could happen, it worked in this case. Yelled, dogs hesitated. Fired, dogs fled. Plus I didn't have to explain to a neighbor why I killed his dog, and there will be no court case, etc. The outcome worked, so I'll take my chances with the 1 in a million "gun decides to jam for the 3rd time in it's life after over 1200 rounds during the warning shots".
Did these dogs ever actually leave their owner's property?
They absolutely did leave the owners property. The closest one was in the street when I fired.
I think the fact that there were kids in the OP's party probably has a good bit to do with his reaction. I don't think I'd pull a gun on a dog if I knew it was owned and not diseased or something (a wild dog running at me is going down for sure), but I can't say I wouldn't pull if there were kids at risk, even if the dogs WERE spoken for. Protecting kids comes before everything else.
This is absolute truth, although I'm not going to get mauled myself over not wanting to hurt neighbors fluffy either. Had it not been for the children, and the fact that they were split up and I couldn't protect both of them at once, then I wouldn't have been so quick to draw/fire.
My only concern is the 3 shots. Might deplete too much of my ammo in a pocket gun, but it worked for you.
I agree. 3 warning shots was probably 2 too many. Every time I have trained for carry/SD it has been to put 3 shots center mass and re-eval. Kind of a "pulling it once mean it's worth pulling 3 times". No I didn't have to fire 3 shots, and I think that warrants a little wrist slapping. I still had plenty of feed left, though. Pistol held 14 rounds. I fired three rounds because that was how I've trained to do it. 1 wou'dve worked and saved ammo but my response was semi automatic.
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