For the first time ever I drew my pistol with the intent to protect myself. It was from a pit bull. I had backed my truck up to the door of a rent house I own because I needed to do some repairs, I got out of my truck and walked back to the porch when this dog came around the side of the house barking at me. It stopped several feet away and just sniffed around the trash cans there. I edged back to the cab of the truck and the dog started at me barking, I retreated to get to the porch, but the dog lunged at me, the hairs on his back bristling. I stumbled into the porch and pulled my pistol, He lunged to within 3 ft of me. It all happened about as fast as it took to type this
He stopped and I did not fire, I suspect he stopped because when I backed into the porch I sat down hard and my feet kicked up toward him. It ended up OK, no bites, no shots, but I let that dog get too close; if he had wanted to attack me he would have been on me before I could have fired.
I have been carrying for about 4 years; I practice and shoot often with the two guns I carry, a Ruger LCP and a S&W 642. I thought I had worked out in my mind that I could shoot someone/something if I needed to, and in my mind it has always been a human attacker. but this was a dog, and I did not shoot. I let that dog get within 3 ft. of me, and I did not shoot. I was aiming at him and I was steady; my practice has paid off in that my hands and eyes knew what to do, but my mind was not ready for me to actually shoot.
I now have some doubts if I could pull the trigger if it was a human attacker, even one that close. There are no exercises to get your mind trained to actually fire. At least I don't think there are. It is not really self doubt; and if the situation had been different, say if my wife or grandson had been with me I would have fired when he first lunged. I think.
What would you do if you were in my place, what words of wisdom or advice do you have?
David
He stopped and I did not fire, I suspect he stopped because when I backed into the porch I sat down hard and my feet kicked up toward him. It ended up OK, no bites, no shots, but I let that dog get too close; if he had wanted to attack me he would have been on me before I could have fired.
I have been carrying for about 4 years; I practice and shoot often with the two guns I carry, a Ruger LCP and a S&W 642. I thought I had worked out in my mind that I could shoot someone/something if I needed to, and in my mind it has always been a human attacker. but this was a dog, and I did not shoot. I let that dog get within 3 ft. of me, and I did not shoot. I was aiming at him and I was steady; my practice has paid off in that my hands and eyes knew what to do, but my mind was not ready for me to actually shoot.
I now have some doubts if I could pull the trigger if it was a human attacker, even one that close. There are no exercises to get your mind trained to actually fire. At least I don't think there are. It is not really self doubt; and if the situation had been different, say if my wife or grandson had been with me I would have fired when he first lunged. I think.
What would you do if you were in my place, what words of wisdom or advice do you have?
David