Large Dog at the door!

M

Mags

New member
I live in NH and work in MA. I have another thread about just getting my LTC in MA. I'm a plumber but am also the Plumbing Inspector for a bordering town in MA. The other day I went on an inspection to a home. It was a side by side duplex but the numbers weren't marked very well. I walked up to a screen door but it had the glass in it. I knocked and out of no where a large dog charged the doorand hit it very hard. Good thing the door was latched! It scratched and barked at the door with a vicouse growl! The lady next door came out and directed to her door where I'm suppose to be doing the inspection. It startled me pretty good and got me thinking. What if just the screen was on the door? What if the door wasnt completly latched? I jst got my LTC in MA today and am now legal. I'm deffinetly going to be carrying on my inspections now. If that dog attacked at least I might have a fighting chance to get to my gun and protect myself. That is the last inpspection I'll be doing with out my fire arm!
 
Personally, I'd rely on bear/pepper spray instead.

If you discharge that firearm while inspecting for a city/state, you might lose your job, even if a dog is threatening you. A city/state will get really nervous and upset when a city/state employee discharges a firearm; ask any police officer.

If you miss with a firearm, that round will go right through the wall and into another unit, and maybe into a person inside the other unit. The spray won't penetrate into another apartment.

I'm not trying to make you mad or to insult you. JMHO, and another option to consider. :)
 
"If you discharge that firearm while inspecting for a city/state, you might lose your job, even if a dog is threatening you. A city/state will get really nervous and upset when a city/state employee discharges a firearm; ask any police officer. "

I really didn't think of that. I just started this job in August, I never worked for a city/town before. Excellent point.
 
"Personally, I'd rely on bear/pepper spray instead."


I think that pepper spray may be more effective against large dogs, too. It is very hard to hit an attacking large dog with a handgun, and very hard to stop them even if you do.
 
"My dogs do the same thing when the doorbell rings, hope no one ever shoots them for it."

I have a dog too! Given the demeanor in which it was acting, if that door wasnt there, he was attacking!! I'm not talking about a barking dog, just being disturbed by a door bell. This dog is dangerous!
 
Ok, blame the poor dog...

Personally, I'd rely on bear/pepper spray instead."

I think that pepper spray may be more effective against large dogs, too. It is very hard to hit an attacking large dog with a handgun, and very hard to stop them even if you do.
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Pepper spray isn't even that effective against people all the time.

__________________

My dogs do the same thing when the doorbell rings, hope no one ever shoots them for it."
I have a dog too! Given the demeanor in which it was acting, if that door wasnt there, he was attacking!! I'm not talking about a barking dog, just being disturbed by a door bell. This dog is dangerous!
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The dog is not the problem, it is the owner. People buy large dogs and train them to be mean.
 
My dogs couldnt be more well behaved but if a stranger is standing in my glass door banging on the glass they will bark and freak out.
Not because they want to attack you, even if you walk in at the most they would lick you.
 
The dog did not leave his property and did not come through the door?

Next time this happens instead of reaching for a gun to shoot someone's pet while uninvited on their property try backing away from the door and exiting the property
Usually when you cease your threatening behavior the dog will also

My dog will also act like that if you ring the bell, but once you come in or he comes out you are safe. Many dogs act that way
 
Tell you what. I'm going to edit this thread to remove each and every reference to the breed of dog and see if the thread can continue in a civil and productive manner with that change.

Don't know why people would come to a gun forum to discuss dog breeds, one might as well go to a dog forum and start an AK vs AR discussion there.
 
I'm not going to comment on this thread anymore, I have learned a few things here. AS far as drawing a gun on an agressive barking dog behind a door, thats something that I wouldnt do. What I did do was back away slowly and leave. But I started the thread with the thought process of "What if........." What if that dog came through the door or pushed the door open? How am I suppose to protect myself, on private property or not. After all, I was invited there to do a job. I dont think I am being unreasonable thiking of the most possible worst situation and presenting ideas of what I could or should do.
 
But I started the thread with the thought process of "What if........." What if that dog came through the door or pushed the door open? How am I suppose to protect myself, on private property or not.
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And if you want that discussion to continue, it will have to continue without any references to breed. Otherwise this will turn back to a dog breed discussion and you'll get very little useful advice.
 
What if the home owner of the wrong address came out with a ball bat?

There are plenty of what ifs that could apply here
Neither the dog or home owner presented any threat to you

The dog's owner may very well know and approve of the dogs reaction to someone at the door and may have taken the necessary precautions, like making sure the door is latched and the dog won't come through it, there is nothing to imply that he didn't
Your actions were appropriate for the situation that did happen

I learned long ago to put my foot at the base of a door if I saw a dog coming towards it

I did pest control in people homes for 25 years and can tell you that there are going to be many many circumstances like this in your future

There are classes that you can take to tell you how to deal with aggressive dogs if you feel it necessary
 
I am an HVAC tech, my workplace is your home.

I have been doing this 12 years, and the only dog "attacks" i have been victim too, were due to small "Kick me" dogs.

If I do feel a possible encounter will happen i twalk w/hammer in hand. Doesn't look to psycotic, and one well place blow will buy me sometime.

I assure you this, If you shot my dog while I was at home, because he was protecting his castle.(and my wife ans two kids).
I would be facing I.M. charges, but claiming self-defense!
 
The OP specifically stated that he was concerned about the situation where the dog ESCAPED from the house.
What if just the screen was on the door? What if the door wasnt completly latched?
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There wasn't so much as the implication that he even considered the idea of shooting it through the door.
 
So, what is worse?

Shooting in proximity of the door

Or pulling his gun in the yard?

No matter how ya slice this one, it's bad juju.

I don't think in court, you would have a leg to stand on, in this situation.

I can't say I haven't been in fear of being attacked, just that I try to avoid those situations if possible.
 
There wasn't so much as the implication that he even considered the idea of shooting it through the door.
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Yes there was
What if just the screen was on the door? What if the door wasnt completly latched? I jst got my LTC in MA today and am now legal. I'm deffinetly going to be carrying on my inspections now
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Seems to me to imply that if either the door was not latched or the glass not down he would have at least considered shooting if he was carrying
 
If your dog bursts out of the house and attacks someone who has a right to be in your front yard (e.g. mailman, inspector, etc.), the fact that they're in your front yard doesn't eliminate their right to self-defense.
Seems to me to imply that if either the door was not latched or the glass not down he would have at least considered shooting if he was carrying
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If the door was not latched or the glass not down, the door would not have stopped the dog and it would no longer have been in the house. He makes that clear later in the post when he says:

"If that dog attacked at least I might have a fighting chance to get to my gun and protect myself. "

And again, in a later post he states:

"if that door wasnt there, he was attacking!!"

And in his last post he states:

"far as drawing a gun on an agressive barking dog behind a door, thats something that I wouldnt do."

I think the meaning is more than clear--he says he wouldn't even DRAW if the dog was "behind a door".
 
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