Walking the dog, and stray dog/coyote attack

azredhawk44 - just curious - do you live in a residential neighborhood or in the boonies? Seems it would be a bad idea to be a loose dog around some of these folks.

I understand the folks who live in the country being quick to shoot a coyote or a stray, that's just the way it is there. I used to live a rural setting myself, shot a coyote once and a well, lets say a federally protected bird that was stalking my cat in my backyard.

Now, however, I live across the street from the mall. As I mentioned in my post earlier, shooting a dog/coyote/whatever in someone's front yard or even the road would be the last thing I would do. There is just way too much chance of ricochet, bad line of sight, getting shot by the owner of the animal, etc. I do love my pets, but I'm not going to jail for them...
 
there was a case in my town where an off duty cop shot a dog while he was jogging (it was running lose and chased him)

he is no longer a cop.
 
If there is a threat and I have a firearm, I will dispose of the threat. That includes the neighbor's dog, a coyote, a person, a zombie, whatever. I'm not trying to sound like a hard guy here or anything but if something intends to do me or a loved one harm, I am obligated to alleviate that threat of violence. To me that is only responsible and common sense.
 
I'd agree with the others that suggested pepper/OC spray. By the time you KNOW that a stray dog is a threat rather than just being playful you're going to have a hard time getting a clear shot.

A couple of years ago I heard some noise in the back yard and went out to find a pit bull on my dogs back with his jaws locked onto the back of my dogs neck. My dog was on one of those runners (wow, that was a bad idea) and gotten himself too tangled up to do much of anything. I didn't have any weapons handy so tried kicking the pit until my shoe flew off but he didn't care. I finally just grabbed him by the collar and yanked him off fully expecting him to latch onto my forearm but he actually became submissive almost immediately. Given how close they were and how fast they were moving around I really don't think I would have wanted to risk a shot even if I had been armed. Even putting the barrel up to the pit's head would have risked a ricochet.

--
Ray
 
azredhawk44 - just curious - do you live in a residential neighborhood or in the boonies? Seems it would be a bad idea to be a loose dog around some of these folks.
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Suburbia. I live in Glendale, AZ... near the Arrowhead area if you're familiar with it at all. Pretty nice neighborhood. We've got these silly ponds all over the place with reclamated water that ducks and geese absolutely love. Houses swarming the water like it was beachfront property. Nicer cookie-cutter neighborhood.

Makes for a nice place to walk the dog, though.

The ducks have been attractive to the coyote population that wanders in from the unimproved desert a couple miles north. Sometimes dog walkers and hunting yotes share the park together. Never had a problem so far, but just trying to think ahead and see what's the best way to handle such a situation. I don't like the idea of a $1000 vet bill any more than I like the idea of a $10,000 lawyer bill.
 
Aren't most pet dogs vaccinated for rabies today - or they are supposed to be?
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You're absolutely right, dogs from the pound, a vet, a pet store, or other commercial venture usually include the vaccination in the adoption fee...however...

The dog you get from a friend's litter may not ever see a vet. Someone may get a dog from PetSmart, get it vaccinated once, then never again. Dogs from an unwanted litter that are dumped, IF they survive (and a lot do), never see a vaccination.

Wild animals are ALWAYS a rabies threat.

Better to be safe than sorry. The penalty for guessing wrong is severe.
 
A coyote attacked a Golden Retriever here in SOUTHEASTERN Michigan last year. It was being walked on a leash with it's owner... Don't ASSUME they won't snatch your dog. Also do NOT drop your leash. Your dog is not likely to catch it and once out of YOUR sight there will be others and they WILL kill your dog and eat it.

In areas where WILDlife frequents then REAL breeds of dogs are required: Airedales, Pit Bulls, Bull Terriers, Am Staffs, Ridgebacks and other highly combative, high drive breeds. They'd kill a coyote. But I still wouldn't release one to "run one down". If you have two such dogs with heavy collars then have at it I guess but it's always best to avoid the conflict. A well placed round into the 'yote will send his wily rear end to Allah, Aton, whatever name you call your Creator.
 
Personally speaking, I refuse to sacrifice my dog. In fact I know for a fact that one of my dogs, who happens to be a very mean looking member of a species of dog that supposedly "snap" on people, would hide behind me. He's done it before. If the animal gets close enough it's gonna get a bullet in the ear. Yes, I'll probably need a few stitches, but the bad dog will need a trash bag and a shovel.
 
Might be good idea to have OC spray and or an air horn as an alternative/first response for just such an occasion.
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haha where are you from? I would shoot any stray that even thought about getting too close to me or my dog. as long as you are sure to discharge the bullet so it hits the ground and doesnt end up in someones window i see no reason not to. My grandpa always says "A loafing dog ain't worth a shot, but i'll waste one anyways"
 
I own a rott/hound mix, 100lbs mostly muscle, very good at instigating with a look alone. For what ever reason a neighbors, 135lbs staffordshire terrier decided to break through the invisible fence(yes they can do it with enough determination despite what some companies advertise) well the owner immdieatly came after his dog but unfortunatly the dog was faster and had a head start so the dog got to mine first. I do not walk my dog on a leash for this reason alone, my dog stood by my side as the terrier approached I stepped in front of my dog grabbed the back of the terriers neck, kicked out the legs(a decently effective trick that I use on my own dog all the time when we play fight which causes no injuries). The terrier immediatly changed its attidude and retreated, the owner was in shock but apoligized for his dog. I continued on our walk with out concern. Animals feed off your energy and actions. As for yotes, most will not challenge a human presence unless they are in numbers in which case a .22 will quickly change their minds.
 
They'd kill a coyote.
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And maybe get rabies doing it. You don't get the point. You don't want your dog to win a fight with a wild animal, you want the fight to never occur.

Coyotes won't approach a human unless starving, protecting babies, or rabid. All three can easily occur with our encroachment on their land and severe winters making food scarce.

Taking the chance of your dog having contact with a wild animal just isn't worth it. Shoot at a safe distance, these buggers can run FAST.
 
I'll second what Keltyke said.

Coyotes as well as other wild animals will most of the time not come near you or your dogs unless they are hungry or sick.

In either case,a well placed bullet can prevent them from infecting you or your dogs.

And if you miss and the coyote is still standing there(not running away),then you know something is up with that animal.
 
Shoot at a safe distance, these buggers can run FAST.
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+10


Save your compassion for people and friendly pets. Aggressive animal = dead animal.

Qualifier: I mean aggressive. Pets have a unique body language that you can learn if you pay attention. A pet dog running toward you barking may mean no harm, you can learn when and if they mean it and when they don't. An obviously wild animal isn't getting a second thought.
 
This situation is where a gun like The Judge might really shine. Hitting a fast-moving animal coming head on is chancy at best. Load the first couple of cylinders with maybe a #4 shot. That will cause pain and confusion and slow down or stop the charge so you can get a good shot off with the remaining three cylinders loaded with .45 LC JHPs.
 
Suburbia. I live in Glendale, AZ... near the Arrowhead area if you're familiar with it at all. Pretty nice neighborhood. We've got these silly ponds all over the place with reclamated water that ducks and geese absolutely love. Houses swarming the water like it was beachfront property. Nicer cookie-cutter neighborhood
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I'm totally familiar with that area.
I cannot speak for Az laws.....

But if that sub-div was where I live, in L.A.? You will have to do some pretty fast talking if you carry a loaded f/a in public (w/o a CCW), much less disharge it in the city limits. You could show 'just cause' in killing the animal if yours got mauled. But again, in L.A.-L.A. land, you'll have some 'splaining to do and say bye-bye to your heater.

Had this happen once in the Santa Monica Mtns. (Yote's are brilliant. They sucker off-leash pets into a chase with a 'probe' then bushwack 'em and gang-rip 'em to shreds) Just bust the POS in the chops with a boot like the ratty flea-bag varmint it is and get on with life. Enjoy the yipe-yipe-yipe! as it hauls arse the other way. Golf clubs work great. So do large folder's.

Plus it beats a ricochet into yer neighbor's SL500 or living room. :eek:
 
Keltyke said:
You don't want your dog to win a fight with a wild animal, you want the fight to never occur.
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That would depend on the circumstances of the "fight" and the reason you got the dog. I live in the country on a farm, coyotes are a problem and need to be repelled, which I cannot do 24/7. Also, I know from experience that many breeds of domesticated dog will repel coyotes, which tend to be pretty cowardly, just fine. But, from the OP, sounds like a neighborhood, so take that comment for what its worth. I wouldn't want a neighborhood dog to get in a fight with a pack of coyotes, so when it comes to the OP's scenario, I would agree.
azredhawk44 said:
Shooting the animal stops the threat. But, it leaves a lot of ambiguity about the appropriateness of the shoot. Requires police response, disposal of animal, at least a cursory interview or investigation into the righteousness of the shooting event.
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Not in my neck of the woods :D. Unless we're talking about someone's dog (like with a collar). I'm so glad I live in an area where almost everyone associates gunshots with a good time. No one calls the police when firearms are discharged. Then again, I don't hang around in neighborhoods with guns, just around the farm and in the woods.
 
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We've got several coyotes hanging around our property and so far they've kept a respectfull distance when we're out with the dogs. I suppose if one were to get too close I'd hit it in the eyes with the laser. If it didn't get the hint I'd follow up with a Silvertip... :)

Milspec
 
Aren't most pet dogs vaccinated for rabies today - or they are supposed to be?
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Even if your dog has been vaccinated for rabies, that DOES NOT PROTECT YOU at the time of the attack.
Any saliva, blood or bodily fluid your dog has in it's mouth or on it's coat, could infect you if you touch it....and if there is even a chance you did, you're going to get the shots!!

I will shoot any dog or animal that is threatening me or my dog when out on a walk...provided it is a safe shot with no chance of harming anyone.....and I will make no excuses or apology for doing so.
 
A coyote will naturally be wary of humans (or any other animal it can't easily take down on its own). Any time a coyote approaches you or allows you to approach it, alarm bells should be ringing in your head - that is an animal that is behaving abnormally. Same thing with raccoons, opossums, groundhogs. Any animal behaving aggressively toward you or your leashed pets should be considered an immediate threat.
 
Aren't most pet dogs vaccinated for rabies today - or they are supposed to be?
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Yep...and therin lies the rub.

Aren't people driving down the road supposed to be licensed? Aren't they supposed to be sober? Aren't they supposed to be insured? Aren't they supposed to be in the country legally? Aren't they supposed to stop after causing an accident?

The answer to all of the above is actually YES.
However, with increasing regularity, the end result is NO.

Bottom line is:
Assume nothing, because we all know where assumptions get us.

One more thought:
It's not the odds, it's the stakes.
 
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