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Old February 10, 2009, 11:01 AM   #62
andrewskaggs
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Join Date: July 30, 2008
Posts: 62
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chui
Yep. I'm very well aware. This is one of several reasons I advocate the working strain Pit Bulldog, American Bulldog, Airedale, Catahoula, Ridgeback breeds... ASSUMING one knows what the Hades these breeds are/for and what they (the owner) is doing.

To me a dog is a pet and a member of the family. However, he is also the FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE and is expendable under certain circumstances. Combating wildlife is one in which I demand that the dog IS PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF INTERCEPTING HARD! If one's breed of choice is not then stay out of the woods and nowadays out of the suburbs.
The wife and I were out walking our 2 6-month old German Shepherd/Catahoula mix puppies yesterday evening--a male and a female at 60 lbs and 50 lbs respectively (yes...yes...they're big, but they're still puppies). We were going along our normal route when I glanced over into a neighbor's backyard to see a large adult dog (some breed of bulldog...I'm not sure which) making a beeline to our position in what appeared to be an aggressive manner. Our dogs saw him about the same time we did and started going completely ape barking and growling at the charging dog. I quickly switched the leash to my off hand and swept back my cover garment with my other while yelling "Back!" in as loud and commanding a voice as I could. Just as my hand was coming to rest on the butt of my handgun in preparation for the draw, the dog pulled up and stopped his charge. The owner of the dog came running around the house and I dropped my cover garment back into place. He eventually got control of the dog and we went about our business.

Things I learned:

1. Dogs are ridiculously fast. Having spotted the dog from about 50 feet, I would barely have had time to draw and fire if my reaction time had been perfect.
2. My dogs can read the body language of another dog much better and quicker than I can. After seeing the dog charging, they immediately became hostile. They do not act this way around dogs that are not acting aggressively. I'll trust them more from now on.

Things I'll do differently next time:

1. Keep the leash in my off hand. Having to move the leash cost me time I don't have when there's a dog charging.
2. Do not hesitate to draw and take aim at a charging animal. You simply do not have time to second guess yourself against an animal that is as fast as dogs are.
3. If my dogs' posture and my verbal commands aren't enough to stop or significantly slow down the charging animal, it gets a faceful of JHP if he gets closer than 15 ft.
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