Often, I'll carry my Ruger .41 BH, or a .380, .38 snub or a .45 if I am out walking on the road. What I carry depends upon the season and clothing, as I conceal my weapon. I have met a TON of dogs, pittbulls, Rotty's, Dobermans, junk-yard mutts, some quite aggressive, and never even considered drawing my weapon. When I carry, dogs are not my primary concern. I would hate to hurt or kill someones pet if it could be avoided.
All the dogs I have met on the road ARE pets. The collars are a dead give away. Perhaps I have just been lucky. When you walk in front of a driveway, the dogs think YOU are the threat and or on their turf, thus they bark, and approach. The
vast majority of the dogs are just saying hello, and although barking and coming towards you, they
are not getting ready to bite. I have found (pehaps I have been lucky), that a loud, deep, command voice yell "HEY", or "HI", stops them, even the aggressive ones that act like Cujo.
Dogs sense fear. Don't show fear. Use a
command voice and keep on moving.
If you don't have a command voice, or have difficulty concealing your fear, instead of Pepper Spraying the dog and getting it's owner all riled up, or shooting it(!), why not carry a few doggy treats or a cookie or two in your coat pocket? Toss it to the dog and keep moving. A bag of meat flavored dog cookies is quite a bit cheaper than a civil lawsuit (if you shoot the dog), or a trip to the hospital (if the dog bites and or mauls you), or the hassle of dealing with the police if you Pepper Spray it and the owner files a complaint.
Plus, the next time you walk by, the dog will remember you as a "Friend".
Just don't forget the cookies!
After reading a few of these previous posts, I'm glad some of you folks don't live in my neighborhood, because I'm afraid you would end up blasting my neighbors dogs to hell when you don't need to...LOL!
