Dogs!

[Deerhunter]

Wow, I wouldn't go so far as saying it was anything more than those dogs. Trying to say all pit bulls are nasty is a little much.

I have friends that have a half pit half lab and a rottweiler. The half pit is about 65 pounds and the rot is about 90 now. My 9 year old daughter who is a tiny thing only weighs 50 pounds will get right in the middle of them. She controls those two dogs when we are at their house and when they are at ours. She has on more than one occasion pulled them apart when they were play fighting. These dogs are very well behaved and not aggressive at all. I have seen the pit attack another dog but only after the other dog when after it. My buddy wrestled them apart and his pit settled right down after they were separated.

My buddy would be one of the first to get out his pistol and shot one of his dogs if they went crazy.

[gaseousclay]

Wow, I wouldn't go so far as saying it was anything more than those dogs. Trying to say all pit bulls are nasty is a little much.

I don't think his comment is unreasonable though. I love dogs but I loathe pit bulls. my opinion is based largely on statistics and personal experience when i've taken my dog to the dog park. the largest percentage of human fatalities by dog attacks are by pit bulls. I mean, they're fighting dogs who are bred to maim and kill, so I believe they're predisposed to aggressive behaviour. I know I shouldn't make generalisations about dog breeds and that not all pit bulls are aggressive, but practically all of the ones i've encountered were. I keep hearing the argument about how a pit bull's behavior should be attributed to how the owner raised it, but why is it that I almost never see aggressive behaviour being exhibited by most other dog breeds? I hate to say it but the only dog I would consider shooting is a pit bull. call me irrational

[mdd]

I would say you did not react strongly enough. I had almost 40 stitches in my face & head when I was 8 years old thanks to a german shepard. Had I been in the op's shoes those dogs would have never, NEVER gotten close to my son. I would gladly deal with any repercussions of my actions to keep my little boy from going through what I went through & wearing the scars I wear. Those dogs' first stride toward us would have been their very last.

[Buzzcook]

Sounds like the OP did the right thing. No body got bit and no dogs got shot.

My question is, if you were done hunting and returning to the car, why were your guns still loaded?

[Deerhunter]

my opinion is based largely on statistics and personal experience when i've taken my dog to the dog park. the largest percentage of human fatalities by dog attacks are by pit bulls. I mean, they're fighting dogs who are bred to maim and kill,

See this is where I have a problem though. You always hear about the PB that bit/killed someone. Why because there are people out there that breed them to fight. Not all of them are bred to fight. There are people out there that buy them and teach them to fight, not everyone that owns a PB trains it to fight. How often do you hear about all the PBs that are owned and never hurt anyone. I can tell you it isn't cause they don't exist. Now just in case someone reads my other post about this PB being 1/2 lab, I had a neighbor growing up that had a pure bred PB and that dog was awesome. He was very well mannered, until another dog would come running up off its lease being aggressive toward it. My neighbor always had that dog on a leash.

Both my neighbor and my friends have had issues though. People let their dogs off their leash to run around. The dog comes running up to their PBs (that are on their leashes) and attack their dog. So what do they do.....They have to let their dog defend itself. Then the owner of the dog that wasn't on the leash gets upset when their dog gets its you know what handed to it. They claim the dog is violent for no other reason than it is a PB. I am sorry to hear about people being attacked by PB or any other large dog. I myself have been bitten by a couple dogs. Each time it wasn't a big mean nasty fighting PB or Rot...it was a worthless ankle biting dog.

[youngunz4life]

I think you did the right thing. You didn't even shoot(even though it was well within your right to). All that you did was prepare to defend yourself&your son(a solid witness). funny how this guy happened to finally show up and/or start yelling After the firearm came into play. wonder where he was the 50seconds before that? neither here nor there I guess but some people might think its funny because: "my dogs would never bite anyone" and it seems via your account some dogs were sniffing around your vehicle ahead of time.

[meric35]

My question is, if you were done hunting and returning to the car, why were your guns still loaded?

We always unload once we get about 10/15 yard from our car. We sometimes head back to the car thinking we're done, when we decide to head off into another field to do some more searching. I never load or unload at my car but usually within 15 yards or so of my car.

[stantonizm]

I have friends that have a half pit half lab and a rottweiler. The half pit is about 65 pounds and the rot is about 90 now. My 9 year old daughter who is a tiny thing only weighs 50 pounds will get right in the middle of them.

That seems unwise. Even if you and she are familiar with the dogs. I thought my bulldog would never bite someone. He did. He made a quick snap before I could jerk on the leash and the neighbor lady had to get 8 stitches in her upper lip. I also thought he would never bite me. Then, in the midst of trying to prevent a dog fight I got bit. The bully-breed dogs and rottweilers have such jaw strength and speed they can cause serious damage in one quick snap before you can even think to react. You never know what can trigger it, even in nice dogs.

[srkavanagh6621]

I'll be honest, but if a dog charges me with fangs showing and I have a gun, well lets just say ShootShovelShutup. I love dogs but there is a place for them and its not on hunting ground. I hate when I catch dogs on my trail cams chasing deer or random dogs anywhere from homes. I respect dogs and actually love dogs but it doesnt bother me to shoot one if need be. You were in a unique situation where the owner was near where you probably did the right thing. But if I ever see a stupid worthless pit bull while im hunting it is dead on sight. I think the rule from where I am at is its illegal to shoot dogs during hunting season unless you first report it to your local game officer or if its attacking you.

[elkman06]

I wonder how many "aggressive breed" dog owners who tout how peaceful and nice their dogs are,,ever stopped to consider that years and years of breeding have been based off of strength, tenacity, muscular conformation,,etc? The very reputation on these dogs is based off of those very attributes.
I for one, go on high alert when there is a pit, shepherd, dobie, etc in my presence. Perhaps unnecessary but every time I have been bitten entailed one of the more "aggressive" breeds. I don't think twice when confronted by an uncontrolled canine. I am and will defend myself by whatever means, even if I then have to take on the owner.
I once kicked a husky in the head due to him being uncontrolled,,attacking my lab pup who was controlled. Luckily that was enough to deter him. Dad wasn't happy though but,,oh well.
elkamn06

[Art Eatman]

The subject has been pretty well covered, seems like, and it isn't really about hunting as hunting...