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Old October 5, 2011, 10:06 AM   #26
Pond, James Pond
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I have never really had any issues with any dogs, of note.

I have two dogs, but I would not say that I am an expert on their up-bringing or training. My dogs are great, as much down to our training as to the fact that we have two good natured, affectionate, gentle pooches.

However, and perhaps it is because it is not present in the UK, but my concern about a dog attack here in Estonia is the existance of rabies. This could be particularly true of an attack somewhere outside the urban area.

It may not be the mostly likely complication in a dog attack, but it is the one I find most worrying! Needless to say, a bite, in such circumstances would be worrying; so arm's length or more would be the order of the day.
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Old October 5, 2011, 11:34 AM   #27
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"A vicious, attacking dog can be stopped without killing it. The question is how much pain and bites are you willing to endure to stop the dog and restrain it so it is unable to continue attacking. The average person has no idea how to restrain an attacking dog so in their case, resorting to shooting it is probably their best bet."

Good one ... I guess the question is, why bother trying to save a "vicious, attacking dog?" adios, Fido ... I'm not willing to suffer so much as a single bite; if the dog attacks and I can do it, he's toast ...

I always carry when walking my dog, especially in the early morning hours when it's still half-dark ... we were rushed a while back by three pets who'd gotten loose one morning when all I had was a 3-inch folder; fortunately the dogs peeled off before they attacked, but I won't risk that ever again ... I carry a Surefire also, mostly looking for skunks my dog for some reason believes are his natural enemies but when you see those glowing eyes in the beam, look out ... usually it's a whitetail, but not always ...
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Old October 5, 2011, 02:10 PM   #28
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In all the times I've been attacked by dogs I've never needed a weapon. Same goes for humans. It usually only takes a couple hits and a good show of aggression. That being said, some breeds and anything rabid may take more than that. In such a case, IF you are lucky to see it coming you may have other options. Most of the attacks I dealt with were surprising to say the least. I had no idea a boxer/pit could jump a 6 foot fence.

I'd say contact weapons are better, especially in more populated areas. If you have a child, significant other, or a pet you may not want to be shooting in their direction. I've seen dogs recoil from the sound of an ASP, or just the aggressive move towards them. As always, I start off without a weapon, and if that doesn't cut it, I cut it.
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Old October 5, 2011, 03:44 PM   #29
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In all the times I've been attacked by dogs I've never needed a weapon.
time(s)? You don't wear a tie made from steak do you?

Now I've had dogs attack dogs I was walking, but only had one try to actually attack me (coincidentally the same number of times I ahgve been attacked by a rooster as well...). This of course does not count the irascible TBone, the ancient Yoda of wiener dogs, who gummed my foot for the insolence of blocking him from a rattler his nearly blind self was about to meander onto. Out of my way human!
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Old October 5, 2011, 04:01 PM   #30
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I once worked in junk yards, auto salvage yards, all had pit bulls or other kill type dogs in their yards t keep people out at night. I been thru the worst of em no bites, but the day I go to a friends yard to get a alt I stopped to pet his new yard dog a black pit female. She was all cozy, tail waggin, lovin the petting, I stopped, she grabbed my foot in her mouth and bit hard. I still have a scar I reached down and petted her she let go..... told him she wouldnt keep folks out uinless they stopped petting her but she did bark...

Some folks know how to handle a dog, some freeze up in fear. A dog can do terrible damage.
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Old October 5, 2011, 05:18 PM   #31
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My father was a letter carrier retiring in 1965. I know mailmen carrier pepper. I never discussed that w/ my Dad.

About that time I was working at a neighborhood pharmacy and one am the mailman came in, kind upset. He said he had just peppered a local dog-a quite small one.

About 5 min later the dog owner/neighbor came in for some supplies to 'clean up' the dog. It was the mailmans fault, of course.
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Old October 5, 2011, 07:04 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zincwarrior
time(s)? You don't wear a tie made from steak do you?
Nah, it's just my animal magnetism. Or something like that. Oddly enough, three of the times were in the same alley way, never the same dog. The other attack wasn't.
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Old October 5, 2011, 07:12 PM   #33
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zincwarrior, as far as the rooster goes, my wife and I are Zac Brown Band fans. When they released Sic'em on a Chicken, I thought she'd die laughing. When my wife was little, one of her family's farm roosters attacked her several times. It finally did it one day in front of my wife's mother. They dined on chicken that night...

But why did you keep walking down The Alley of Dog Attacks?

So far, I've been fairly lucky. The only times I've been bitten were when I was a kid, and I had those coming. Not from intentionally being mean, but small kids don't necessarily grasp the concept of old dogs with arthritis in shoulders and necks... Petting them the wrong way hurts.

As an adult, I've had to break up some interesting dog fights. I haven't been bitten, but have seen other owners get bitten - usually by their own dogs...

I've occasionally run into the loose, aggressive dog, but so far staying calm, maintaining full height, and easing away while talking to them in a low voice has done the trick.
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Old October 5, 2011, 07:23 PM   #34
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Prop to Mr. Leake for being a fellow Zac Brown fan.

Got bit by a dog once that was more of a two way accident than anything....no harm, no foul.

That being said, I'll echo what a poster said concerning dogs as opposed to cattle. Coming from a family of cattlemen, I've seen Pops, various Uncles, and GrandPappy drop various four legged predators, namely coyotes, but an odd dog or two when they started threatening our livestock.

Livestock was/is my family's lively hood. I love dogs too, but I will defend my family, including the family dog, who is now a very old and lazy hound dog.
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Old October 5, 2011, 08:22 PM   #35
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Last week I bought zach brown for my wife's bday coming up later this month. Its been overdue for about a year as she has said before she wants it. I chose the one that seems to have two albums on it for only a little more money(I think it is the two major albums live). It also has a dvd with a bunch of videos of the popular songs.
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Old October 5, 2011, 08:54 PM   #36
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I got massive points for taking the wife to see Zac Brown in Alpharetta, GA for her RN/BSN graduation present.

Opening acts were unknowns; apparently Zac makes a point of promoting local GA bands as often as possible. However, let's not drift too far. I'd hate to get the thread locked, and Zac would probably feel kind of bad about it, too...
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Old October 5, 2011, 09:16 PM   #37
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MY 12Gauge Marine Mag with 2 3/4" hard cast Brenneke slugs in it with 2 round of 000 Buck after the 1st three slugs. I dont really have a backwoods sidearm yet but for now would use my 1911 45ACP with 255gr Buffalo Bore HC. Buffalo Bore ammo is cool. However, I want a Colt Delta Elite or S&W 1006 in 10MM for backwoods. I like the 10MM and think that would be a good backup round if my shotgun fails and I need to do muzzle contact shots.
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Old October 5, 2011, 09:41 PM   #38
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When I was a paper boy, I discovered that all the dogs that threatened me would high-tail it if I quickly bent over like I was picking up a stone to throw...that must be something in their instincts. However, back then there were no such things as, "Pit Bulls". Nowadays, I would just slap leather...well, reach into my pocket for "my little friend".
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Old October 6, 2011, 09:52 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MLeake
But why did you keep walking down The Alley of Dog Attacks?
I lived down the alley way... lol
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Old October 6, 2011, 10:01 AM   #40
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Re: "Locking eyes" with a dog

Making direct eye contact with a dog you don't know and is threatening you is a really bad idea. In dog language, that is a threat to their perception of their own dominance in the moment, and can easily provoke them to fighting to re-establish their dominance.

On the other hand, if you can't make eye contact with a dog in your own household, you have a problem. That dog does not respect you as the dominant personality, in charge, worthy of being obeyed. This is a dangerous situation; you cannot safely live with a dog that thinks that s/he is in the dominant position in the household, because that essentially means that he expects you to obey him/her and s/he will be willing to fight or attack in order to enforce and preserve that dominance. In that instance, I still would not recommend staring the dog down as a first step, but you should seek professional assistance in re-establishing the missing obedience from your dog, with the goal of eventually being able to stare him/her down and do other things that display your dominance without being seriously challenged by the dog.

Qualifications to advise on this subject: a doctorate in veterinary medicine, nearly 30 years in practice, and many hours of postdoctoral course work in animal behavior.
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Old October 6, 2011, 11:46 AM   #41
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Tailgator is indeed right, I have dealt with peoples dogs that did not like people at all, but never bothered me. My ex had a wolf that she picked specifically for his aggression. When she first introduced us I looked him straight in the eyes from a standing position, then sat on the couch. He took to me instantly. We fought for a while for dominance the next few months, but I won. When she got new room mates they were afraid because they knew how mean he was, and he never listened to them or showed that he was afraid. Animals respond well to body language and will be less likely to challenge someone who shows no fear. Also, one of the dogs that tried to attack me avoided a kick, and I am pretty fast but not like I was then, all because I took that extra step forward, not back. He knew I was attacking him and took off. Still scared the hell out of me to be walking home in the dark and hear an odd "clicking" sound behind me. Even more when I turned around and it was a white Pit Bull lunging at me.
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Old October 6, 2011, 01:16 PM   #42
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Quote:
I have two dogs, but I would not say that I am an expert on their up-bringing or training. My dogs are great, as much down to our training as to the fact that we have two good natured, affectionate, gentle pooches.
I have met many a dog(s) on the trails in the mountains used by folks who bring their dogs to the forest. I will tell you better than half of those dogs take a defensive posture when meeting people on the trail.The owners do not have the control that they think they do.I have seen the dogs totally ignore any commands given by the owner.You turn your dog loose in the woods and it's a different animal than your sweet would'nt hurt a fly fido at home.
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Old October 6, 2011, 05:58 PM   #43
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There was an article in today's Fort Lauderdale paper that a young girl was being attacked by her pet pitt bull. Two neighbors attempted to get the dog off of her by beating it with baseball bats which had no effect. Another neighbor came on the scene with a Ruger 9mm. He fired three shots into the dogs side but the dog refused to release his grip on her face. He then fired a 4th round into the dogs head being careful not to hit the girl. This caused the dog to release its grip and stare at the neighbor. The pitt bull quickly resumed his attack on the girl forcing the neighbor to fire a 5th shot which was also a head shot. The dog finally released its victim and eventually died. Five rounds fired at point blank range with two to the head before the dog stopped it's attack. True story. I used to think my snubby would protect me against a dog attack but now I'm not so sure.
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Old October 6, 2011, 09:50 PM   #44
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Recently a couple in my neighborhood were jogging with their 2 dogs, one a large golden retriever and the other some small breed about 15 lbs. The smaller dog was attacked and killed by coyotes. The man stated that there were 4 coyotes and they showed little fear towards him although he was able to finally chase them off after grabbing a downed tree limb. They made off with the poor unfortunate little dog.

This incident occurred along a creek that runs through our town and it is heavily wooded in many parts, evidently making for good coyote habitat. I ran into one around dusk while walking on a trail along this creek about a year ago. He did not act startled by my prescence. He calmly turned and melted into the woods.

Since then, I always have my Benchmade Osborne knife with me while on my walk and occasionally my LCP.
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Old October 6, 2011, 10:04 PM   #45
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Seems to me so many of these stories would have ended different if "I would have been packing". Really it seems like alot of people could read these and others and start and when the day comes (not if but when) you can take care of dogs or whatever else...
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Old October 7, 2011, 08:22 AM   #46
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I have had dog's all my life and they were, and are, part of the family.
Mean, aggressive or unpredictable dogs never made it into the family though.
I agree with others about bullets doing bad things that weren't anticipated, besides a side arm, I use a walking stick that will wear out just about anything in my neighborhood
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Old October 7, 2011, 10:13 PM   #47
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I don't carry a walking stick or a cane. I also don't carry pepper spray or a taser.

I cannot out run a dog.

I don't have time enough left in my life to spend hours at the library learning how to assess a dog's probable intentions, . . . then the cat's, . . . then the bunny, . . . etc.

I also don't push my luck against dogs.

If one attacks me, . . . it will most likely be the last time he pushes his luck.

May God bless,
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Old October 10, 2011, 04:24 PM   #48
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Once, many years ago, I was forced to shoot a dog to protect my grandmother. At the time we had a friendly,old,arthritic,half-blind mutt. Our dog was on a chain in the dooryard when a large stray (some type of bulldog weighing about 60-75lbs.) decided to pick a fight with the old boy. By the grace of God I looked out the kitchen window just in time to see Gram headed toward the dogs with a maple switch about four feet long and as big around as my thumb. It should go without saying that, seeing this, I ran for a gun. I've always kept one loaded and this time it was a 4" bbl S&W model 547 9mm revolver. I got outside just in time. I was 20' away when Gram swatted the stray with her switch. That dog turned on her faster than you'd believe and crouched to leap. It was so close to her that I couldn't aim for the head or even the heart. I pulled up and shot it in the back end of the ribcage. It happened so fast that I didn't even have time to take a two-handed grip. The results were as follows: Gram, surprised by the shot, promptly fell on her butt. The stray instantly lost any desire for aggression. It ran around the back and side of the house and by the time it crossed the road was moving considerably slower. It made its way up an embankment and died under a pine tree. Note: this took place more than 25 yrs. ago and I have no idea what ammunition was in the gun. Well, that's my story for what it's worth.
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Old October 10, 2011, 08:37 PM   #49
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Folks in this part of OK take their unwanted dogs to the country and turn them loose. The small and medium sized dogs are soon killed by coyotes but the Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and other big dogs survive. They attack folks pets and livestock.

i've killed numerous feral dogs while working or hunting. A few years ago i was attacked by a huge Samoyed while opening a gate; that dog took a .50 muzzleloader bullet to the chest.

Many of the Pit Bulls running loose are meth lab guard dogs whose owners went off to jail or somewhere. Those are some bad dogs. A friend called me one day when i was on the road close to her house. Two Pit Bulls were after her cattle. Got there ASAP and killed both dogs. Another friend had to put down two horses that were torn up by Pit Bulls. Those dogs also badly injured his stud horse.

Our county does not have a dog catcher. Our sheriff tells us to handle stray dogs ourselves and we do that.
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Old October 10, 2011, 08:46 PM   #50
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Glenn Dee - what caliber and what bullet were you shooting?
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