Dangerous Dogs and Use of Deadly Force

[rentz]

My wife has been bitten twice in our neighborhood. I've encouraged her to carry pepper spray, but she doesn't do it.
Neither bites were "dangerous breeds" - but statistically, that's not where the bites come from.
We have a lot of dogs "at large" - even from some fairly wealthy property owners who just have a "country dog" mentality.
I'm not entirely sure how to handle it. Warning shots aren't legal. And it's perhaps more dangerous to shoot a dog at very close range, especially if that dog isn't of the variety that could kill you.

We've got one lab that is especially bad. We solved that problem by carrying a paintball gun (empty) and firing a few shots the last time he came running. It's loud enough that it sounds like a gun and this dog has obviously been shot at before... Carrying a paintball gun isn't a realistic option.

If that many dogs are roaming around I'd contact your local animal control, they need to come and asses the situation and either track down the owners or capture the dogs. I know the country areas may be different but in most municipalities there are laws and fines associated with having a dog run loose or un-registered.

[rentz]

As long as the dog is actually dangerous and attacking I doubt there would be any issues. The problem one may encounter is considering a barking dog dangerous when in fact it is just making noise and looking for attention. I would be quite upset if somebody shot one of my Golden retrievers because they were running around barking looking for affection, fortunately they do not run loose.......

Bingo, and i really think based on several events over the past year involving officers and dog's that people may be too quick to shoot a dog thinking they are in danger. To me it's just like any other situation, is your life and body really in danger or is there a peaceful escape of the situation without having to draw your sidearm.

I can say I don't know what I would do if someone shot my dog (who is a "dangerous breed" ) but it probably wouldn't be anything good, dogs are like family to me.

I'm in a similar situation and if someone shot one of my dogs we would have a real problem. I'm the proud father of three docile pit bulls, but that doesn't mean there aren't people that think they are about to be attacked if one of the dogs just looks at them.

Don't shoot dogs.

If your pit is off a leash and comes near me I'd empty a mag in it and not give it another thought.

well that just sounds perfectly reasonable now doesn't it?
make sure to scream OMG it's coming right for us first (southpark joke for those who dont get it)

Sounds as perfectly reasonable as people allowing their dogs to run loose.

dogs get out, god gave you a brain to use it to asses a situation not fire blindly at a dog regardless of it being a real threat or not.

[VMI77]

As long as the dog is actually dangerous and attacking I doubt there would be any issues. The problem one may encounter is considering a barking dog dangerous when in fact it is just making noise and looking for attention. I would be quite upset if somebody shot one of my Golden retrievers because they were running around barking looking for affection, fortunately they do not run loose.......

Bingo, and i really think based on several events over the past year involving officers and dog's that people may be too quick to shoot a dog thinking they are in danger. To me it's just like any other situation, is your life and body really in danger or is there a peaceful escape of the situation without having to draw your sidearm.

I can say I don't know what I would do if someone shot my dog (who is a "dangerous breed" ) but it probably wouldn't be anything good, dogs are like family to me.

I'm in a similar situation and if someone shot one of my dogs we would have a real problem. I'm the proud father of three docile pit bulls, but that doesn't mean there aren't people that think they are about to be attacked if one of the dogs just looks at them.

Don't shoot dogs.

If your pit is off a leash and comes near me I'd empty a mag in it and not give it another thought.

well that just sounds perfectly reasonable now doesn't it?
make sure to scream OMG it's coming right for us first (southpark joke for those who dont get it)

Sounds as perfectly reasonable as people allowing their dogs to run loose.

We have never "allowed" our dogs to run loose. And I have returned more than one dog to a neighbor whose yard workers left a gate open for the dog to escape. And though we're very careful about keeping our dogs under control, it doesn't mean that one hasn't escaped accidentally, or hasn't dug a hole under the fence and gotten free for as long as it took us to run him down. Fortunately, our neighbors aren't afraid of dogs and haven't shot them under those circumstances.

[anygunanywhere]

As long as the dog is actually dangerous and attacking I doubt there would be any issues. The problem one may encounter is considering a barking dog dangerous when in fact it is just making noise and looking for attention. I would be quite upset if somebody shot one of my Golden retrievers because they were running around barking looking for affection, fortunately they do not run loose.......

Bingo, and i really think based on several events over the past year involving officers and dog's that people may be too quick to shoot a dog thinking they are in danger. To me it's just like any other situation, is your life and body really in danger or is there a peaceful escape of the situation without having to draw your sidearm.

I can say I don't know what I would do if someone shot my dog (who is a "dangerous breed" ) but it probably wouldn't be anything good, dogs are like family to me.

I'm in a similar situation and if someone shot one of my dogs we would have a real problem. I'm the proud father of three docile pit bulls, but that doesn't mean there aren't people that think they are about to be attacked if one of the dogs just looks at them.

Don't shoot dogs.

If your pit is off a leash and comes near me I'd empty a mag in it and not give it another thought.

well that just sounds perfectly reasonable now doesn't it?
make sure to scream OMG it's coming right for us first (southpark joke for those who dont get it)

Sounds as perfectly reasonable as people allowing their dogs to run loose.

dogs get out, god gave you a brain to use it to asses a situation not fire blindly at a dog regardless of it being a real threat or not.

Read what I wrote again. I posted "as people allowing their dogs to run loose", not "dogs get out".

[cb1000rider]

If that many dogs are roaming around I'd contact your local animal control, they need to come and asses the situation and either track down the owners or capture the dogs. I know the country areas may be different but in most municipalities there are laws and fines associated with having a dog run loose or un-registered.

It's not a ton of dogs.. 2 bites in 2 years. Most stay in their yard until they see something to chase so they're going to be hard to catch, although we've got a few that accompany non-owner-walkers every morning. They mainly harass runners or if you're out walking your leashed dog.

I've called animal control before. They provide a 24-48 turn around time. Not real good at addressing a "right now" problem.

I have chosen not to go to war with the neighbors over the issue... So I guess I'm choosing not to solve it. The two bites were not from neighborhood-owned dogs. Neither bite was serious.

[Cedar Park Dad]

As long as the dog is actually dangerous and attacking I doubt there would be any issues. The problem one may encounter is considering a barking dog dangerous when in fact it is just making noise and looking for attention. I would be quite upset if somebody shot one of my Golden retrievers because they were running around barking looking for affection, fortunately they do not run loose.......

Bingo, and i really think based on several events over the past year involving officers and dog's that people may be too quick to shoot a dog thinking they are in danger. To me it's just like any other situation, is your life and body really in danger or is there a peaceful escape of the situation without having to draw your sidearm.

I can say I don't know what I would do if someone shot my dog (who is a "dangerous breed" ) but it probably wouldn't be anything good, dogs are like family to me.

I'm in a similar situation and if someone shot one of my dogs we would have a real problem. I'm the proud father of three docile pit bulls, but that doesn't mean there aren't people that think they are about to be attacked if one of the dogs just looks at them.

Don't shoot dogs.

If your pit is off a leash and comes near me I'd empty a mag in it and not give it another thought.

well that just sounds perfectly reasonable now doesn't it?
make sure to scream OMG it's coming right for us first (southpark joke for those who dont get it)

Its extremely reasonable. As noted my dogs have been attacked THREE times by pits. We had a child attacked and nearly killed on a street I lived in by a pit/rottweiler mix. Further, I owned a pit bull (given to me by someone thinking they were a labrador puppy) when I was much younger so know what they can do.

If your dog is loose, by its very nature its a threat to everything around it.

My erstwhile Great Dane was a magnet for dog attacks. Even little dogs wanted to challenge him.

I know. Ours is not one of the 180lb pure breeds, but he's massive enough to wail on anything short of a wolf. Yet the inevitabbly come running from afar to attack him.

[karder]

I have been around dogs my whole life. Nice ones, mean ones, hyper ones, lazy ones. I have been bitten a half-dozen times over the years while helping out injured strays. I have never been in a situation where I felt I was in any legitimate danger, and yes, I have had dogs try to "attack" me. Dogs are easy to control if you understand their nature and recognize why they feel a need to be aggressive and adjust the situation. As humans we have to use our bigger brains to control the animals and understand they act out of instinct not reason. Maybe I would have a different attitude if I had kids, but I have yet to meet a dog that needed to be shot.
I never take my dogs out unleashed and I carry muzzles in my truck. I do this out of respect for my neighbors who might not want a big old dog coming up to them, regardless of the dog's intention. Dogs should NEVER be allowed to roam free and unrestrained unless they are truly in a farm environment for everyone's safety. It would be a terrible feeling to go out and find your best friend in the road hit by a truck because you let him wander. The biggest problem by far is irresponsible owners who are not being considerate of their neighbors or dogs.

[rentz]

If your dog is loose, by its very nature its a threat to everything around it.

This may be the most uninformed generalization I have read today.

if your dog gets out of its gate or house and someone has your same attitude are you fine if they shoot it? By your very statement you believe your dog is a threat once it escapes

a loose dog does not equal a dangerous dog, no more than a guy having a few guys at a bar is a drunk driver

[Cedar Park Dad]

If your dog is loose, by its very nature its a threat to everything around it.

This may be the most uninformed generalization I have read today.

if your dog gets out of its gate or house and someone has your same attitude are you fine if they shoot it? By your very statement you believe your dog is a threat once it escapes

a loose dog does not equal a dangerous dog, no more than a guy having a few guys at a bar is a drunk driver

A loose pit bull, which is what this referred to, most definitely is.

[rentz]

If your dog is loose, by its very nature its a threat to everything around it.

This may be the most uninformed generalization I have read today.

if your dog gets out of its gate or house and someone has your same attitude are you fine if they shoot it? By your very statement you believe your dog is a threat once it escapes

a loose dog does not equal a dangerous dog, no more than a guy having a few guys at a bar is a drunk driver

A loose pit bull, which is what this referred to, most definitely is.

no it really isn't, not all pit bulls are aggressive dog's. some of the nicest dog's I've ever been around are pit bulls. any dog with the wrong training and temperament could be aggressive regardless of the breed.
You have to be able to adequately asses the threat, and in most cases based on my experience a dog is simply scared
I understand you have had your dogs attacked by pit's and that's terrible but it doesn't make the breed instantly a danger.

[cb1000rider]

A loose pit bull, which is what this referred to, most definitely is.

I don't agree with that. Pit bulls certainly are intimidating, but just like Chiuauas (which are statistically much more likely to bite you) - they have varying demeanors. Some will be no threat at all and some will be a serious threat. You're right to pay more attention to an "aggressive breed" that's loose, as typically they're more physically capable, but they are not necessarily a threat.

Note, I've been bitten in my own yard by a pit bull that got tangled up with my on-leash German Shepherd. However, I'd never consider the breed in it's totality a threat-on-sight.

Dogs that are more physically capable require additional levels of ownership responsibility.. that's absolutely true.

[Cedar Park Dad]

A loose pit bull, which is what this referred to, most definitely is.

I don't agree with that. Pit bulls certainly are intimidating, but just like Chiuauas (which are statistically much more likely to bite you) - they have varying demeanors. Some will be no threat at all and some will be a serious threat. You're right to pay more attention to an "aggressive breed" that's loose, as typically they're more physically capable, but they are not necessarily a threat.

We're going to have to disagree.

[cb1000rider]

We're going to have to disagree.

Fair enough. Other than Pit Bulls, can you tell me what other breeds should be considered an immediate and serious threat on-sight?


I own "dangerous breed" dogs. I have two German Shepherds. Are these threat-on-site dogs?
You could run through a field in a bunny suit with T-bones taped to your tail and they wouldn't bother you beyond wanting to play. If you're at the fence, they'll go nuts at you, but actually reach in and they'll back up. You're much more likely to be bitten by my neighbors Dachshund. I have owned one Shepherd that was a definite threat to other dogs, but zero threat to people - it was completely demeanor based. He simply got additional restrictions (such as a muzzle) as we were never able to get it worked out in training. I find breed generalizations to be inaccurate, but I'm curious on your opinion.

[suthdj]

So you have 2 pits, twins, 1 raised to be mean and the other loving. Your out walking with your 5yo and wife and one of these dogs is running at/to you are you going to wait for it to bite/lick you to deterimine your course of action, so by its very action of not being restrained it is a threat even when it might not be. Hate to say it to all the excuse makers if your dog is loose and gets shot or hit by a car look no further than the mirrior for someone to blame.

[rentz]

So you have 2 pits, twins, 1 raised to be mean and the other loving. Your out walking with your 5yo and wife and one of these dogs is running at/to you are you going to wait for it to bite/lick you to deterimine your course of action, so by its very action of not being restrained it is a threat even when it might not be. Hate to say it to all the excuse makers if your dog is loose and gets shot or hit by a car look no further than the mirrior for someone to blame.

the ultimate responsibility is on the dog owner, they need to be responsible and not let their dogs roam and try to keep them confined to a house but even the most careful dog owner might have a dog get out at some point for one reason or another.
Every situation is different I would just hope people have enough training and ability to properly asses a situation.