OT: Had to draw my pistol today

Very well done!

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

Carrying that piece didn't seem like an over abundance of caution that day did it?

Were you thinking something starting with .4 would have been a bit more desirable? ;)

I'm glad it all worked out.

Wes

I'm wondering if the dogs will be attacking someone in the area that isn't carrying a pistol? I would hate to not shoot the dogs and hear on the news a day or two later about a child attacked by dogs fitting the description. If aggressive acting animals come around the house they get shot. I hate to be that way, I like live and let live, but if animals act aggressive around me they will likely attack my wife or child.

I've had pesty dogs come around, they want to nose around and all, not aggressive, I shoot into the ground in front of and to their side, it throws dirt at them and they run off. In front of to throw dirt at them, aim to their side in case it would ricochet off the ground. Between the noise and the dirt flying at them the dogs have taken off running at a pretty good clip and don't return. This is only on my own private property, I don't have a concealed carry permit and not even sure if they are obtainable in Illinois.

RogerN

--Better a carrot than a stick: I carry milk bones in my pockets; never met a dog I didn't like. Made a lot of 4-legged friends in my walks. Got a bumpersticker that says "Wag more, bark less". Heh.

The only children I've ever seen on this trail have been on bicycles, or in buggies towed by parents' bicycles.

I'm not gonna kill a dog just for growling at me. The mutts did not actually attack me. Since I doubt that a dog recognizes a handgun, I would presumably have been OK unarmed.

Presumably. But I felt much better not being defenseless.

Or you would have felt like, and acted like, and been treated like prey.

jk

What you did sounds like the right thing in the situation, I'm not second guessing you. I might shoot at them if they came on my private property, and followed me growling, but not otherwise. I'm just thinking that these dogs will probably follow and growl at someone that's not armed, and they will probably run from the dogs, and the dogs will probably attack them. I would think a little tear gas or pepper spray, or a nice club, would be handy for those on the trails.

RogerN

Gotta wonder whether pepper spray wouldn't be at least as effective against dogs.

I got a badly abused dog from the pound that cringed and whimpered when she saw a squirtgun shaped like a .45 ACP. Other shapes including revolvers didn't bother her. She may have recognized the black color instead of the shape, but it certainly wasn't the smell.

jsw

Beware the ones that don't bark or growl. And the pepper spray works. I've had two instances of dogs trying to bite me while bicycling. In neither case was I armed, at least with a firearm. The first time was a bull terrier on MacGregor in Houston. I caught him in the ear with the 1/2" shank master padlock on the end of the 3/8 chain I used to lock the bike at UH. I didn't stop, but he wasn't moving last I saw. The second time was near West Columbia. In a repeat of the first attack, no barking, just a run alongside as he opened up to chomp my ankle. He got a faceful of pepper spray. It was much less violent than the padlock, but just as effective. He just veered off across the yard with his face on the ground, first on one side, then the other.

I've had lots of dogs bark and chase. So far, I've just ignored them. Usually, once I'm past their yard, they turn back.

Feral dogs near my family are another issue altogether.

Pete Keillor

Don't be so sure of that... I was out deer hunting (on my property) and a couple dogs came running in my direction from behind, when I turned and they saw the rifle I was carrying, they definitely recognized it. One ran away promptly and the other stood there whimpering, afraid to move. When I turned back in the direction I had been going, the whimpering one took off after his buddy.

I'm reminded of two incidents.

The first was on a bicycle, going up a steep hill, a collie decided to run out and grab my ankle and down I went. I threw the now-bent bicycle at him, hit him with it, and he took off with his tail between his legs. Still had to carry the bike home but it made me feel better and he never chased me again.

The second was when I first moved in here. It was a little after dark and the street light in front of the house was out, so it was pretty dark. This huge dog comes charging across the street. I had hoe in hand (for those of you who are of the younger generation, that's a gardening implement) when I realized that he had a stick in his mouth. So I played fetch the stick with him until he got tired, then followed him home and let his owners have what for for letting such a nice dog run loose where he might get hit by a car, or clubbed with a hoe.

Maybe so but Don's tool belt carries something that works better on 2 and 4 legged animals.

Come to think about it, I'm not sure I can even carry pepper spray in my state.

Looked it up: "

1. In Michigan, can I carry a self-defense spray in my car or on my person for protection?

MCL 750.224d Yes, but only if it is either:

• Not more than 35 grams of any combination of orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile and inert ingredients (CS gas); or * A solution containing not more than 2% oleoresin capsicum (pepper spray) and is used in the protection of your person or property which would justify the use of physical force. It cannot be sold to a minor. "

Doesn't sound like much to work with .

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

Dogs are territorial. My neighbors dogs growl at me. From THEIR side of the property line.

I don't mind it much since anyone else that shows up when I'm not home likely gets the unseen dog growling treatment. The dogs don't bark all day like some I've encountered.

I don't know what breed they are but they look like a combination of bulldog, pit bull, and mastiff. Pretty solid looking critters. They leave me alone, I leave them alone. I think the owner has them fairly welled trained.

I've had a few dogs act aggressive with me. Usually a strong command voice works on them. When I bicycled, I'd get chased by dogs. When I barked back at them, it seemed to confuse them and most backed off. Some cyclists resort to squirting them with their water bottles if they won't back off.

I had a collie when I was a kid named Fluffy that would run at you like she was about to kill you. She only wanted you to pet her. The barking was her way of saying I'm happy to see you. Obviously it wasn't viewed that way by some she greeted.

Btw Don, what was stance of the dogs?

I couldn't get a firearm out with Penny the english pointer. That dog must have been able to smell gun. I got her in a marriage, the ex was a advid bird hunter that traded his old wife and old dog on newer models. The dog would go nuts with joy at the sight of a firearm.

I wish I was up to Penny's expectations. I went bird hunting with her a couple times and since I can't shoot a shotgun worth a chit, I wiffed on the birds. Ever have a dog look back at you with scorn? I mean seriously, the pat flushed, I wiffed, the dog looked back at me with a 'WTF' look.

At least Penny liked going bicycling with me. I was cycling 3,000 miles a year at the time, she never got behind me no matter how fast I was going. She could do miles and she was happy doing it. Pretty damn good for a dog that was over 10 years old.

I'd love another english pointer but it isn't the kind of dog you leave home alone and bored. Very high energy dog.

Wes

Mom and Dad when they lived in the old house started carrying pistols when working in the field or wood lots. The dogs were banded together from those who were dumped at the end of the summer. Many are not afraid of human but are hungry and ready for a fight.

Pack rules rule.

Mart>> While on my walk today, I had occasion to draw my pistol but not >> point it.

Some experimental evidence is in order. You go first!

works on them.

to confuse

water bottles

I'm happy to

Like "standing their ground". One was snarling with bared teeth. Tail not wagging. Definitely not "are we having ice cream cones now?" or "wanna play fetch?"

That's OK for a dog on his own turf that is restrained; the spooky part was that these dogs had stalked me from behind.

I have a 5" scar on my abdomen, put there by a German Shepherd on my paper route. Not all doggies are friendly. This one came roaring off a porch and nailed me on the (public) sidewalk.

There was no thought of lawsuit. The owners were white trash in a rented dump. The police quarantined the dog for a period to be sure it wasn't rabid, even though it had been inoculated.