Dealing With Aggressive Roaming Dogs

fasted58 wrote: Animal cruelty is high profile news these days. No matter how you feel about the aggressive animal circumstances think of the consequences first... be legal... or film at 11

Exactly. The last thing I need is some family blubbering on the evening news talking about how I shot their poor puppies. Nevermind that the dogs are clearly aggressive and charged a 6'2" full grown man with no fear. Both the police and animal control have informed me what I can and cannot do, and both said I can defend myself, my family, and my property.

I love dogs, we have one, but I love my kids more. Kids > dogs. I already told my wife if our dog ever attacks the kids that he's getting a one-way trip to the vet.

Waiting at the back door.....

This is kinda a funny site http://bigstickcombat.wordpress.com/

Gasoline wrote: Patiently waiting at the back door

This will make a dog think twice, the understand deep down "big stick".

Father-in-law got chased about two years back as well while carrying his walking stick, about three city block of him running. Finally stopped and had to crack the two Mutts darn hard. Mind you we live in the city. They backed off pretty quick after he fought back.

Never seen a dog owner so pissed off, called the cops on him huge debacle, all sorts of cap about how my FIL had walked to close to his side of the street. We just called animal control. Turned out they had bitten a child in the area a week or two back and had been just been returned to the owner. No more dog problem thanks to the city. FIL got a pie from one of the neighbors.

Personally I am missing a bit of my left foot from a rottweiler so un-restrained dogs on my property get no quarter.

I hike a lot. My mastiff/boxer dispatches wild dogs and coyotes rather quickly. She just snarls and growls and they run away. I would not hesitate to shoot a wild dog if it attacked , but coyote I would have to think about.

On the one hand, yes - if you feel your kid is threatened you do whatever needs to be done. OTOH, I'm a little amused by a 200# man being scared of a 50# dog. Dogs aren't dumb. Turn the tables. You become the aggressor and they typically tuck tail and run. Even if they don't, a full grown man should have little trouble fending off most dogs. Unless we're talking 120# trained take down dogs, I say grow a pair. :)

DILYSI Dave wrote: On the one hand, yes - if you feel your kid is threatened you do whatever needs to be done. OTOH, I'm a little amused by a 200# man being scared of a 50# dog. Dogs aren't dumb. Turn the tables. You become the aggressor and they typically tuck tail and run. Even if they don't, a full grown man should have little trouble fending off most dogs. Unless we're talking 120# trained take down dogs, I say grow a pair. :)

Easy for you to say, you ARE the defensive line. Dude, you've seen me, I'm a strapping #165 at best. But that's beside the point, my kids sure couldn't stop one of these dogs. I'm not worried about myself in the back yard, I'm worried about my 3-year old. Usually I do charge dogs (full steam barking and snarling, probably looks hilarious), but when there is more than one that makes it a little more complicated. Maybe I should go take a leak on the tree they hang around?

So far no dogs today. I have heard barking and whining in the woods though, so maybe the owners tied them up.

Seems to me that the best solution for dogs is the same as what I see as the solution for home defense. Shotgun with some form of less-lethal ammunition (like the aforementioned salt load) as the first round, buckshot next. Doesn't matter if it's a dog or a person, it's going to lose interest in you after the first round. If by chance it doesn't, up the ante.

novaderrik wrote: seems to me that you might be able to solve your problem by accidentally leaving the drain pan full of anti freeze in your back yard the next time you flush your cooling system... maybe accidentally leave some dog food out right next to it, too..

Don't do this. That is just berkeleying cruel. Salt load might not be a bad idea. Or maybe fire crackers.

xd wrote: I hike a lot. My mastiff/boxer dispatches wild dogs and coyotes rather quickly. She just snarls and growls and they run away. I would not hesitate to shoot a wild dog if it attacked , but coyote I would have to think about.

I don't understand... why would you shoot an attacking dog but not a coyote? Seems like a good idea to shoot anything that is attacking you if you happen to have the means available.

93EXCivic wrote: Don't do this. That is just berkeleying cruel. Salt load might not be a bad idea. Or maybe fire crackers.

+1. Just shoot the berkeleying things dead as quickly as possible if you are going to kill them. No need to make them suffer needlessly.

Anti-freeze poison? Some people...

I have found that with my afor-mentioned neighbors dog that knowing the dogs name helped immensley with running it off. I have no problem charging right at "Preston" who I suspect has a bit of chow and maybe Pit Bull in him screaming my head off the "get the berkley off my lawn" I just reserve the shot gun for if it goes after my mother who is spry for 67 but 67 and maybe 120lbs soaking wet. I'm 250ish and I am pretty sure I can choke the dog on my fist if it tries to bite me. I really don't want to hurt it, but ....

DILYSI Dave wrote: On the one hand, yes - if you feel your kid is threatened you do whatever needs to be done. OTOH, I'm a little amused by a 200# man being scared of a 50# dog. Dogs aren't dumb. Turn the tables. You become the aggressor and they typically tuck tail and run. Even if they don't, a full grown man should have little trouble fending off most dogs. Unless we're talking 120# trained take down dogs, I say grow a pair. :)

Some of you guys miss the point. Yes, I'm a 200# man and I'm bigger than a 50# dog. But, have you ever seen a dog attack that won't let go? At that point and old addage about "it aint the size of the dog in the fight...."
There's also the issue of kids. My 35# 5-year old aint gonna stand a chance against a dog of just about any size. I'm amazed that some of you seem willing to take a chance that it won't be YOUR kid or YOUR wife attacked. If I'm charged by a dog and I don't have any weapon at hand (that'd be the case most of the time) I'll be as aggressive as I can to scare it away this time, but I'd be ready next time.
A dog is a dog is a dog. My family is my life. Why the heck would I put a dog's life above the safety of my family? I've owned lots of dogs, all of them large "aggressive breeds", mostly Akitas. I can attest that a properly bred and trained dog is VERY different than an abused dog that has no trust of humans.

But we just had this debate not terribly long ago. We learned you need to document this with the authorities and make sure you know your laws.

rotard wrote: Unless you can get a head shot on a charging animal, which is highly unlikely, I wouldn't recommend a .22. Of course, if you're going to snipe the animal like this poster probably did, I don't think it matters. Just make sure you actually kill the thing if you shoot it.

I am a pretty good shot.

Flight Service wrote: pop from.22 Ruger Bearcat and a trip to the local forest.

rotard wrote: Unless you can get a head shot on a charging animal, which is highly unlikely, I wouldn't recommend a .22. Of course, if you're going to snipe the animal like this poster probably did, I don't think it matters. Just make sure you actually kill the thing if you shoot it.

I am guessing you are not much of a gun person. Pretty much impossible to "snipe" with a revolver as tiny as a Bearcat.

Also on the instances of the Vet using a .22 to take deer it has been a common practice forever for people with very little money to put meat on the table by using a .22 and deer were no exception. I have several family members that have put meat on the table that way.

Now back onto the main topic on hand. As I am sure most of ya'll know from previous posts I have dogs and work with them. However I have had issues with dog attacks on various occasions. On the ranch if they come on the property and go after livestock they are getting a bullet, period end of discussion. One the street when walking I have used everything from a swift kick to the ribs or a walking stick to defend against an aggressive dog that was actively coming after me. Most of the time if I am walking my dogs are with me and most of the time they can back off other dogs, if they can't normally I can.

My 100lb dog would take all 300lb of you down in a second Dave, that's a fact. Size has nothing to do with it.

That said, my 100lb dog stays in our house or fenced yard at all times, he is to dangerous to be let roam.

If a 100 or even 50lb dog attacked me and I felt in fear, it would get a 9mm game leveler.

I am a dog lover but I'm also not going to be a victim of someone else's failure to control.

If one of my little nephews was attacked, I would hunt the offending dog down.

rebelgtp wrote:

Flight Service wrote: pop from.22 Ruger Bearcat and a trip to the local forest.

rotard wrote: Unless you can get a head shot on a charging animal, which is highly unlikely, I wouldn't recommend a .22. Of course, if you're going to snipe the animal like this poster probably did, I don't think it matters. Just make sure you actually kill the thing if you shoot it.

I am guessing you are not much of a gun person. Pretty much impossible to "snipe" with a revolver as tiny as a Bearcat. Also on the instances of the Vet using a .22 to take deer it has been a common practice forever for people with very little money to put meat on the table by using a .22 and deer were no exception. I have several family members that have put meat on the table that way.

Awesome, another interwebs gun slinger that thinks the .22 is a great and humane hunting round for larger animals. By "snipe" I meant shoot the animal when it's sitting still and isn't an active threat. I wonder how many wounded animals are found because of people like you? This is almost as silly as claiming that the .22LR makes a good defensive round.

VT state law says all dogs need to be under control on leash or behind a fence. Enforcement is left up to individual municipalities. So in a small town like ours that is the animal control officer. Only a 24 hour return call away! We, as a previous poster wrote, moved out to the country to enjoy walks with our dogs--on leash ALWAYS. Unfortunately they are now relegated to the fenced in back yard for safety. In both directions from our house are unleashed unfriendly dogs. Trips to the board meetings and conversations with ACO as well as neighbors has gotten us nowhere. If their dogs ever came onto our property I would make every attempt to capture and bring to a spay/neuter shelter far from town!

I didn't get the impression he was advocating .22 for hunting deer, just stating that it is possible when that's your only option.

A head shot on an aggressive dog at 10~15 feet is completely doable with a Bearcat.

I don't think any of us are trying to "snipe" one at 25 yards with them at a full sprint running away through thick brush while...

You get the picture.

Now I think about it, I did shoot a cat that killed my cat once with with a 30-06.

This was all that was left

I find it amusing that people think you need a large caliber to kill anything. It is amazing to see what can be done with a small bore when no one told you that you couldn't

Take Bella Twin for example, killed a record Grizzly with nothing more than a 22 bolt action

But if you aren't that good of a shot, please use a larger caliber by all means

xd wrote: My mastiff/boxer

Pics please, I bet he is a pretty thing.

I grew up on a dead end dirt road (explains a lot doesn't it) and this was a constant problem. People would take aggressive dogs down to the end of the street, push them out of the car and drive off. After a day or two, they'd be scared & hungry to go along with a nasty disposition. Animal control was next to useless. In fact, most of the time they wouldn't even get out of their truck. A 12 gauge with 00 buckshot is the way to go. It's quick and humane as possible under the circumstances. That's for an abandoned animal, however. Shooting a dog that belongs to someone is a whole other matter. If you must do it, do it right, do it quickly and do it on your own property. As for the shoot, shovel, shut up approach vs. contacting the police, that's a judgment call. If you do decide you have to shoot it, WHATEVER YOU DO don't use a friggin .22. It will die, that's true enough. Unfortunately, it will crawl home first and expire in front of a bunch of wailing children. That E36 M3 will get you on the news.

Edit: BTW, I'm a dog lover and don't condone randomly killing animals. Unfortunately, I've also seen what a decent sized aggressive animal can do to a full grown adult, let alone a child. A friend of mine is a K9 officer. If you want to know whether you are tough enough to take a charge from a full sized dog, he suggests having someone drop a bag of cement on you from the peak of the roof of a two story building. If you're still standing, you'll be fine.

I have had to take care of a child shredded by large dogs when I was on a Pediatric Surgery rotation. It was touch and go. I don't know how many staples he got. I'm guessing >100. Took a while to pull them all out, that's for sure.

Anyway, I live in the woods. "Doesn't play well with others" is a capitol offense, and that's for dogs, cats, coons, etc. The worst time is when the college lets out for the year. The college kids take their pets, drive out of town, take the first right, next right, and dump them right on my property.

In reply to rotard:

Dont get your panties in a wad there princess. You might want to know a bit about who you are talking to before you go off half cocked. You also may want to reread my post I never once said I hunt using a 22, I said it is a common practice for people with little money to put meat on the table so they don't starve. Personally when I hunt I pack a 70s vintage Winchester 70 chambered in 30-06 when going after big game. Considering I have worked with fish and wild life in my area I have seen animals hunters failed to drop with large calibers I see the skill in being able to drop a deer with a 22. It is not something everyone can do and it require a great deal of skill to properly place a shot like that.