A little shaken up. Had to draw for the first time.

[allaroundhunter]

Was I right in drawing my pistol? I was afraid for my dog's life and I didn't see the irresponsible owners until after I had drawn

Yes, IMO you were right in drawing, and if I was there, one more second and I might have fired. I have had to draw on an aggressive dog (also a Pit) that was attacking me, and I had to fire. The results were not good for the dog. Now, I was attacked on my own private land, but if I was in a park I still would not have hesitated.

There is a reason that a person can be charged with "assault with a deadly weapon" if a dog is aggressive. They can, and have killed people before.

 

[wrs840]

wrs840 that is a load of horse crap. Pits are no more prone to aggression that most any other medium to large breed canine...

http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2011.php


...yeah, I know... The stats are "wrong" because most people are too stupid to visually identify a Pit Bull and think any "mean dog" "must" be a Pit Bull...

 

[theicemanmpls]

wrs840 that is a load of horse crap. Pits are no more prone to aggression that most any other medium to large breed canine. They are just powerfully built with very strong jaws. PEOPLE make them aggressive. Not their "nature". Every pit I have ever owned were VERY sweet dogs. Give any dog love and you will have a sweet, lovable, faithful pet. Give ANY dog misery and mistreatment, and you will have an aggressive, heartless, just downright mean dog. I wish people like you that obviously have no clue whatsoever about the true nature of Pits would just shut the hell up. All the stories about pits are so biased it's not even funny. Every single Pit attack can be traced to it being badly treated and TRAINED to be mean. Give me 2 weeks with the sweetest, most lovable dog on the planet and I can make it a beast like you have never seen.

OP, I have raised several pits and love them. I currently have Rotties for house dogs simply because they are a bit more on the intimidation side.

May I ask why you need dogs that intimidate? Do you own a junkyard?

[Give me 2 weeks with the sweetest, most lovable dog on the planet and I can make it a beast like you have never seen.
/QUOTE]

Give ANY dog misery and mistreatment, and you will have an aggressive, heartless, just downright mean dog.

Are you saying you mistreat dogs in oder to train them?

Just asking?

 

[Big_E]

Let me clarify. I don't care about the breed, if I feel that an unleashed dog attacks my dog, I will kill it if I have to.

I have been around plenty of dogs throughout my life. I was more upset with the owners than anything else.

I'm just thankful my dog is okay physically and that I didn't have to shoot a dog this evening.

Had the owner not gotten out of her car, a second or two later I would killed at least one of the dogs.

 

[Leanwolf]

Big E, see my question on Post #22.

Thanks.

L.W.

 

[FMF Doc]

I would have probably done about the same, except I would have been more like to have shot the dog. The important thing to remember is that if you shoot (or even draw in most places) you had better tell the authorities that the dog posed an imenant risk to YOUR life and/or health. Defending your "property" aka: dog, will get you locked up in a lot of places. Your weapon is to defend your life or the lives of others (humans only). I don't know of many places that give dogs equal protection under the law. The good news...dead dogs tell no secrets. It's only your word the police have to go on.

 

[allaroundhunter]

wrs840 that is a load of horse crap. Pits are no more prone to aggression that most any other medium to large breed canine

Actually, they are. They have a much higher "prey drive" than other breeds, and without extra training, this drive manifests itself in bad ways. Without the proper training, that few who own pits get for their dogs, they can go from docile to aggressive without much provocation, if any at all.

This has been proven, and it is a reason that they are used as "attacking" guard dogs by some people.


Here is an excerpt from realpitbull.com:

Pit Bulls are prone to developing dog-aggression and are a high prey drive breed. If you have other pets at home, supervision between them and the Pit Bull is a MUST. Never leave a Pit Bull unattended with other animals.

This drive also carries over and manifests itself into attacks on humans occasionally.

 

[SilentStalker]

So, I wonder when they are going to pass some laws banning Pit Bulls? I mean they seem as dangerous as guns to me based on what the media tells me all of the time but I have not seen anything on capital hill about the possible banning of pit bulls! Sorry, I had to. If you don't see the sarcasm here then...nevermind. Just to clarify, no, I do not mean anything bad against pit bulls or their owners in general, nor do I really have any problem with guns.

To the original poster, IMO, you did what you thought you had to do. I can tell you that Pit bulls are no joke and I do not play around with them based on some incidents I had as a kid. Do not ever let your guard down against one. Sounds to me like it was kind of a close call, playing or no playing, you did what you thought you should do. So, stand behind that. Considering you said you could not get the dog off it does not sound like it was playing to me and in all honesty I am not sure what i would have done in that situation but it sounds like you handled it well. I was not there but if it had been me and one attacking my dog like that then I might have shot it, I just cannot say without being there. As far as I am concerned attacking my dog is no different than attacking family. At the very least I hope you gave the owners a serious earful. I might have even called the cops as having the dogs off the leash is against the law, at least where I live.

Oh, and just for the record, No, I don't think all pit bulls are bad! I believe a lot of it has to do with how they are raised. I have some friends with 2 pit bulls and they are the nicest most well behaved dogs I have ever met, even more-so than my own dogs. However, I still do not let my guard down with them or any dog for that matter!

 

[allaroundhunter]

So, I wonder when they are going to pass some laws banning Pit Bulls? I mean they seem as dangerous as guns to me based on what the media tells me all of the time but I have not seen anything on capital hill about the possible banning of pit bulls! Sorry, I had to. If you don't see the sarcasm here then...nevermind. Just to clarify, no, I do not mean anything bad against pit bulls or their owners in general, nor do I really have any problem with guns.

There are cities that have passed laws outlawing them from living within city limits. It is also becoming much more common for apartments to not allow "aggressive breeds" to be owned by tenants....and yes, the pit bull breed is included in that description.

 

[GAF]

Big E,

You did the right thing. I never meet a pit bull I liked.

The real problem is with the owner, but it is the dog
that suffers.

 

[Big_E]

Big E, which park in Boise was it?? Let me know and my wife and I will stay out of it if Pit bulls are running unleashed.

As for "drawing down," I would have.

L.W.

It was in Ann Morrison Park. This is the first time it has happened to me and I am usually in the park twice a day.

 

[jef2015]

I think shooting a dog, in most cases, is a little extreme. If walking a dog on leash it is usually an urban environment and discharging a firearm because of a dog fight may be difficult to justify. Pepper spray is the option I choose.

 

[Leanwolf]

Thanks, Big E. We walk there occasionally, but walk on the Greenbelt by the river more often. We're careful there, too.

L.W.

 

[R.W.Dale]

It never fails to amaze me EVERY proud dog owner of a particular breed will claim till the cows come home that their breed does X activity so well as part of its pedegree. That in essence the activity is in the dogs genes to the point of an instinct.

Except for living in denial pit breed owners. Then the behavior the breed was bred to do can NEVER manifest itself instinctively.

posted via tapatalk using android.

 

[allaroundhunter]

I think shooting a dog, in most cases, is a little extreme. If walking a dog on leash it is usually an urban environment and discharging a firearm because of a dog fight may be difficult to justify.

I say again, an owner can be charged with "assault with a deadly weapon" if his dog attacks another person. It really is not that hard to justify having to shoot a dog, especially a pit bull.

 

[Eric M]

You did the right thing to protect your dog OP. I don't subscribe to the idea pitbulls are inherently dangerous, however, in that situations with any breed of dog I would have acted in much the same way.

 

[El Mariachi]

My kids have friends who have some of the sweetest, calmest pits that you could ever wish for, as well as several of our neighbors and friends. Conversely, in Hell-A. there are many pits around here (with their requisite idiotic owners) that would give a honey badger a run for it's money. Bottom line? I'd of popped the (unleashed) pit bull in question within ten seconds of watching my (leashed) dog begin to lose body parts. Ain't my job to play Marlin Perkins for the uneducated pet owning masses.....

 

[duns]

So, I wonder when they are going to pass some laws banning Pit Bulls?

The UK has banned pit bull terrier type dogs. "Type" refers to certain dog characteristics not to a breed or species. Potential GBP5000 fine and/or 6 months imprisonment for owning a pit bull terrier type. But then the UK loves banning things. In the UK, handguns are banned, semiauto rifles/shotguns are banned (except .22 rimfire), pump actions are banned (except .22 rimfire), and all other rifles/shotguns are severely regulated. Even pepper spray is banned. In fact, in the UK, it is illegal to keep any object specifically for the purpose of self defense. The police have been known to confiscate large flashlights and walking sticks as potential offensive weapons.

Personally, I would adopt the same approach for pit bulls as for guns. I would come down hard on a person who did not control their pit bull and I would come down hard on a person who misused a firearm. But I would ban neither.

 

[fallout mike]

Iceman, the only reason you took heat in your thread was bc of you saying things like "why would anyone want to raise a monster", "pits are monsters", "I hate pits and want to shoot them", and so on. You were asking for it and you knew it bc you kept saying"I have my flame suit on". But anyway, we know you won't let the facts get in the way.

 

[browningguy]

If a pit bull had attacked one of my dogs he would be shot immediately, I wouldn't try to pull him off, just a shot behind the ear.

 

[fallout mike]

Op, you showed more restraint than I would have. Those owners would have paid for a vet visit for my dog too.

 

[Keizer]

You mentioned you couldn't get the pit off your hound. So, were you going to shoot the pit while it was stuck to your dog? Wouldn't you have been afraid that your dog could have easily been hit as well? Dogs are a small target, and in the heat of the moment you could have easily killed your own animal if you were just a few inches off target. Not to mention the speed at which a dog moves, and how a quick change in position could have also meant your dog could have been hit.

I think a solid club would have been a better option. To the person that mentioned you won't hurt a pit by hitting him in the head. My neighbors wife got bit by another neighbors pit really bad. The husband walked down to where the dog lived and caved it's skull in. Pits are not indestructible.

 

[allaroundhunter]

You mentioned you couldn't get the pit off your hound. So, were you going to shoot the pit while it was stuck to your dog? Wouldn't you have been afraid that your dog could have easily been hit as well? Dogs are a small target, and in the heat of the moment you could have easily killed your own animal if you were just a few inches off target. Not to mention the speed at which a dog moves, and how a quick change in position could have also meant your dog could have been hit.

Muzzle behind the ear, boom. It really is not that hard to keep from shooting your own dog.

 

[Grmlin]

Well it has turned into a pitbull bashing session. I have never had any problems with Pitbulls (American Stafordshire terrier, Pittbull terrier). Over the years because of people these dogs have gone from being a Nanny to a killer. In the early 1900's these dogs were called nanny dogs because they would actualy baby sit infants and young children. When I was a teenager (early 80's) I wanted to get one but my mother said no. She was affraid of the name and breed. Then one day we were looking at pictures of her child hood (mid 40's) and she was flanked by two very good looking dogs. I asked if thats why she was afraid of pitbulls. She said no those were nanny dogs and they were the best dogs Uncle ever had. (Guess what mom they were pittbulls). Have three dogs now one is a pit mix and she's the best out of them, always wants to be touching. Another is a border collie he likes the cats, the other dogs and us, nothing or nobody else, but because of the smallest dog a beagle mix (all atitude) we have to keep the male dogs seperated. They are all fixed.

Any dog can be dangerous, the cocker spanial used to be the worst biter followed by the german shepherd. They just don't have the strength of a pit.

Yes in that situation I may have done the same thing.

 

[mortablunt]

Unless you're in a place that lets you shoot to protect property, then you'd have to literally kick the dog.