Gun owner stops dog attack

[kernal_panic]

anyone who thinks they can take on an 80 plus pound dog with out a weapon is smokin crack.

 

[Matt G]

I'm amazed at the criticism launched against the guy who stopped the dog attack and saved his neighbor's life. When an animal is actively chewing on the person that you're running up to save, it's just REALLY likely that you're not going to be able to get a good shot at it without running a high likelyhood of hitting the fellow you're attempting to rescue. Keep in mind that dogs, when attacking, will usually continuously swing their bodies about, even while their head is clamped onto their prey. Thus he'd have a moving target, in a time of high anxiety, with ultimate consequences for a misplaced shot or a pass-through to the victim. All in all, putting a shot in the ground while running up to the dog is NOT a bad idea, IMHO.

Please note-- as a rule, I'm against warning shots. But this is a slightly differnt situation than a typical "warning shot."

 

[ShaiVong]

but I've just never understood how 75-pound German Shepard police dogs seem to routinely take down 200-pound guys.

Becuase that 200 lb guy isnt fighting the 75 lb GS, hes trying to run away and the dog attacks him from behind. If the guy was standing and fighting, the cops would have taken him themselves.

I think any reasonably fit man could take on any single dog (within reason, not talking 150-200 lb mastiffs here). I don't think you could do it without injury, but you could do it. Especially with a pocketknife.

Dogs are great predators and early warning systems, but like most predators they attack in groups or from behind. How often do you hear about Lions killing the biggest and baddest in the herd?

 

[semf]

Attacked 23 times? Are you a mailman?

pest control for 20 years. And we're not allowed to carry mace. It usually just pisses them off anyway. Got 15 stitches in my butt for that little experiment

worthless breed. I hate those things.

some people say that about guns and some gun people say that about "assault guns" I don't believe that the breed is bad. They were designed for a certain purpose (hunting not fighting) if they are not allowed to fulfill that pupose the go stir crazy. I grew up with hog hunters and have known alot of pits and have owned 13. The breed is not bad they just have to be respected.

One big advantage that humans have over dogs, predator versus predator-wise, is that at least we don't have to fight with our faces!

According to this story we're not very good at it

 

[Black92LX]

if you see the dog coming and expect an attack is one thing. but this was this guys dog he could have been bending down to pet him and something made the dog snap and boom he's latched to his face. there is not really anything you can do then.

 

[P95Carry]

he's latched to his face... there is not really anything you can do then.

This is a reason why I have always found it hard to trust a dog, totally. Maybe one or two less than pleasant experiences when I was young started me on this route.

The scary thing is the speed with which a dog (or cat even) ... can ''turn'' ... it matters not what may or may have provoked the attack .... it commences in a heartbeat .... and then the ferocity and speed of attack can be awesome. The main factor IMO why they can do so much damge even when the body weight equation seems stacked against them.

They also when in attack mode have NO thoughts as we might - about what harm may become them ... they are out to damage or kill ..... that's their intent.... and they can become a whirling mess of biting teeth . hard to defend against and hard to hit even if armed.

Not strictly relevant but I remember a guy who had an old cat ..... which superficially seemed all nice and friendly ... accepted attention, purred, seemed to love it ...... then at times something used to ''snap'' (? brain tumor perhaps?) .... and quicker than a camera shutter .... the claws were slashing and the teeth were biting ... with considerable damage done. That nasty piece of feline deception eventually was given a well deserved lead ''pillule''!!

 

[quick68]

My brother and I were trying to chain a 4yr old pit mix that my mother had that had started growling at visitors. The dog spun and bit my brother on the hand, if it was trying to intimidate him it failed. I belive here is the difference in surviving a dog attack with fewer wounds. My brother shoved the dog away and stood up, the dog backed up about 10 ft and charged us, it jumped at bro. and he kicked it under the throat/chest area hard enough to break dog parts, the steel toe boots help here, the dog acted like it had been hit with a car and ran off to be put down shortly there after. The dog may have been a 65lb weapon, but bro was a 250lb weapon.

 

[Zach S]

As a very experience 6' 220lb animal attack victim ( 23 times to date) I can tell you that any body who thinks he can escape a determined dog attack unscathed is very naive or has never seen an attack up close and personal.

Very true.

 

[JPM70535]

I place Pit Bulls in the same category with Rattle Snakes, in that IMO the only good one is a dead one. I fully expect to be flamed by the Pit Bull Lovers who maintain that there is no such thing as a bad breed of dog.

In over 25 years of Law Enforcement I found myself dispatched to numerous Dog complaints, most of which involved bites. With few exceptions, the breeds involved were either Pit Bulls, Chows, or Dobermans. Of these the greatest offender was the Pit Bull. That breed has been inbred so often to enhance the aggressive nature, (inclination to fight) that they are no longer mentally stable. Many of the bites were serious and happened to the owners of the animals rather than to a stranger. These experiences have led me to the conclusion that when the time comes that I am confronted by a Pit Bull, I will go into DEFCON 5 and at the first move in my direction, will send it to that big fire Hydrant in the sky, no exceptions.

 

[Chipperman]

As a Veterinarian, I see lots of different breeds in my office every day. Some dogs are good, some bad. I'd like to make a few points:

1. "Pit Bull" is a catch-all garbage name encompassing many breeds.
2. Not all Pit Bulls are bad.
3. 99% of the Bad Pits are that way because of the owners.
4. These owners would have made ANY breed bad.
5. The problem with Pits, Rotties, et al, is that they have VERY powerful jaws. The large massester muscles that give them the round head, also give them the power.
6. This particular dog needs to die.
7. There is no such thing as a "locking jaw". They are just so powerful, that you have a much better chance of prying a German Shepherd's mouth open than a Pit Bull's mouth.
8. I think in this case the shooter was very smart. By shooting the ground first, he was sure not to hit the man, and avoided any potential liability of shooting the dog. I'm sure the next shot ould have been into the dog's body point-blank.
9. Most of the bad Pit Bulls let you know before you even touch them. A lot of other breeds are more unpredictable. I've never been bitten by a Pit Bull. I have been bitten by Rotties, German Shepherds, Poodles, Jack Russel Terriers, Dachshunds, Golden Retrievers, etc.
10. If any dog larger than 50-60 lbs latches onto you and does not let go, you're in trouble. Smaller dogs you can wrestle with more easily. It's not just a matter of weight. Dogs have powerful jaws, necks, and have four feet on the ground vs our two feet. This is one of the reasons I carry two Folders, one in each front pocket. If a big dog ever latches onto me, I can open a knife with either hand and quickly dispatch it.

 

[semf]

the breeds involved were either Pit Bulls

I think if you check they would be Pit mixes 90% of the time, which would negate the inbred theory which I've heard about German Shepards for years. And the majority would be Pit Lab mixes. And almost all cases will involve abuse or neglect such as chaining or confining in small spaces. And most will also be animals under 2 years old.
The breed isn't bad, some of the owners with the biggest baddest dog mentality that usually is the problem
These are hunting dogs bred for a certain purpose and very good at what they do. When they are denied their natural instincts they create problems.Nietzse said in peaceful times warlike men will turn on each other.The same holds true for other predators.
Antbody that keeps any large dog should be required to to have a fenced in area adequate for the dog to run freely and have a $500,000 liability bond.

 

[Shane]

Cute little sucker, hard to belive they do get upwards of 250 lbs!

Average males are around 180-220 pounds. 250 is NOT common, but it does happen now and then--some individuals are just bigger boned than others. My buddies dog was all muscle too, the weight was not due to fat. Compare this to a female African Lion. Female Lions can get to 300 pounds (which is usually the larger females), but if I remember correctly average closer to 225 pounds. A domestic dog the size of a female African Lion is amazing, because Wild Wolves are much smaller in nature.


The record for largest dog in the Guiness Book of World records was something like 330 pounds (and was an Old English Mastiff). Imagine the pooper scooper needed to pick up after him, must be the size of a large shovel!

 

[ShaiVong]

The record for largest dog in the Guiness Book of World records was something like 330 pounds (and was an Old English Mastiff). Imagine the pooper scooper needed to pick up after him, must be the size of a large shovel!

That's scary big.

 

[SteelyDan]

If there are any cable TV execs reading this thread, I'm guessing their mental wheels are already spinning. Look for the "cage match" during the November sweeps.

 

[TheeBadOne]

I think any reasonably fit man could take on any single dog

That is because "you think". Those who have actually knowledge will tell you that a person has a very poor chance against a large determined dog. (reguardless of the one post of someone defeating a dog with a "kick". If a dog is aggressivly closing in at full speed a kick will usually miss as dogs are very fast. I was trained NOT to kick for that reason.) In fact, if it's a trained attack dog a black belt has a slim chance against a large trained aggresive attack dog.

 

[CWL]

I think any reasonably fit man could take on any single dog

Ever tried to chew through a baseball in under one minute, how about golf balls? Pit bulls can. Also bones, tree limbs and car tires.

If a pit bull or any med-large dog gets it's teeth on you -especially your face, expect to lose that piece of it at the very least. Pit bulls have the reputation for not feeling pain, I believe it. Trying to punch or choke a dog that has it's teeth on you would probably aggrivate your own wounds.

Dogs used to be used in war, against guys with swords.

 

[Travis McGee]

A pitbull vs a man: sounds like a great "reality TV" premise.

"Joe Millionaire in a Steel Cage Death Match with Joe Pitbull"

Matt

 

[Scoob]

lololololololol
"Who will come out on top!!! And what will the Pittbull think when he finds out Joe's not a millionaire,who will the tribal council vote off first,
tune in tonight to find out!!!"