I drew my weapon in self defense: Gun owners & Dog Walkers

So, this weekend I drew my gun for the first time in self defense.

First want to say that I love all animals and the last thing I want to do is hurt some ones pet. I do hunt and fish, that usually involves killing an animal that I take for food. That being said here is my encounter.

My wife and I go running 3 times a week in our neighborhood. I live across the street from a desert park. The park is about 3/4 of a mile long and 2 miles wide one one side buts up next to a freeway. After the free way there is 50/50 land this is half developed and half wild. All desert. On the other side of the park it is all residential. There is a high school and from then on it is all urban city. I have seen Coyotes, I have seen Rattle snakes. This this park is still a bit wild

On a run a few months back my wife and I were attacked by two dogs. The dogs from the best I can tell escaped from some ones home and were on the loose. I was able to fend off the dogs with out injury to my wife my self or the dogs. How ever after that encounter I decided to carry my gun.

Yesterday my wife and I went out for our normal run. I normally keep pace with my wife and we run side by side. This day I got a bit ahead of her.

Anyway I was running at a fast jog and out of the corner of my eve I see a couple walking there two dogs. The couple is a younger couple, the guy has a 50lbs lab or so on a leash and the girl has a blue leash in her hand and I can see the doge she was walking is not on that leash. It was a 60lbs German Shepperd/Akita sort of looking dog. This dog was jumping and nipping at the black lab.

I have had lot of dog that were off leash run up to me. Most of the time they are not barking and just want to run up and say high. I ignore them and keep running. My state does have a leash law (all dos must be on a leash unless in a dog park). This is not a dog park.

My state is very liberal when it comes to gun laws. I am sure here, I can walk down the street juggling a hand full of rifles and the police would not say any thing. When I run I open carry. It is more of a comfort thing.

The couple and there two dogs are about 25 meters away to my front/right when I see them. There is some brush in the way 6 foot tall shrubs that you can see though, All desert land scape it is not very dense.

Yet I see exactly where this is going. As soon as this dog sees me it lets out a big dog bark. The dog and I then lock eyes.

The At this time with out thinking I flipped the keep down latch on my holster and kept running.

I am now with in 15 meters front/right off the couple and there dogs, the big dog cuts loose and heads straight at me. The dog and the couple are to my right. I am right handed and carry on my right. The dog is barking and growling. With in 2 seconds it hits me in my heal. I feel my right foot brush the dog on the chin. (the dog is behind me, So is my wife) probably 300-400 meters. I spin to the right while upholstering my pistol. The dog is a foot or so away from me, I draw a bead on the dog.

I take the hold your ground stance and start yelling "GET YOUR FUCKING DOG, GET YOUR FUCKING DOG, GET YOUR FU...." I see the guy out of the corner of my eye.. leaping to his dog. At this point I have tunnel vision big time all I see is the growling and snapping teeth. So I guess it is not realty out of the corner of my eye. more if in front of me.

As he makes contact with his dog I immediately re-holster. I never had my gun pointed at the guy. I never had my finger on the trigger through the encounter. I was however one ...CKING DOG way way from taking the shot. I back off as quick as I could, I got about 25 meters way befor they had the dog leased up. I yelled back "KEEP THAT FUCKING THING ON A LEASEH".

So I just wanted to share my encounter. Reflecting on this last night and today while writing this I reevaluated the situation. I don't think I would have done any thing different. Was I right.. no.. Could I carry pepper spray.. yeah. Am I going to change.. No. I would draw again: Good question. I do not feel my life was in danger. I was a dog. I would have been bitten. That's all. I would not have been killed. But thinking more into it. I did not know the dog, I did not even know if it was there dog. It could have been a stray. I think I took the right action.

 

To say that you may have only been just bitten is quite optamistic considering the breed/size of dog you were dealing with. GSD's are amazingly loyal and good dogs (so are pits and rotties), but like any breed in the hands of inadequate owners that aren't aware of their dogs natural instincts to defend them or to chase, the dogs can get themselves into big trouble.

I would argue that you did feel that your life (or spouse) was in danger in some way. If you didn't feel that way, then why did you draw a weapon?

If more concerned with wildlife or other animals on the loose and up to no good, why not carry pepper spray? You mentioned you wouldn't, but I'm just curious why. I would think it would be more comfortable to run with as well?

Nice job staying in control of the situation!

 

You did the right thing. This happens a lot in the liberal state of Maryland. Despite breed restrictions we get a lot of the dog fighting demographic in the area. I have had several pit bulls as pets (all friendly) and I absolutely love the dogs.

In most cases where the dog is aggressive it's the owners that need to be shot.

CCW is absolutely prohibited in Maryland unfortunately. Our fearless democratic fucktard leaders here think we're all pretty much just meat into the grinder.

 

Sounds like you were WAY too close to also shooting the guy...are you prepared to go to prison over a dog bite?

 

Did you read the story!?


Brian's an avid shooter and a responsible gun owner!

If you fear for your safety, measures need to be taken! Fuck the dog and their owner...they're lucky Brian did keep a level head...someone else may not have.

 

I carry when out walking.
People are goofy and have no idea about dog training for a lot of them.
I would really really hate to fire on a dog attacking me, but sometimes it is the only way out.

You did the best thing you could at the time.
I picked up a pepper spray for my wife when she walks with her trainer as they are both skeered of dogs.

I just bought an expandable baton also as a deterent to aggressive animals.

 

He said he never had his finger on the trigger...

You did the right thing OP.

 

X2

 

Just to be the asshole. Maybe the dog sensed that you were a threat because you had a weapon and were in fear? I wasnt there, but it seems like you had the intention of showing agression and dogs can sense that.

BUT putting that aside, i think you handled the situation in the best way that you could have. No one was hurt and those owners will never have that dog off leash again.

 

To be the counter asshole, if you can't control your dog verbally, they have no right being off leash. If you have an aggressive-natured dog, it's the owner's responsiblity to keep them from doing other people harm on public property. Even if the dog had sensed aggression, it shouldn't have been loose to go after anyone.

I also think the situation was handled well but would second the question as to why you wouldn't carry pepper spray if the concern is wildlife. If I had been in your situation with pepper spray, the dog would have gotten it and learned a valuable, non-life threatening lesson in the process, same with any other potential wildlife threat. If you're in an unsafe area, carry the gun but if the thread is wildlife, I'd personally rather carry pepper spray unless you're talking about big predators (in which case a handgun likely won't be enough to stop them anyways).

 

wut

 

Dang,you mean I read all this for nothing? I was waiting for the good part, the shooting part. Thanks God,y'all both ok. I would have shot the dog owner for not putting the dog on the leash. Shouldn't own the dang dog,if don't know how to proper takin' care of it....

 

how long does it take to move your finger to the trigger and pull it?....he said he was one more 'CKING DOG' from shooting; says he had tunnel vision.... so, say the dog owner was a second slower in leaping for his dog! OP says he locked eyes with the dog! The dog has no idea what a gun is or what it can do- the drawn gun is not a deterrent in this case! The OP did not get bit, had the OP not unholstered would he have gotten bit? I doubt it! To me, drawing down on a dog that I end up NOT shooting is thereby not worth the substantial added risk to my future freedom and resources.

 

x2

If you have your dog off leash it better be damn obedient

 

you were wrong.

 

Haha. That's for damn sure! Guy is probably at home cleaning the poo out of his shorts!

I think you were justified in your need to protect yourself, and your family, however perhaps carrying a form of non-lethal protection (pepper, baton, tazer, whatever) would be appropriate as well. That way you would still be able to fend off a dog, but not get into the mess of having to blast somebody's pet pup in front of their eyes! That wouldn't be a fun situation for anyone involved.

 

Go on...

 

The dogs history is unknown. Some dogs have an amazing ability to distinguish threats based on what they see, for example, a gun. I wasnt saying thats the case, just playing devils advocate i guess.

 

V

after this its game on for the dog.

 

Ya eye contact is a sign of agression but, that shouldnt have triggered the dog to attack