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

True.. there are probably more golden retrievers in the world, and I'm sure their bites are common, but fatalities are not. I seriously doubt a wild-eyed yorkie, dachshund or shih-tsu ever killed anyone.

 

The lesser of two evils? WTF? The lesser evil may get somebody dead, that you may not want dead. Hesitation breeds failure. With the choice to carry, must come the understanding and the willingness to draw and possibly shoot when the situation arises. One can't train or "what if" every possible scenario that can unwind before ones eyes. The only thing you can do is play "what ifs" to the most common, AND make peace with the idea of drawing and shooting when or if your life or someone else's life is in jeopardy.

I wasn't necessarily calling you out with the way you specifically carry...ie thinking you're cool... I was making a generalized statement. Sorry if it came across that way.

 

You are showing an incredible amount of ignorance about how handguns are constructed and work.

It doesn't work like Hollywood. Dropping a gun won't even cause it to fire ONCE, much less go "full auto"

Be gone troll.

 

OP would have fired in self defense, and the dog owner would have been charged with attempted murder.

 

Hasn't happened to me or anyone in my family. I've been handing guns, and carrying when legal, for over 40 years.

 

Are you kidding? In the interests of personal dignity, many states now have "stand your ground" laws allowing one to use force, including deadly force, to avoid a threat of death or serious injury (a bite from a dog falls under that) instead of just cowering in fear and/or running from the threat. Obviously, if I can stand my ground against a bad guy in the street, I'm darn sure not cowering from or running from (your suggestions) an out-of-control mutt which shouldn't even be off it's leash in the first place.

Pet owners have an absolute responsibility to control their animals. Since nearly anything (fear, confusion, aggression, etc) can set them off, dogs should never be off a leash around others. If owners fail to do that, others should not suffer (fear, dog bites, etc) as a result. Nor should owners cry or whine when someone takes that dog out to avoid potential injury to themselves. You may think your dog is a harmless pussycat, but a potential victim doesn't know that (and isn't likely going to just stand there waiting to find out). Besides, a pussycat can cause injury (scratch the hell out you) as well.

Anyway, much of that is for the dog's own good too. It's our confusing environment, not theirs. I seen several killed running across a street (often with the owner chasing or screaming for them to come bad), including one actually panicked into the street, right in front of a car, by a car horn. Use a leash.

 

There's a huge difference. Unlike some aggressive pit bulls, a gun isn't just going to jump up on it's own to attack someone. That's why we also blame the dog instead of just the owner - and why "anti-gun nuts" shouldn't be blaming the gun.

 

Fuck the dog, especially in a situation where it could have gone after your wife...I think the way society views dogs these days is completely wrong, they still have the primal instincts (as do we, apparent through your story), but many people have been softened by todays world...cheers to you man i think you did the right thing...definitely agree they need to be on a leash when around other people, esp when its in a public place. Just my .02

 

Agreed 100%. If you let your dog run around loose, on purpose or through an accident, you are hoping and relying on others to NOT kill it. Possibly by being run over it, possibly by someone afraid of it, but still up to others nonetheless. Same situation, dog running loose, growling and snarling and comes upon a police officer and charges? That's a dead dog 90%+ of the time assuming the officer has the time and presence of mind to draw and fire in time. There is no difference if it's an armed private citizen, it's just self defense and whether that person feels in sufficient danger to shoot or not.

 

You will like this one ,,,stand by for the

 

Fixed for ya. I'm all for blaming a dog or an owner for the actions but not an entire breed.

 

That's not true. In most states, pulling/displaying a firearm is brandishing, a crime in itself. You may only use a firearm (which includes pulling it out of a holster) in strict self-defense. In other words, if the situation doesn't justify using a firearm (actually firing it), it should remain in the holster.

 

Thank you. However, I only used pit bulls as an example because that's what his message repeatedly refers to.

 

No disrespect meant here, and I'm not in any way trying to project any type of condescending tone or what not but if you are not a cop, and know nothing of the use of force continuum, or how courts have ruled on this exact topic when it comes to law enforcement....do not speak of which you know nothing about. Also, it has nothing to do with the OP.

 

My roommate has a 7 million volt stun baton. As soon as you press the button on that thing, it crackles like a combination of a whip and thunder. I think that would be more effective against a dog, since it would scare the shit out of them as they are coming at you. And if they do get near you, you can drop them. A gun won't scare most animals until it is fired (unless they have prior experience with guns and recognize it). Just a thought.

It looks exactly like this:

 

A sound cannon would work too but just as pointless to carry on a regular basis....

 

How do you figure? A sound cannon weighs upwards of 100 pounds. The product I'm talking about is around 12-18" long and only weighs around a pound. I'm sure with some type of holster it could be carried as easily as a knife or gun

Edit: Here is an example of the sound it makes (FFW to 46s) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsXevmeCL-8&feature=player_detailpage#t=46s My room mates dog, granted he is a bit of a pussy, but when he hears that sound he about pisses himself.

 

I wander what's next? Poll a gun to protect you-re self from a bunch of bees, or a diving crow protecting his young? Or carry a submachine gun to keep you safe from a bunch of gang bangers? A bit to much in my opinion. Move to a better neighborhood where you feel safe and no need to carry.

 

It's 12"-18" long! Really? How can you "conceal" something that's 12"-18" long? Really? I'd like to know. Not smart ass at all. Shit, my M4 is just a tad over 20" long...I could conceal that then comfortably on my afternoon trot through the park.