I’ve been attacked before and the owner was nowhere around. Nothing happened to the owners and I was the bad guy for making the city take their sweet angle away. As I got older my brother couldn’t even go outside alone because another neighbor got a “harmless” dog that wouldn’t stay in their backyard. It’s sad when you have to walk your family out to the car with a loaded pistol pointed at a growling Rottweiler standing in your yard. It took the city months to finally haul that one away. Thank God everyone kept their children locked in their houses. So you guys are saying that I should just deal with it and not make a fuss huh?
No, I am saying that if you face a situation that you describe you have a perfect right to shoot the dog--SO LONG AS YOU'RE BEING ATTACKED--attacked means that you're not on your neighbor's property unless invited, that you're not exacerbating the situation of a dog protecting what it perceives as its territory, and that if it is merely barking at you as you pass by you don't perceive that than more than it is: a warning.
...besides, dog’s are the most domesticated animal in the world. They have been around humankind for an estimated 50,000 years as helpers and protectors—far long enough to rid the species of innate “wild” behavior. But dogs can revert to their instincts and a dog (any dog) is only as good as its owner’s training. Allow it to play bite, encourage it’s natural aggression to protect you, fail to discipline it for misbehavior, or abuse it, and you’re going to have a bad dog on your hands. Treat with respect and kindness with a firm, trained hand and you’ll have the kind of best friend that will willingly lay down its life for you and your family.
The last time there was an ice storm in Atlanta, a couple years ago, I walked a circuit of the neighborhood to scout things out, a few miles' walk ending up at the Publix. I wanted to see if I could go out, and if I was gonna be stranded, I figured it'd be nicer with a bottle of wine.
At one corner, a medium-sized dog approached me in the middle of the iced-over street -- a little smaller than a Shepherd, a little bigger than a Retriever. It looked to be a mutt, but well-fed and groomed, and the collar had a tag on it, though I didn't get close enough to read it.
He ram up, snapping and snarling, clearly territorial behavior. The roads were like wet glass, no traffic. Fortunately, I had enough presence of mind to yell "GO HOME!: as loudly as I could. He went, if not home, at least elsewhere.
I've never had to use deadly force against a neighbor's pet. With guidance from my mom, I have a three-tiered approach -- one is to sprinkle the inside garbage cans with cayenne pepper, so if the neighbor's dogs knock off the lids to sniff around once, they won't do it twice. Step two is to spray the interloping animal with buck lure. When a roaming dog comes home with that godalmighty funk, the owner will be disinclined to let it roam again. Step three is to pop it on the ass with a BB gun to chase it off. Step three is the most fun.
Bottom line: If you want to keep your pet safe, keep it home.
Shoot, shovel, shut up.