Posted on 10/01/2019 8:02:03 AM PDT by marktwain
This morning I had another experience with a dog aggressively defending its territory. I was on my exercise walk. The sky was light before the sun was up. A pair of dogs were in a fenced yard, with their owner. They took exception to my presence. The fence, next to the sidewalk, was only two feet tall, as incentivized by the silly local zoning laws.
I am a dog person. I understand dog body language pretty well. As I passed the yard, on the sidewalk, with a boulevard to my right and the yard to my left, I considered the possibility the medium-sized dog would jump the fence and come at me. It was a worthwhile vigilance.
The dog jumped the fence and came at my left rear. I immediately pivoted to the left, bringing my left fist downward. My fist just brushed the muzzle of the dog, inches from my left leg. The dog was in the process of stopping and backing up, with both the owner and me loudly encouraging it to do so. It all happened in a second or two at most. I never considered drawing the Glock 17 on my right hip. Guns are useful tools to stop dog attacks. Most of the time, their use is not the optimum approach.
The dog needed to be reminded I was a lot bigger than it, and not going to accept a gratuitous bite at my leg. While such a bite was unlikely to be fatal, infection of the Achilles tendon is a life-altering possibility. A dog's health is not worth my tendon.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
I favor the walking stick to prevent fatal injury to any human in the line of fire.
True.
Dogs are also a good read on body language of humans and other animals.
Have a Golden Retriever who is very submissive and a mutt who’s not. Loose dogs will circle around me and the mutt trying to get to the GR. A little “We’re a pack” body language and the other dog takes off.
Sticks are quieter, too.
When that situation occurs and I am empty handed, I reach down to the ground and PRETEND to pick up a stone.
Most aggressive dogs know what that means from past experience and more often than not will stop the attack for fear of getting hurt.
So I started carrying a hot shot electric cattle prod when I went for a walk. Just a couple of pops in the dogs' faces was all it took for the dogs to keep their distance whenever I walked by.
Irresponsible dog owners suck
Why not take a different route?
“While such a bite was unlikely to be fatal, infection of the Achilles tendon is a life-altering possibility.“
A few years back Mrs. L was bitten by our neighbor’s dog, a Jack Russel. There were two small bites on her index finger. It looked like she’d been poked with a pencil.
Less than 36 hours later she was in the hospital fighting a systemic bacterial infection. She was there for 8 days on intravenous antibiotics. It took surgery to finally clean the infection out.
Any animal bite that breaks the skin is a bona fide medical emergency. That came straight from the mouth of the infectious disease specialist who treated my wife.
L
When I walk, I always carry a Cane Masters cane, in addition to the CCW. When I bicycle, I’m still armed. If a dog chases me, it’s good sprint training, but usually a squirt in the face with the water bottle stops him in his tracks. Dogs have an OODA loop, too.
I regularly carry a gun. But I also like carrying pepper spray. Pepper spray has a lot of uses at a threat level well below the “Pull your gun” stage.
That’s a great idea, probably better than pepper spray.
The Jack Russel is a rotten little dog.
Uh, oh.
In high school (late 70s) I ran track. During the summer, I ran a lot. Along one of my courses there was a dog which would come out onto the sidewalk, chase me, and nip at my heels. One day the dog got too close so I abruptly stopped, spun around, and kicked it in the chest, lifting the beast off the ground. That dog never bothered me again.
Usually, the kind of dog owner who allows his ‘Bark-A-Lot’ dogs to roam free in a crowded neighborhood, is arrogant, self centered and does not want to be told about the problems caused.
Some such owners are able more considerate, but most such owners already know their dog is a nuisance. They just don’t give a damn.
They think their dogs right to roam free ‘as nature intended’ trumps your need for safer streets.
Great idea, stream has a range of approx 20 to 30 feet depending and can contain 2+ good shots. I keep a can in my drivers side door lower sleeve and a can at my front door and a can in my bedroom near my nightstand. Hit someone or an animal in the face near their eyes and they are going down hard and fast in the case of it being used on a human and will likely need medical care to flush the spray from their eyes.
Very effective and a hell of a lot cheaper than a gun. Of course that is my backup just in case.
At the end of the day, we all need to remember one thing when it comes to pooches....
Dogs may be “Man’s Best Friend”... but THIS or THAT one may not necessarily be YOUR best friend...
Caution is always the wisest and best choice.
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