I like shotguns with bird shot. I have broken up a pack attacking another dog with a hickory pick handle. One of the attacking dogs had to be put down. These were not feral dogs, but pets running loose and there was a female-in-heat involved.
Dog Attack Scenario
In a scenario where one's family and family pet is being attacked by a large viscious dog or group of dogs, what would be the best weapon to use in order to maintain one's personal safety?
Would a stun gun on a stick work effectively against several dogs? Would using a firearm be safe when at close range near one's family?
Would a stun gun on a stick work effectively against several dogs? Would using a firearm be safe when at close range near one's family?
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Part of the answer from what I have experienced depends on the breed, as well as the mindset of the dog. I have seen pack attacks, as well as single dog attacks where you would have to kill the dog to get it to stop. I believe that a stun gun would work well, but you may not want to be that close. I have used pepper spray to good effect, as well a very strong grade of ammonia (reagent??) in a spray bottle.
No matter what, it ain't fun.
No matter what, it ain't fun.
An ax handle, Don't aim for the head some dogs have quick head motion instead take out there front legs. If they can't stand they can't fight.
If the dog bites the handle Kick the bugger in the throat.
The three rules with dogs or any animal humans included are .
1) If you can't see you can't fight .
2) If you can't breath you can't fight .
3) If you can't stand You can't fight .
If the dog bites the handle Kick the bugger in the throat.
The three rules with dogs or any animal humans included are .
1) If you can't see you can't fight .
2) If you can't breath you can't fight .
3) If you can't stand You can't fight .
Your scenario doesn't detail where the attack might take place, but if you've got the option, it'd be hard to beat a short shotgun and #4 buck shot. To ME a short shotgun has an 18-20" barrel, and a fixed stock.
Dog attack
In my experience Federal Tactical 00 buck works very well for large aggressive Pit Bulls. At 10 feet the entrance hole is about an inch, no exit.
At 10 feet the pucker factor is pretty high.
In my experience Federal Tactical 00 buck works very well for large aggressive Pit Bulls. At 10 feet the entrance hole is about an inch, no exit.
At 10 feet the pucker factor is pretty high.
If your family member is actually under attack, obviously a shotgun is a bad idea. Plus, unless the shotgun is in your hand when the attack begins, by the time you go get it much damage will already have been done. Dog attacks happen very quickly.
Pepper spray seems a good choice to me. You can spray your kids along with the dogs, and though it'll make them uncomfortable for a while, it'll do less damage than teeth. A shotgun--not so much.
The new Kimber OC product is effective at 13 feet and projects a gel that sticks, not a spray that will blow in the wrong direction (like back in your face). Good thing to keep in your pocket.
Pepper spray seems a good choice to me. You can spray your kids along with the dogs, and though it'll make them uncomfortable for a while, it'll do less damage than teeth. A shotgun--not so much.
The new Kimber OC product is effective at 13 feet and projects a gel that sticks, not a spray that will blow in the wrong direction (like back in your face). Good thing to keep in your pocket.
OC isn't a bad idea either, but since this pretend scenario is so open-ended, I assumed that I already had shotgun in hand, and could thump the dogs prior to getting bit.
Fogging the area with spray could easily get you contaminated also and then NOBODY can defend themselves. OC has proven to be almost 100% effective against good people and cops, but marginally less so against bad guys and fighting dogs. The latter two groups respond VERY well to buckshot however. Naturally your point about fields of fire is well taken and not to be discredited.
Fogging the area with spray could easily get you contaminated also and then NOBODY can defend themselves. OC has proven to be almost 100% effective against good people and cops, but marginally less so against bad guys and fighting dogs. The latter two groups respond VERY well to buckshot however. Naturally your point about fields of fire is well taken and not to be discredited.
I would hope that I am never in the situation but I would want a sturdy cane or walking stick and possibly my CCW weapon.
The tatic I would hope be able to use would be seperate the attackers from the victim and neutralize the threat. In reality I would probably wade into the fray without drawing my pistol and use the stick with vigor.
I am afraid that if your pet or family was being attacked by dogs it would be very difficult to be sure of hitting your target and NOT hitting your loved one or pet.
The tatic I would hope be able to use would be seperate the attackers from the victim and neutralize the threat. In reality I would probably wade into the fray without drawing my pistol and use the stick with vigor.
I am afraid that if your pet or family was being attacked by dogs it would be very difficult to be sure of hitting your target and NOT hitting your loved one or pet.
I had this happen to me in a remote part of Indiana working in the utility field in 1992 by myself,I was locating a cross country fiber optic cable when a pack of vicious dogs started to circle me and snapping at me,I have no weapon on me(against company policy) and just 1 year removed from Desert Storm,I dropped my equiptment and raised my arms and swung them wildly and stomped my feet and growled and screamed like a crazy beast and they finally went away-I carried CS-gas( I got from the Army) and pepper spray from the next day forward-I'm lucky to be alive!
I dont know, I keep thinking about the legal ramifications of this scenario. Probably the law dog in me.
Anyway.. I would have to say pepper spray would be the best. I mean, if you were to shoot someone's dog, or lets say someone else's kid... Think about the legal matters that would be involved. People are jerks these days, dosnt matter if you were to save their life... They're still out for the easy buck... Which equals frivolous law suits.
Anyway.. I would have to say pepper spray would be the best. I mean, if you were to shoot someone's dog, or lets say someone else's kid... Think about the legal matters that would be involved. People are jerks these days, dosnt matter if you were to save their life... They're still out for the easy buck... Which equals frivolous law suits.
Thats what I do when I want a new gun and my wife questions the purchase. Works everytime!I dropped my equiptment and raised my arms and swung them wildly and stomped my feet and growled and screamed like a crazy beast.
Bill T.
pepper spray is not as affective on dogs as it is on humans. remember that dogs have a third eyelid that is tucked down under their outter lids. this lid is controled by a reflex action.
It is hard to say what I would use what is the setting, what kind of dog is it, is it a family pet or your kid.
If it were animal and animal shotgun or pistol.
if kids are involved I might try pepper spray then I would beat the animal untill it did not move anymore. I can replace a dog I can not replace a child. I think a nice hickory ax handle would be good. breaking the front legs then bashing it in the head a few times should work.
I was at the cematary when my father in law passed away and these two large dogs started taking an aggressive posture towards my children i kept myself between the dogs and my kids as I worked them over to the car made them get inside and retrived my 45 from the trunk. I made aggressive movements and yelled untill the retreated. Then keeping on high alert I moved my kids from the car to the lobby of the cematarys main building. I informed the owner that two dogs just tried to attack my children and he called the police it was not the first time this had happend but it was the last. The police came captured the dogs and they were destroyed. They belonged to a family that lived next to the cematary that would let them run loose all the time.
It is hard to say what I would use what is the setting, what kind of dog is it, is it a family pet or your kid.
If it were animal and animal shotgun or pistol.
if kids are involved I might try pepper spray then I would beat the animal untill it did not move anymore. I can replace a dog I can not replace a child. I think a nice hickory ax handle would be good. breaking the front legs then bashing it in the head a few times should work.
I was at the cematary when my father in law passed away and these two large dogs started taking an aggressive posture towards my children i kept myself between the dogs and my kids as I worked them over to the car made them get inside and retrived my 45 from the trunk. I made aggressive movements and yelled untill the retreated. Then keeping on high alert I moved my kids from the car to the lobby of the cematarys main building. I informed the owner that two dogs just tried to attack my children and he called the police it was not the first time this had happend but it was the last. The police came captured the dogs and they were destroyed. They belonged to a family that lived next to the cematary that would let them run loose all the time.
If there were things around it I didn't want dead, I would opt for a solid item to hit it with, and the mindset that you'll probably get bit anyway, but keep swinging. The only two aggressive dogs I have seen shot were both pit bulls. One took a .40 S&W through the mouth, and ran about 3 miles home. It lived and I think the shock is the only thing that stopped it. The second was shot at contact distance with a 5.56 Hornady TAP round, downward through the mouth and into the chest. It ran about a mile before expiring. If I had to shoot one again, I would opt for 00 buckshot.
If there are two or more vicious dogs involved in an attack on someone, I want a 12 guage in my hands.
As somebody else pointed out, pepper spray isn't nearly as effective against dogs. I've talked to mail carriers who tell me that sometimes it's completely worthless.
With an axe handle or bat, you have to get up too close and raise it to swing it. The slowest pit bull I've ever seen is still quicker than the fastest human I've ever seen. You and the person you're trying to defend will probably both end up in the hospital or morgue.
Don't try to wound them. Aim center mass at their side with OO buckshot, and send 'em to doggie heaven.
Get close enough so the shot doesn't have a chance to spread much, but not so close that you ruin the ear drums of the person you're trying to protect.
As somebody else pointed out, pepper spray isn't nearly as effective against dogs. I've talked to mail carriers who tell me that sometimes it's completely worthless.
With an axe handle or bat, you have to get up too close and raise it to swing it. The slowest pit bull I've ever seen is still quicker than the fastest human I've ever seen. You and the person you're trying to defend will probably both end up in the hospital or morgue.
Don't try to wound them. Aim center mass at their side with OO buckshot, and send 'em to doggie heaven.
Get close enough so the shot doesn't have a chance to spread much, but not so close that you ruin the ear drums of the person you're trying to protect.
It's crazy how every potential "dangerous dog" story so far has been about pits. Most of you probably wouldn't know a pit from a poodle. I've been around what most of you would call pits (everything from American Bulldogs, real Pits, Dogos, Bull Terriers, and other short-haired muscular dogs) for most of my life and have never been around one that I had to worry about. It's just not in their nature to be human aggressive. It's not in their nature to be aggressive at all, it's what people train them to do.
I've got a Pit/ Boxer mix and a Bull Terrier now, both of which are about as gentle as can be. Our cats are meaner than our dogs. The cats beat the hell out of the Bull Terrier and he just flops over on his side and let's them have at it.
I've got a Pit/ Boxer mix and a Bull Terrier now, both of which are about as gentle as can be. Our cats are meaner than our dogs. The cats beat the hell out of the Bull Terrier and he just flops over on his side and let's them have at it.
All depends on the circumstances, I mean you could go anywhere with this but OC works well, CS will be ineffective. Stand your ground, do not run.... unless you can top 30 mph....
I know a Pit from a poodle. Pits are involved in more vicious attacks on humans every year than any other breed.It's crazy how every potential "dangerous dog" story so far has been about pits. Most of you probably wouldn't know a pit from a poodle. I've been around what most of you would call pits (everything from American Bulldogs, real Pits, Dogos, Bull Terriers, and other short-haired muscular dogs) for most of my life and have never been around one that I had to worry about. It's just not in their nature to be human aggressive. It's not in their nature to be aggressive at all, it's what people train them to do.
I've got a Pit/ Boxer mix and a Bull Terrier now, both of which are about as gentle as can be. Our cats are meaner than our dogs. The cats beat the hell out of the Bull Terrier and he just flops over on his side and let's them have at it.
Not aggressive with humans?! Like the kid in a city near me who was killed by his dad's Pits in his own back yard?! The mailman jumped the fence to try and help him, but was too late.
Pit owners are in serious denial.
If there are MULTIPLE dogs involved in the attack, skip the OC and grab your 12 gauge.All depends on the circumstances, I mean you could go anywhere with this but OC works well, CS will be ineffective. Stand your ground, do not run.... unless you can top 30 mph....
In the real world not everyone wanders about with a 12 gauge under their raincoat fearing constant attack from packs of wild hounds (Africa maybe).If there are MULTIPLE dogs involved in the attack, skip the OC and grab your 12 gauge.
I understand the concerns in some quarters about the genuine fear of criminal attack, and the perceived need to arm oneself with a firearm, and thats fine. But would need to compremise, lugging a big multi-shot semi-automatic about with spare magazines is definately a pain day in day out, not too mention the stress to my tailor.
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