Where to shoot an attacking dog?

[LP1]

... I was thinking that maybe having the first couple of rounds being CCI shot shells with the rest being self defense loads so if I am in a unavoidable situation I may deflect the attack without having to use more lethal rounds. This would only be carried when I was hiking in the woods or on my bike

What are your guys thoughts on that idea?

What if you were attacked by a human? How effective would the shot shells be?

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Where do you shoot a dog just because? This cop needs to know in case "just because" ever happens.

 

[nakinate]

I would think that it would be very breed dependent on whether or not I intentionally let the dog bite me. If I can shoot a pit bull before it gets a hold of me then I will. A dog that strong could take you down by your arm.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

This isn't Fallout wherein you activate a V.A.T.S system of deciding where to shoot your target with as much time as you like.

If you're about to be mauled by a dog/tiger/bear/banshee, you point and shoot. There's not a lot of "choice" when it comes to where you hit it.

 

[nakinate]

Now I want to go play Fallout.

 

[Denny347]

Ever try to shoot a moving dog? Extremely difficult to say the least. You will likely not hit it until it either gets VERY close or actually latches on, either way, try not to shoot yourself by accident. A dog getting hit anywhere on its body with a bullet will likely forget about you and attend its wound. I've used OC/CS with decent effect, they become distracted enough to forget about biting me. Thankfully, the VAST majority of "vicious" dogs are not even close, just misunderstood.

 

[IndianaResident]

This officer shows off an impressively fast and accurate kick, and restraint given the proximity people and houses. As others have pointed out though, that dog probably bit someone else once he recovered from the taser.

Dog attacks Police Officer Taser Full News Report sad it had the wrong idea - YouTube

Also, I have friend who shot a pit that was attacking someone else. He hit it several times with a .45 and it survived. $5,000 in medical bills for the dog.
Police department in Indiana helps pay veterinary bills after family dog is shot - National Dogs | Examiner.com

 

[BehindBlueI's]

If you're going to take the bite on your arm either by choice or necessity, why not use it as a lever to break its neck? It might not be easy to do, but it's may be more successful than trying to draw a weapon and use it with a large dog attached to your forearm.

Because its an actively fighting dog, and if its big enough to seriously threaten you its also a very strong and instinctive fighter. Getting down to ground fight and try to snap its neck is probably the worst possible outcome, as its more mobile and more agile than you when you're on the ground.

My fight with the Akita went like this.

Dog charges
I instinctively put my arm up.
Dog latches on to arm.
I lift dog as it stays latched.
I kick it repeatedly in its boy parts
Dog lets go
Dog lunges again
I shove a work glove sheathed hand in its mouth as far back as I can
I kick dog again
Dog decides to leave

A dog that's serious will usually lunge for your face or throat. I was lucky that I got my arm up in time, and it was pure instinct. I was 16 or 17 at the time, and while I did have a knife the bulky gloves I was wearing would have prohibited me from using it even if I'd thought to.

 

[AA&E]

What if you were attacked by a human? How effective would the shot shells be?

If hit in the face/eyes, far more effective then mace ever dreamed of being.

 

[lovemachine]

I would think that it would be very breed dependent on whether or not I intentionally let the dog bite me. If I can shoot a pit bull before it gets a hold of me then I will. A dog that strong could take you down by your arm.

Seriously?

The most vicious dog I have ever come upon was a golden retriever.

The pit bulls I have come across, in my area, were trained therapy dogs.

 

[JettaKnight]

In the owner.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Halt brand dog spray. My dad is a retired postman, never met a dog that did not run away wimpering after hit with that stuff. Pits,shepards, etc...didnt matter.

 

[lovemachine]

Halt brand dog spray. My dad is a retired postman, never met a dog that did not run away wimpering after hit with that stuff. Pits,shepards, etc...didnt matter.

Works on bunnies too.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Works on bunnies too.

Yes it does, thanks for bringing back those sad memories that I had repressed of my childhood

 

[Denny347]

I keep dog treats in the trunk of my patrol car. You'd be surprised how many "vicious" dogs become my friend when I give them one.

 

[pudly]

I'd recommend carrying a good can of pepper spray.

Pepper spray doesn't have the same affect on dogs as it does on people. Its not much different than spraying them with water. It may confuse them for a second, it may make them give a little sneeze, but don't count on it to stop them. Air horns seem to be the best non-lethal dog deterrent I've figured out so far.

Halt brand dog spray. My dad is a retired postman, never met a dog that did not run away wimpering after hit with that stuff. Pits,shepards, etc...didnt matter.

OK. Now I'm confused. I looked up Halt on Amazon and it is a pepper spray that is very highly rated for use against dogs. Both regular pepper spray and Halt use capsaicin as their active ingredient. I'd like to have a single item that can handle both dogs and 2-legged critters where the situation doesn't justify lethal force. What am I missing?

 

[Gluemanz28]

I would suggest the OP include this target in his practice drills.

 

[Denny347]

OK. Now I'm confused. I looked up Halt on Amazon and it is a pepper spray that is very highly rated for use against dogs. Both regular pepper spray and Halt use capsaicin as their active ingredient. I'd like to have a single item that can handle both dogs and 2-legged critters where the situation doesn't justify lethal force. What am I missing?

Looking at the specs, it will work for both people and animals. Some animals, like humans, will react differently to OC, some will feel nothing and some will act like they are dying.

 

[rhino]

Because its an actively fighting dog, and if its big enough to seriously threaten you its also a very strong and instinctive fighter. Getting down to ground fight and try to snap its neck is probably the worst possible outcome, as its more mobile and more agile than you when you're on the ground.

My fight with the Akita went like this.

Dog charges
I instinctively put my arm up.
Dog latches on to arm.
I lift dog as it stays latched.
I kick it repeatedly in its boy parts
Dog lets go
Dog lunges again
I shove a work glove sheathed hand in its mouth as far back as I can
I kick dog again
Dog decides to leave

A dog that's serious will usually lunge for your face or throat. I was lucky that I got my arm up in time, and it was pure instinct. I was 16 or 17 at the time, and while I did have a knife the bulky gloves I was wearing would have prohibited me from using it even if I'd thought to.

You did very well!

To clarify my question, I was not advocating getting on the ground with the dog and trying to choke it like you would a person. I What I was suggesting in my question is done standing. Dogs don't have a lot of flexibility in terms of lifting their head. If you have an arm or other object you can use as a lever in their jaws, you put your other forearm behind it's and using them togther with a little rotation in the direction it can't move, break the neck. If you're not strong enough to do it on the dog in question with just upper body, you can generate a lot of force in this motion lunging forward with the arm in the jaws and pushing down with other on the back. It's hard to describe in person. It's going to be hard to even think about doing it with a big, angry dog mangling your arm, but it's doable.

I've seen experienced dog handlers than can wrestle even angry dogs almost like it was easy. They take advantage of knowing the limitations of the dogs anatomy and movements and even big strong dogs can't do much. I saw a guy wrestle a bit (albeit young) rottweiler to the ground and just hold it helpless until it calmed down. I couldn't do that and I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it happen.

 

[SkullDaddy.45]

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