a Pit Bull came this ---> <--- close to getting dropped...

[03SVTCobra]

let me preface this post with this statement: I freaking LOVE dogs. all dogs. all shapes, sizes, breeds. doesn't matter. I like dogs more than I like most humans. so I will say I was pretty upset about the whole situation. We own (2) Doberman Pinschers - one 5 y/o male @ 95lbs and we just rescued a female 8 m/o puppy Dobie, she is 45ish lbs soaking wet. both are fixed.

let me set the tone - rewind to last Tuesday night. the night after Labor Day, where I had just returned from driving 5 hours after myself, pops and my bro went and busted our asses up at our cabin cutting/splitting wood all holiday wknd to get gpa ready for winter. needless to say I was beat. my wife had gone out to her parents house to help them unpack from their trip to Hawaii, who we picked up from Newark Airport earlier that same day (on top of all that...), so I was just chillin on the couch w/ my dogs watching the st00pid tube.

around 9:30(ish)pm, I hear my fence gate rustle (privacy fence gate) like something was trying to push through. so I get up and grab my FN Five-Seven that was sitting on the coffee table, in a thumb break holster w/ spare mag, right in front of me and shove it in my front pocket. and yes, I carry the Five-Seven as my CC/OC piece w/ spare mag. 40+1 rounds = win. I walk quickly to the kitchen and turn on the flood lights to take a look at the backyard. couldn't see anything from my vantage point. I was thinking in my head either raccoon/possum/skunk at this point. I opened the back door to take better peek. and then it happened - my male came tearing through the house and blew right through the door with the female in tow. before I even have a chance to yell to them to STOP and STAY (they are very obedient) I hear my male go bananas. I go running out to see wtf is going on and as I turned the corner to see what it is he's flipping shit about, there it is - a male, INTACT red pitbull staring down my male Doberman and they were circling each other. my heart rate went from 0-160 in 0.0001 seconds. by the time I got within reach of all the dogs, they had stopped circling and were nose-to-nose and staring each other down making some of the most blood-curdling growling I've ever heard. as soon as I saw that my right hand dropped, had unsnapped the strap on the FN with my thumb and wrapped my hand around the grip ready to unholster.

all this happening subconsciously while I'm trying my damndest to separate my dogs from the pit using my foot to block my dogs and corral them back in the house. I got some distance between them and the pitty and I'm being aware to not try and grab for the pitt's collar... I've been "nipped" before by grabbing a strange dog's collar after they lunged for my dog and wanted absolutely NO part of be bitten by this one. thankfully I was able to get my two back in the house without incident.

so now it's just me and this loose Pit Bull in my yard at this point. my heart is pounding out of my chest by now but my right hand never even budged off the grip of the 5-7. after calming down for a minute, I slowly approached the dog and he proceeded to sit down. so I let him sniff my pant leg. his tail started to wag and I SLOWLY put my hand out for him to smell. he then rolled over for me to pet his belly - he was an absolute goofball happy dog. I went in the house and got a few treats and he ate them.

now that the situation was diffused, the reality started to set in that I just nearly ended this dog's life had he latched onto my boy. and while I would have been extremely upset by having to shoot a dog, someone's pet, in the heat of the moment had he attacked MY dog in MY yard all doubt would have been removed to protect my dog.

now, the Pit did have a collar on but no tags on it. so I put him on a leash and went asking neighbors whose dog it was. my wife had come home after everything had calmed down and she was the one who found the owner, and proceeded to drill home the fact their dog almost ate a bullet.

after a few hours that's when the shitty feeling started to set in that I nearly had to kill someone's dog. someone's pet. all because of stupidity on the owner's part. and he was one of the nicest pits I have come into contact with once it all had calmed down.

sorry for the novel, I just needed to get this off my chest. I keep running the whole scenario in my head over and over and try to imagine what would have happened, how I would have felt, had I actually had to shoot the dog. I like to think that I did the right thing by not overreacting right away, but I also wonder how bad my dog could've been hurt because I hesitated.

thoughts?

[SAB215]

Did the right thing, props on the discipline. You were able to take charge of the situation and managed to keep your head and be at the ready in case it went to plan B.

My dog was attacked by two boxers at a park while my grandfather was walking her once. Of course they weren't leashed. They had nearly gutted her and she ended up needing 60 some-odd stitches.

If I had been there for sure those boxers would've taken a few, and I would have felt just as bad for doing it.

You for sure would have been in the right if it came down to needing to shoot. Part of owning a dog is keeping it fenced/leashed, IDC what the breed. Hopefully that owner gets their shit together or figured out how the dog got loose.

I have a Pitbull and as you said, he is the dumbest, nicest, silliest dog I've ever known. They just have a shitty stigma of being violent because they can be bred that way.

[BimmerJon]

That dog would've been shot the second
I walked outside if it happened like you posted.

You took too many unnecessary risks IMHO.
I've been bitten before and those dogs move so damn fast, you almost don't even see it.
Giving a dog the benefit of the doubt landed me in the emergency room couple years ago... Never again. Could've been your throat torn out.

If it was in your yard and acting THAT aggressive... Put it down

[03SVTCobra]

I have a Pitbull and as you said, he is the dumbest, nicest, silliest dog I've ever known. They just have a shitty stigma of being violent because they can be bred that way.

yep, he was a very good dog once the situation was diffused. and I hear ya on the breed stigma issue. I've had many people, more than i care to think about, give me the stink eye/make stupid comments etc.. when we bring our Doberman to walk in the park. I've had some people stop dead in their tracks, pick their dog up and turn the other way and damn near run in the opposite direction. it's even funnier when i OC and walk my boy in town, you can see some people's eye just about pop out of their socket when they see my boy then the pistol on my hip, lol.

[Steve in PA]

Last year, a loose Lab almost ate a bullet from me too. I don't know is I posted the even on here, but my wife and I had just adopted a 5 month old German Shepherd pup. We were out for our first walk, with my dog on a leash when this Lab came running down the street at my dog.

I was able to chase the Lab away, only to have it come back again as we turned the corner. Long story short, I found the house where the Lab belonged and voiced my displeasure to the owners. They tried playing it off like it was no big deal. I related to them that if their dog comes after mine again, I will end this situation right then and there.

I'm an animal lover and would hate to have done it, but I'm protecting my dog, period.

[IIIIIREPOIIIII]

Thank you for not shooting the dog!


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[03SVTCobra]

That dog would've been shot the second
I walked outside if it happened like you posted.

You took too many unnecessary risks IMHO.
I've been bitten before and those dogs move so damn fast, you almost don't even see it.
Giving a dog the benefit of the doubt landed me in the emergency room couple years ago... Never again. Could've been your throat torn out.

If it was in your yard and acting THAT aggressive... Put it down

believe me my friend, the ONLY reason i didn't shoot the dog was because i was able to get some distance between my two and it. and that is exactly how the whole situation unfolded from start to finish. when i first saw the pit, it took me so off guard because it was the LAST thing i expected to see in my yard. i was actually expecting that my male was about to get sprayed by a skunk (again...) once i saw what LOOKED like was about to go down, i was fully prepared to protect my animal. i am grateful my dogs are very obedient and i was able to get some separation between them with verbal commands...

[Emptymag]

Last year, a loose Lab almost ate a bullet from me too. I don't know is I posted the even on here, but my wife and I had just adopted a 5 month old German Shepherd pup. We were out for our first walk, with my dog on a leash when this Lab came running down the street at my dog.

I was able to chase the Lab away, only to have it come back again as we turned the corner. Long story short, I found the house where the Lab belonged and voiced my displeasure to the owners. They tried playing it off like it was no big deal. I related to them that if their dog comes after mine again, I will end this situation right then and there.

I'm an animal lover and would hate to have done it, but I'm protecting my dog, period.

A cop and a dog and a gun...

There's a good joke in there, but I'm too damned tired to make a funny right now.

[Deleted]

A cop and a dog and a gun...

There's a good joke in there, but I'm too damned tired to make a funny right now.

I'll make it for you.....I had an application all ready for you up until you decided not to shoot the dog.

Good job keeping your kids safe... great restraint but kudos for being prepared to do what you had to do if your dogs were attacked.

[Gunsnwater]

Good job. It's almost impossible to shoot the right dog when they start that circling thing where they are a blur of growling snapping fur. Bin there.