Shooting aggressive dogs while running

[Warped Mindless]

I live in Ohio. For those who don’t know, in Ohio, everyone and their mother owns a pitbull.

Why?

I have no idea but it’s ridiculous because the vast majority of owners are NOT responsible.

Anyways, now that warmer months are upon us I want to start running outside again but curious about the legalities of shooting an aggressive dog that gives chase.

I’ve been bit by attacking dogs before and I will NOT allow that to happen again.

I’ve been around enough dogs to know when one is just being playful and chasing for fun. I get that and bo worries. My concern is the unchained pitt that starts aggressively chasing.

Here is the deal… I know all the “typical” advice of stopping, turning sideways, not looking the dog in the eyes and slowly backing away and I’m not doing ANY of that. Who ever wrote that BS hasn’t had to deal with the dogs around here.

I also get that the most obvious COA is to run elsewhere but there is no where in my AO that doesn’t have aggressive dogs around and frankly I’m sick of not being able to run outside.

So, hoping to hear from some more experienced members in this area but, in general, what are the requirements for shooting a dog that gives chase and one that you believe is aggressive?

Again, just to restate, I’ve been attacked by dogs before and I’m not ever allowing that to happen again so if it seems I’m “to quick to what to shoot the poor fur baby” that’s why.

[Hambo]

Don't we have a 1700 page thread on dog shooting?

Ever think of moving to a neighborhood where people don't let their dogs run loose?

[Warped Mindless]

Don't we have a 1700 page thread on dog shooting?

Ever think of moving to a neighborhood where people don't let their dogs run loose?

I live in southern Ohio. Those neighborhoods don’t exist.

[WobblyPossum]

Be prepared for an immediate, aggressive confrontation with the dog’s owners if you shoot someone’s dog.

[Jim Watson]

Right.
IDPA will sometimes present targets trimmed down and positioned low and horizontal to represent mean dogs, and there will also be some upright targets. To which my comment is that if you shoot a mean dog, be prepared to shoot a mean owner.

Anecdote Alert:
When we relocated the Trap and Skeet Club out of encroaching suburban development to the back of the county, we had a nearby resident counsel us.
His advice was that shotguns were ok, but "Don't go shooting off rifles and pistols, or somebody will burn this place down."
He described the time a neighbor kicked his dog: "I drove by his place that night. I had my rifle in the truck and was going to shoot through his house, but Joe said not to, his woman and kids were prolly in there."

[vcdgrips]

WP is spot on.

The why of why you cannot run without being attacked by a dog in your AO is not particularly relevant.

The what is that it sounds like that it is only a matter of time before you do

You can:

Run free, with pepper spray and other gear

Run on a track outside to mitigate/eliminate the issue

Do another form of cardio outside i.e. bike which may mitigate the risk

Do another form of cardio indoors

Do no cardio.

Let us know what you do and why you do it.

Be safe and well.


PS-To be clear-In most jurisdictions- Dog owners are strictly liable for ANY bites their dogs cause. As such, using force against dogs when you can articulate a fear of bodily injury , particularly serious bodily injury, is completely permissible. Having said that, hurting folks dogs, for any reason, reasonable or not, tends to really piss said folks off.

Very anecdotally, many porch dogs were routinely dispatched when “teams” were serving warrants earlier in my career ( late 90s). While this still happens, the use of pepper spray, fire extinguishers, less leather rounds etc. are often in play as well. Some of that plays to the crowd and the press better. Some of that is because, anecdotally, subjects in the house where a warrant was being served would really get pissed off when the dog got shot and the whole operation got sporty very quickly and/or folks would not give statements after the fact.

[medmo]

Right.
IDPA will sometimes present targets trimmed down and positioned low and horizontal to represent mean dogs, and there will also be some upright targets. To which my comment is that if you shoot a mean dog, be prepared to shoot a mean owner.

Anecdote Alert:
When we relocated the Trap and Skeet Club out of encroaching suburban development to the back of the county, we had a nearby resident counsel us.
His advice was that shotguns were ok, but "Don't go shooting off rifles and pistols, or somebody will burn this place down."
He described the time a neighbor kicked his dog: "I drove by his place that night. I had my rifle in the truck and was going to shoot through his house, but Joe said not to, his woman and kids were prolly in there."

There should be a treadmill set up at that IDPA stage to shoot from and the trimmed down targets should be moving quickly from behind.

Shooting an assault dog in town is going to bring all kinds of woes that will outweigh the benefits of being able to run in that area. There are also risks associated with loosing a round or two in an inhabited area.

IMHO - Not recommended, and not worth it if you can avoid it.

[Clusterfrack]

@Warped Mindless, your situation sucks. There's really no good answer. Being an off-leash dog vigilante is not likely to end well for you. I'm not sure what I would do. We have had some issues with off-leash dogs in our neighborhood, and pocket OC spray solved the problem three times. I guess you could try running with bear spray or a riot-fogger, but blowback from OC is likely. And, owners may get into it with you for spraying their fur baby.

[HCM]

I live in Ohio. For those who don’t know, in Ohio, everyone and their mother owns a pitbull.

Why?

I have no idea but it’s ridiculous because the vast majority of owners are NOT responsible.

Anyways, now that warmer months are upon us I want to start running outside again but curious about the legalities of shooting an aggressive dog that gives chase.

I’ve been bit by attacking dogs before and I will NOT allow that to happen again.

I’ve been around enough dogs to know when one is just being playful and chasing for fun. I get that and bo worries. My concern is the unchained pitt that starts aggressively chasing.

Here is the deal… I know all the “typical” advice of stopping, turning sideways, not looking the dog in the eyes and slowly backing away and I’m not doing ANY of that. Who ever wrote that BS hasn’t had to deal with the dogs around here.

I also get that the most obvious COA is to run elsewhere but there is no where in my AO that doesn’t have aggressive dogs around and frankly I’m sick of not being able to run outside.

So, hoping to hear from some more experienced members in this area but, in general, what are the requirements for shooting a dog that gives chase and one that you believe is aggressive?

Again, just to restate, I’ve been attacked by dogs before and I’m not ever allowing that to happen again so if it seems I’m “to quick to what to shoot the poor fur baby” that’s why.

Since this is “mindset and tactics”

IME Ohio is the only contender for Florida’s status as paragon of trashy weird shit.

It doesn’t matter what color or ethnicity the residents are, if you are in an area where people let their dogs routinely run loose you are in the hood. Plan accordingly.

You live in an area full of s****y trashy people who let their dogs run loose and you think if you shoot one of those dogs you’re not gonna get into a lethal force confrontation with the owner(s) ?

As someone who has both been bitten by dogs and involved in shooting dogs, none of which were pits, your fixation on them tells me that you actually don’t know shit about fuck regarding dogs and dog behavior.

IME dry Chem fire extinguishers are the most effective less lethal option but impractical for running. OC is effective on dogs and much less likely to rile up the natives. For outdoor applications I would choose stream over a fog cone. Longer distance, less effected by environmental conditions and dogs can’t wipe the liquid off their face like people can.

[okie john]

Having said that, hurting folks dogs, for any reason, reasonable or not, tends to really piss said folks off.

Yep. The ball is in their court as to how/when/where they avenge Fido. Maybe it's a Molotov through your window when you're away but your family is not.


Okie John