So tonight while working on my bike in the drive-way, a vicious dog (that must have escaped from few houses down) approached growling and barking at me. Slowly backing away I made my way back to the door of my house. The entire time the dog snapping, but not actually biting me, and barking away.

Shit honestly scared the fucked out of me. Who knows what would have happened had I been a 10 year taking out the trash who tried to run from the dog. What rights does one have when it comes to self-defense against vicious dogs? Not even a week ago my family's 17 year old cat, who lives with my parents in Charlotte, got attacked by some vicious dog while ON MY PARENTS PROPERTY after escaping from its pen a few houses down.

I called the sheriff's department but I think the dog ran off or got back into its owners house before they arrived. Who knows if this shit will happen again and I'd just assume put down some dog threatening me in MY yard than wait for it to attack some a kid one morning. Currently I have a 5 month old kitten and while he is an indoor cat, I will be damned if he becomes dog food after escaping the house one day.

[Edited on August 23, 2010 at 11:37 PM. Reason : l]

8/23/2010 11:36:32 PM

you should be able to shoot it

that's what law enforcement officers do

8/23/2010 11:38:16 PM

why did you call the sheriff instead of animal control?

8/24/2010 12:03:36 AM

ok vicious is a strong term. Barking and growling do not necessarily mean attack mode for a dog. Was it showing teeth? Tail straight up and rigid or horizontal? Did it look directly at you? How stiff was its movement?

8/24/2010 12:12:23 AM

I had a largish dog come running at me, snarling and barking, one night while I was running. I turned and ran straight at him, yelling at him. He immediately turned around and got the hell out of there.

Another time when I was younger, my neighbor's HUGE rottweiler came into our yard towards our (also larger than average) great dane. Our dane stood up tall and barked at the rottie, who also turned around and got the hell out of there.

I think that dogs recognize height-dominance. A man is taller than any dog, and bigger (in terms of mass) than the vast majority. You might not have inch long fangs, but if you present an imposing figure against them, I will bet that most dogs will lose interest in attacking you.

and if one doesn't, I would do my best to land a hard kick to the dog's face/jaw/nose as he ran at me.

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 12:33 AM. Reason : don't blame me if it doesn't work and you get eaten...just sharing my experience]

8/24/2010 12:30:02 AM

Should've clicked the right thumbstick.

8/24/2010 12:37:10 AM

moral of this story is don't own a fucking cat.

8/24/2010 12:43:41 AM

true

8/24/2010 1:04:41 AM

LOL

I love you how you jump to conclusions here

dog growls --> vicious! omg! and must have escaped --> would attack children and small animals --> parents cat gets harassed by dog in Charlotte (dogs chase/attacks cats?!?! no wayz!!!), this dog must be the same --> should I shoot it?! what can I do?! oh no my kitten!!


haha sorry but seriously you're overreacting. don't shoot the dog, it's somebody else's pet and like your cat that you love so much, somebody loves that dog. maybe it's a rescue and that's its response to strangers, doesn't mean it will bite/attack kids/attack other animals.

8/24/2010 2:46:28 AM

Quote :

"dog growls --> vicious! omg! and must have escaped --> would attack children and small animals --> parents cat gets harassed by dog in Charlotte (dogs chase/attacks cats?!?! no wayz!!!), this dog must be the same --> should I shoot it?! what can I do?! oh no my kitten!!"

It's a perfectly reasonable reaction. I absolutely love my pets, and I could not imagine not having dogs.

But an animal is an animal. And yes, any dog that is approaching you while growling, barking and snapping, should be taken very seriously. Duke's approach is good for a first response. If the dog doesn't recognize that or back down, screw him. Kill it on the spot.

And I mean "it." This is not a person.

What if this were a person, anyway? If a person approached you on your driveway to intimidate you, would it not call for a very serious response? What makes you think an animal is more in control of its behavior than a human who did that?

8/24/2010 4:04:36 AM

iop1

8/24/2010 4:21:36 AM

Quote :

"ok vicious is a strong term. Barking and growling do not necessarily mean attack mode for a dog. Was it showing teeth? Tail straight up and rigid or horizontal? Did it look directly at you?"

Quote :

"he entire time the dog snapping"

The dog was not just barking. The dog was snapping as if giving a warning "get off my territory or i'm biting."

Quote :

" and if one doesn't, I would do my best to land a hard kick to the dog's face/jaw/nose as he ran at me."

Yeah this would be a good strategy though I'd prefer to not have a nice bite wound on my leg, even if i do repel the dog with a swift kick.

The dog should be on a lease.

Quote :

"parents cat gets harassed by dog in Charlotte"

The Japanese Akita in question did not just harass the family cat in charlotte. The dog mauled and killed the cat. Also, this dog knocked down a woman walking her dog down the street and big her dog. Not sure why animal control has not taken this canine.

Quote :

"why did you call the sheriff instead of animal control?"

Animal Control in Wilmington is not open at 10pm

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 7:08 AM. Reason : l]

8/24/2010 7:04:09 AM

I was thinking about this the other day. I went to take my dogs for a walk and a huge pit came tearing out from my neighbors garage. They leave the garage door cracked and this thing pushed it up with his body and got out and came running at my dogs (30lb mut and a 40lb mut). I did something similar to what duke said, started yelling NO! and pointed at it like it was my dog and I was telling it to stop. Thing stopped dead in its tracks thank the lord.

Not sure what I would have done if it attacked my dogs though, I am thinking a few swift kicks and possibly try to choke it out would have been the best options since I wasn't carrying a gun, much less a knife. If a dog attacks me, my family, or even my dogs I will do whatever I have to in order to get it to stop and if that includes killing it then so be it, the owner should have taken better care of it.

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 7:45 AM. Reason : .]

8/24/2010 7:44:52 AM

Quote :

"I think that dogs recognize height-dominance. A man is taller than any dog, and bigger (in terms of mass) than the vast majority. You might not have inch long fangs, but if you present an imposing figure against them, I will bet that most dogs will lose interest in attacking you."

I agree with this. My neighbors have a completely untrained, large boxer that escapes occasionally from their house and runs around barking and scaring people. A few weeks back while with my daughter on her playground in our backyard, that dog came running, heading right for my little girl. I immediately got in between and starting running right at the dog and it turned and ran the other way. It kept trying to come back, but I just kept chasing it until it lost interest.

If faced with a situation like you had, I'd probably do the same in terms of being the aggressor. Make that damn dog recognize who is boss. Otherwise get a bb gun and pop that dog in the ass.

8/24/2010 7:56:27 AM

Some little terrier ran and bit my brothers ankle (hard enough to draw significant blood) when we were kids. He kicked it like a football with the other leg . The owner saw the entire thing and THANKFULLY didnt try to blame my brother....until we got home. Talk about some pissed parents. Oh to be kids again...

8/24/2010 8:19:48 AM

There is absolutely no sense in having to deal with someone's barking/growling/aggressive dog on your own property, regardless if it is in attack mode or not. The height thing works (did it a week or so ago on my neighbor's loose dog while it was barking it's head off at me as I was walking across my driveway) but i was still startled as shit at the whole ordeal.

call animal control, or handgun/12ga.

8/24/2010 8:39:19 AM

Quote :

"If a dog attacks me, my family, or even my dogs I will do whatever I have to in order to get it to stop and if that includes killing it then so be it, the owner should have taken better care of it."

agreed.



When I was growing up, there was a dalmatian in our neighborhood that was treated very poorly. Constantly chained up to the outside of their garage, no matter what the weather was like, and often did not have much food or water out. She was straight up scary, especially for me and my best friend when we were kids. She got loose a handful of times, and would chase the neighborhood kids, and wasn't looking to play. She once got a hold of a girl that was a year or two younger than me, and left a pretty big gash (and subsequently a scar) on her face. It wasn't the dogs fault that she was vicious, but it doesn't change the fact that somebody should have put it down long before anything bad happened. I will never hesitate to call animal control on a dog that acts like the one HUR described, because that easily could have been a child facing that dog.

8/24/2010 8:48:10 AM

If you don't want to shoot it, get some bear spray. It could potentially have an adverse effect on the dog's vision if you get it in the eyes, but will stop a crazy dog much better than pepper spray they sell for humans.

The best part is that once the dog goes home and and owners have to deal with it, they are more likely to keep the fucker on their property. People don't care about other people, so make it an inconvenience to them when their dog is sneezing blood all over their carpet.

8/24/2010 8:51:02 AM

Quote :

"don't blame me if it doesn't work and you get eaten...just sharing my experience"

lo-freaking-l at theDuke866's comment there

8/24/2010 8:54:38 AM

baseball bat -> cranium

8/24/2010 9:00:35 AM

am i the only one here laughing at the thought of HUR riding a bike?

8/24/2010 9:07:24 AM

Quote :

"Self-Defence"

Must have been a British bulldog, rabble rabble rabble

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 9:10 AM. Reason : ...]

8/24/2010 9:10:38 AM

what kind of bike are we talking about here? At first i pictured you on a motorcycle. then i started picturing you on a little yellow vespa.

but now i'm starting to picture you on a banana seat with tassles on the handle bars and a cute little weave basket on the front for your kitten.

8/24/2010 9:29:35 AM

I have a similar problem with a neighbor dog at Lake Gaston that is new as of this summer. It has flipped out on me twice already. I keep a steel rake by the fire pit which is right in the middle of the yard and I have a feeling I'm going to end up cracking that dogs skull with it before the owner realizes just how bad the problem is. Then I'll be the asshole. So be it; I'd rather be an asshole than a bitch to shitty neighbors.

I honestly don't think it'll happen when the dog gets after me. It'll probably be the first time I see it acting aggressively towards my parents or any of my guests. My mom is 65 years old and there is no reason for a fucking un-neutered male chow mix mutt to be acting aggressively towards her in our own yard.

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 9:35 AM. Reason : l]

8/24/2010 9:31:19 AM

8/24/2010 9:40:06 AM

Quote :

"The dog should be on a lease."

inorite - motherfucker should pay some rent and then he can bark on that property

8/24/2010 9:55:13 AM

you should teach it how to fight its own battles and tell it you're keeping your toothbrush there whether it likes it or not. then park your car wherever you goddamn please, towing laws be damned.

8/24/2010 9:57:17 AM

USA #1

8/24/2010 10:01:07 AM

^^hahaha, I hit post reply to make a toothbrush reference

8/24/2010 10:06:48 AM

the dog was probably pissed you parked your car in the street illegally.

8/24/2010 10:11:10 AM

Quote :

"ok vicious is a strong term. Barking and growling do not necessarily mean attack mode for a dog. Was it showing teeth? Tail straight up and rigid or horizontal? Did it look directly at you? How stiff was its movement?"

Theres no reason the average citizen should have to sit there and ponder the difference in such a situation

Quote :

"ok vicious is a strong term. Barking and growling do not necessarily mean attack mode for a dog. Was it showing teeth? Tail straight up and rigid or horizontal? Did it look directly at you? How stiff was its movement?"

sorrry but youre an idiot, you dont know anybody elses dog, thats why there are leash laws

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 10:14 AM. Reason : d]

8/24/2010 10:13:48 AM

carry some Ma$e

the slow rapping will confuse the dog into a calm contemplation

8/24/2010 10:19:46 AM

I think that whoever owns that dog needs to keep it under better control.

And I think you need to be less of a bitch.

I'm AstralAdvent and I approved this message.

8/24/2010 10:35:14 AM

Quote :

"I honestly don't think it'll happen when the dog gets after me. It'll probably be the first time I see it acting aggressively towards my parents or any of my guests. My mom is 65 years old and there is no reason for a fucking un-neutered male chow mix mutt to be acting aggressively towards her in our own yard."

Remember the 3 S's.

Shoot
Shovel
Shut up

I'd have no problem whatsover putting a dog like that down that acts aggressive on my property.

8/24/2010 10:35:34 AM

^ This isn't a secluded spot and I have a feeling there will be plenty of witnesses if anything does happen. I don't feel comfortable shooting in a crowded neighborhood and right next to the public beach (well, I feel comfortable, but I don't think I want to deal with the possible backlash). Besides, I'm not going to walk around in board shorts all day with a 9 on my hip, lol.

8/24/2010 10:48:32 AM

Psh, who needs to walk around? Just sit back in a lawn chair with an HK 93 and wait for it to come to you.

8/24/2010 11:36:55 AM

Fair enough. I grew up in a rural area where several aggressive dogs disappeared over the years. Call Animal Control or the cops and at least get this stuff on record the next time there's a problem though.

8/24/2010 11:45:30 AM

^ Yeah, it's been building up. Good idea to get these incidents on record so there is no question as to the history of this dog if anything does happen.

I was all alone on the first incident; just walking across the yard and the dog came running up barking at me. I would yell his name and he looked confused...Like he halfway wanted to listen to me and he halfway wanted to attack me. After a minute he finally left me alone.

For the second incident I was actually sitting on a riding mower while talking to the dog's owner and there were probably 15 witnesses. After we got done talking I fired the mower up. Apparently the dog saw this as a threat and came charging. It charged me probably three times and I had already jumped off the mower as the owner tried to get it under control.

The owner doesn't keep the dog on a leash and he just lets it roam most of the day. Since he isn't changing his behavior I think it is pretty damn obvious there will be another incident; probably sooner rather than later.

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 11:56 AM. Reason : l]

8/24/2010 11:55:55 AM

Is there no leash ordinance laws??

8/24/2010 12:31:26 PM

Doubtful since it's not in the city. I've tried finding the county dog ordinance, but it is not available online.

8/24/2010 12:50:18 PM

First, man up. Second, just carry some Halt! with you.

8/24/2010 2:33:49 PM

I've dealt with similar bullshit when riding my bicycle around Durham. There are some loose pits on the Tobacco Trail that chase after people and other dogs. Usually yelling at them with some godawful noise and chasing the dog itself works well. Other things you can do are squirting water at its face or bang it with a steel water bottle, or like my friend did with a huge Boxer running towards him, is unclip and kick it in the face.

I'm a dog owner, but I'll be damned if some stupid dog is going to kill me before I kill it.

8/24/2010 7:03:23 PM

iop1

DEFENCE

8/24/2010 7:10:50 PM

There was a pretty mean ass rottweiler in my neighborhood as a kid. One day when I was like 9 it got away from its owners and came after me. I tried to run, but luckily for me my dad was there and he used the Duke-method. Worked pretty well, as it ran off.

Fuck dog owners that don't feel like they need to control their animals, especially idiots that figure "well gawrsh darn I'm in the country, I don't need a leash on this piece of shit". I live in a city now where strays are rare, but if and when I live in the country again, I'm ending any dog that so much as growls on my property.

8/24/2010 7:28:32 PM

Quote :

"don't blame me if it doesn't work and you get eaten..."

hahahah

8/24/2010 7:39:46 PM

I'd keep a baseball bat or golf club handy. Lots of people used to carry golf clubs with them when they walked around the block in my old neighborhood. Seems like it would raise less eyebrows than a gun (not that shooting it isnt legit). You'd probably only have to beat the shit out of it once.

sucks you gotta tiptoe around and watch your back in your own yard though.

8/24/2010 7:45:24 PM

The problem, for me at least, is that there is "handy" meaning it is 50' away on the deck and there is "handy" meaning it is on my hip. I'm really not trying to carry a club every time I walk from my deck to my boat and vice versa. Nor do I feel that I should have to. The steel rake (which is actually welded to an aluminum pole rather than a standard wooden handle) is right in the middle of the yard at the fire pit. I figure that's about the best I'm going to be able to do for right now without looking like an idiot every time I step out of the house. There is no shortage of firepower in the house if I ever feel the need to grab it though. I just don't really care to be put in that situation if I can avoid it. It's really a dickhead move on my neighbor's part to let his dog trot around like he owns the place.

Also, keep in mind that this dog is out in his yard all day every day and it has acted like a douche only twice even though I've crossed his path a ton of times. It's difficult to know what is going to get set off.

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 9:14 PM. Reason : ls]

8/24/2010 9:07:00 PM

Hot Dogs + Radiator Fluid = $profit

OR

Hamburger Meat + Glass shards = $profit

8/24/2010 10:44:28 PM

Poisoning with antifreeze is an absolutely wretched way to die. No animal Very few animals needs to suffer through that.

[Edited on August 24, 2010 at 11:19 PM. Reason : l]

8/24/2010 11:19:30 PM

I agree with tuliplovr:

Quote :

" It's a perfectly reasonable reaction. I absolutely love my pets, and I could not imagine not having dogs. But an animal is an animal. And yes, any dog that is approaching you while growling, barking and snapping, should be taken very seriously. Duke's approach is good for a first response. If the dog doesn't recognize that or back down, screw him. Kill it on the spot. And I mean "it." This is not a person. What if this were a person, anyway? If a person approached you on your driveway to intimidate you, would it not call for a very serious response? What makes you think an animal is more in control of its behavior than a human who did that? "

8/24/2010 11:33:06 PM