Hanover Fist writes:
My wife and I walk with our three-year-old daughter to the local dog park to run around and play with the dogs. The park is divided between large and small dogs and we tend to stay in the small dog area so she doesn’t get bowled over by an over enthusiastic Rottie or Great Dane. However I know that any size dog is capable of attacking and I always carry when we go to “play with the puppies”. I carry my usual choices for two-legged threats when at the dog park, a Taurus TCP with CorBon hollow points, or a M&P 9c with 124 grain +P Gold Dots (depends on the weather…Texas heat). What are your thoughts on a dog-centric carry load? Am I making the right choice?
It’s not funny at all
The Police State has risen and no elected Offical seems to care
Because they enabled the rise. Hello…
Pepper spray as your first option.
I started carrying pepper spray after an almost-incident I experienced while out walking my dog recently. I came upon a local society matron who was freaking out over another dog that was humping her dog and wouldn’t leave, and she was so torqued she was screaming everything including the f-word. By the time I got close, she had managed to stuff her dog into a car and drive off, still screaming. I wanted to be able to help but didn’t want to shoot a dog just for being too horny. The dog didn’t bother my dog, so it wasn’t necessary for me to do anything, but it made me prepare for next time.
Pepper spray is good as a back up; but if you have a strong wind and the dog/s is upwind of you; then you’ll get a face full of pepper spray and you’ll be blinded as the dog/s turn on you.
This was a scenario one night a while back where four pit bulls run out of the dark and jump my Chow as we are on a walk. I pull my Glock 30, (compact .45ACP); and charge into them taking aim at the first dog in front of me. Just as I’m drawing up the slack in the trigger, BOOM, the dogs scatter and run off, without even growling at me. and my dog wasn’t hurt.
So Yeah, pepper spray is good as an option, but don’t depend on it.
I’d go with a light saber, it’s a more elegant weapon from a more civilized time.
Short of that, I’d personally go with .45ACP hollow points. Big holes in puppies should do the trick.
a more civilized time indeed. doesnt it seem like a long time ago in a galaxy far far away?
I think if you shoot a dog in front of your three year old, caliber choice will be the least of your worries.
Pepper spray honestly, you wont miss and its a good FIRST deterrant. Not to say you shouldnt carry also anyway. I live next to a dog that is about the equivalent of The Beast from The Sandlot and while he is semi friendly and i can hand feed him a treat, I am always prepared for him going Kujo but hope that it doesnt happen.
baseball bat
Rhodesian Ridge Backs are good size doggies that were used to hunt lions. Real African lions. Not these overgrown house cats we have here. Pepper spray first. If that don’t work, flamethrower. Or pick up the next guys chihuaha and throw it to the ridgeback. While he’s snacking, run like hell.
Pepper spray. I wouldn’t want to try to shoot a small moving target that was on top of/right by my kid. Too dicey.
Typically in these kinds of attacks, most of the movement is going on from the shoulders forward, the dog isn’t exactly running around in circles. A 30-40 pound dog (or bigger) even if they’re only stationary for a second at a time, from 5 yards or less away, is a very easy target. Any contact will dissuade it immediately; one need not shoot it in the face to stop an attack.
VIPR teams. Man, these assholes just can’t help themselves, can they? I can see why they haven’t tried any public outreach “The VIPRs are your friends!” campaign…
I think this is a silly subject, so I’m hereby declaring this a dog thread.
Savannah squirrel watching:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4ib5u14oywgproc/2013-08-30%2013.14.14.jpg
Convinced there’s a squirrel on that branch just out of reach. She was actually grabbing the pine needles in her mouth and pulling down on the branch:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gkxf66e2fx95ebo/2013-08-30%2013.11.32.jpg
Tired of chasing squirrels, so she just flopped down where she stood, in the middle of the woods (zoom in):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0asrup6n5xdxvqw/2013-07-13%2012.40.24.jpg
Beautiful dog, best camouflage I ever seen
BTW: You shoot my dog, I shoot you.
Good looking dog Matt. What kind of dog is she?
NRA and Reagan supported the Hughes amendment to FOPA 86.
Laugh all you want, but in many rural areas feral dogs are a menace and are killers. Last year a lady had her face chewed off by a pack of dogs not 20 miles from here. I bet she wished she had a pistol with her before she went on that walk.
Pepper spray.
I’m not one to downplay the damage a small dog can do (I had a coworkers who was bit on the leg by a small dog and proceeded to have a stroke due to a fat embolus), but your first step should be pepper spray as to avoid legal issues by PD not being happy about a discharge in public.
I can’t stand parents who just bring their kids into the dog park so their kid can play with the dogs. In that environment the dogs just want to play with other dogs. Buy your kid a dog if you want her to have one to play with. Carrying in a dog park “when you go to pay with the puppies” because you are concerned about the dogs potential behavior is ridiculous. If you are that concerned don’t go into the dog park in the first place. If you go in a dog park you assume the risk for you and your kid. Bring plenty of rounds. If you shoot my RR you better get me as well. I carry, but not for the dogs…
This
This whole event illustrates the utter insanity of gun control and “secured areas”. First, government proclaims that airport terminals are “secured areas”. Of course the Washington D.C. Navy Yard attack and this latest incident illustrates how easy it is to overwhelm security guards (whether armed or not) at a secure entrance. So now their answer is to push security farther out into the entire airport via “stop and frisk” teams. And when that doesn’t work, they will want to push the “secure area” even farther out into the streets and parking areas of airports. And when that doesn’t work, they will push the “secured area” beyond the airport property into the entire city, etc.
But it will never work. Washington D.C. is a giant “gun free zone” / “secured area”. So was Chicago before the United States Supreme Court McDonald decision. And yet armed criminals committed violent crimes in those two areas all the time … and still do. Of course the gun grabbers shout out that those giant “secure areas” would be secure if we could just push the “secure area” (gun free zone) out to the entire state, or surrounding states, or to the entire United States. And, of course, enlarging the “gun free zones” or “secured areas” has never worked, nor will it ever work.
There are an infinite number of ways that a free person, walking freely amongst us in public, can harm us if they so choose. All we can do is be ready to respond to such scumbags as quickly and effectively as possible. And that means we want as many responsible armed citizens in public as possible.
Think about any of the mass murders of recent memory. How many victims would those scumbags have killed if they chose a shooting range or a police station for their attacks? Answer: close to zero. Because a spree killer has the element of surprise, they will be able to claim at least one victim no matter where they strike. But they won’t be able to claim dozens of victims if lots of citizens are armed.
I thought “killed in line of duty” was for police and military only.
Those in government view themselves as a sanctified class… deserving of honors and respect not afforded to us mere mundanes.
In addition to the TTAG rule “stay away from stupid dogs doing stupid things” – pepper spray should be your first choice b/c studies show it is more effective. And fewer consequences for all involved. That said – The Post Office uses 0.33% pepper spray. FORGET THAT – Virginia legal 10%! will teach an important lesson to the canine involved. Hey… Your beef with the owner will be the same either way.
Considering the NRA is only a small portion of gun owners, it would make more sense to try and take it outside the podcasts. But nobody can possibly promote to the current generation like game developers.
And while pro gun people coming out is a good thing, considering the idiocy of the current gen, it could probably cause quite a bit of harm in some way im sure. Id really rather not see fifteen year olds with their “knowledge” of firearms holding one sideways and making gang signs all over the internet.
Is Coilion Noir Colion’s serpentine cousin?
Yep. A real snake in the grass.
This is great, and I fully support this new NRA effort. But seriously – the NRA doesn’t just need people like these in spots and YT videos. They need these people AT THE TOP. At HIGH EXECUTIVE levels.
We need folks like Colion Noir, Billy Johnson, Kirsten Weiss as the head of the NRA, and on the board of directors.
Collins Idehens, Jr. as head of the NRA?
Hahahahahahahahahahhahaha!
According to a recent Pew Research poll — which we can take for what it’s worth — 59% of gun owners are 50 or older, while only 16% are under thirty.
It’s fine that the NRA is focusing on the younger demographic, but it won’t do much to move the needle. The NRA doesn’t sell guns, so it’s not going to increase gun ownership among younger people. When young people are interested enough in guns to buy guns, that moves the needle. The NRA’s shooting and hunting programs do that.
As for the manufacturers, they can target the younger demo, but with what? Except for youth rifles, guns aren’t all that age-specific. I’ve never seen a non-youth gun and said, “nah, that’s a young guy’s gun. I’ll buy an old guy’s gun, like an AR or an M&P pistol.”
NRA seriously needs to get in on videogame tie in deals. Get Colion Noir and their new group of commentators on actual tv in ads with real exposure. They need to push responsible gun ownership and taking the “game” out on to the range with 3 gun, IDPA, and SASS competitions for the brogamer groups out there. Young people, educated, disposable income, with a healthy competitive streak are just what the NRA needs.
It is a sad day when being a gun nut is treated like some odd fetish only discussed in close circles behind closed doors.
Perhaps my experience is tainted growing up in a rural community where I remember fondly comparing notes on the newest cabelas catalog in elementary school with my buddies.
Looking at what I just wrote, it strikes me that I sound like some OFWG reminiscing back to an earlier era. However, I’m only 26. Things have changed, and have done so rather quickly.
Can anybody identify this revolver holster? I’ve been looking for something like this for a very long time. Thanks.
Check out “Gun-Tests.com” magazine. No advertising and honest reviews.
I’ve been an avid reader and collector for more than ten years.
http://www.gun-tests.com/
I kind of like the idea of socializing your child to dogs in this way, but it’s a “dog park” for a reason: it’s for dogs. I’m far from an expert, but I’d say you’d be in legal hot water if you shot a dog there (OK, fine, lukewarmish water) if the dog was doing anything short of actually biting. Would it be worth the consequences if you thought your son or daughter was in danger? Absolutely. I just think we need to acknowledge the differences between this and a human-on-human self-defense scenario (likewise, we should probably acknowledge that a canine life doesn’t have the same inherent value of a human life). Laws will definitely vary, but I would check into it ASAP.
Can’t you find a “human” park that dogs frequent? Or find a friend that will let you dog-sit? For what it’s worth, our local dog park’s rules say: “Bringing children under the age of five into this facility is highly discouraged. Children 12 years of age and younger must be accompanied by an adult.”
If the dog is a legit threat to your child, it’s going to be extremely close to the child (otherwise, you’d be shooting a dog every week or so), not just chasing, growling or barking. I’d say one bite makes it justifiable. So close that a firearm isn’t something I’d be keen on using for fear of hitting the child. I’ve seen play-fighting at our local dog park and there’s no way I could get a clear shot if I thought I needed to. Pepper spray will probably affect the kid too, but at least the damage won’t be permanent. You’d probably do more good physically getting in there with your hands and feet than anything else than you would with a gun. Grab the dog’s hind legs, lift ’em up off the ground and start dragging backwards. Other owners should will soon be there to help.
All that said, back to your originally query: If you’re concerned about dogs in your neighborhood or at the aforementioned “human park,” and are intent on a ballistic deterrent, Rick Perry is famously a fan of a laser-equipped LCP. I’m thinking different… maybe this would be a good use for the Judge? .45LC leaves a big hole and I’d think a .410 shotshell (or maybe that funky disc ammo that Hornady/Winchester make) would be even more effective. We’re talking point-blank here, so there’d be no concern for spread.
Meh….looks too airsofty to me.
Is it wrong to say that picture sends a tingle up my leg lol
I don’t need a light since I shoot with my eyes closed 😉
I think the NRA needs to push competition harder, mainly 3 gun and USPSA. If it weren’t for that I might only own a M1917 and a 1950-60’s mossberg 22, both of which I never shot. Owning them isn’t enough, having something fun to do with them is key.
Once I found out that I could shoot something other bullseye on static paper, my “arsenal” exploded in size, and continues to grow based solely how I can use that gun in the games I can play. I know USPSA has been around a long time but there are a lot of people, even gun people, who don’t know about it, or who have never shot it. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but if you spent anytime in front of a gaming console or computer playing 1st person shooters, 3 gun and USPSA (IPSC/IDPA) is the physical embodiment of that,
Amen. if the NRA started working with and pushing stuff like cowboy action shooting and USPSA that might help a lot.
I can’t find a cowboy action shooting association here which is bumming me out 🙁
They should change their name to “SOME Guns & Ammo”
I’m tired of people from our community who are willing to consider that some rights should be restricted and others should not. We should be rolling back gun control to pre-1934 not seeking to add more control on top of what is already TOO MUCH control that has proven to be COMPLETELY and UTTERLY ineffective controlling criminals.
“Let’s hope the capitol building maintenance staff has plenty of razor blades on hand.”
And the necessity to use them…
That place could nearly be mistaken for East Africa!
When’s the ViPR combined competition?
Good news: The operation was a success.
Bad news: The patient died.
I don’t get tired of that laugh.
What youve experienced is transitioning from the First America to the Second America.
The First America is the one we all know and love-the nation which cherishes the Constitution, hard work, and common sense.
The Second America is the one found in New Jersey, among other places. This country considers hard work unfair, material wealth a social disorder, and individual thought and expression hazardous to the good of the Collective.In the Second America, everyone is expendable for the good of the many. If 20 kids are ruthlessly killed in a gun free zone, at least the Collective in the 2nd America can feel good about THEIR kids being in a similar gun free zone. Self defense? That means the individual’s life is worth protecting, a notion Second Americans find distressing to the point of anxiety attacks. After all, only an anti-social terrorist thinks HIS family is so important to require firearms to protect them.
Worse, the Second America cannot rest until the First America is outlawed or physically conquered. “Live and Let Live” does not exist to the protectionist collective, not when even the farthest flung individual in Wyoming poses an idealogical threat to the urbane New Jersey resident.
One of these days the illusion of a United States will end, and probably violently. I hope none of us alive today will be around to see that sad conclusion in person.
LEO’s should hold themselves to the highest standards. Failing that, they cannot complain if someone else does. RUN THE REPORTS!
Two thoughts: I particularly value the editorial wisdom displayed by asking the question of whether to publish, and the civility displayed here when someone is less than civil in their comments.
Thanks!
…there’s no justification for giving cops the “right” to carry firearms, magazines and bullets denied to their fellow non-LEO civilians.
As long as you keep that premise in focus, publish it. All of it. Every single incident.
“NRA should be disbanded and now. Guns should be turned into the local police authority, this way you will clean up America and people will be free to walk into a mall school, cinema, and not fear for their lives.”
So much fail right there… Like half of a math equation, and no answer.
Step 1: remove guns
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Utopia….