Self-defense From Animals?

[Steve]

I actually don't have a fear of pitbulls, as long as there's only one. If I have a dog treat, I'll use it. If not, I've actually seen a pitbull whimper away after getting a soccer ball kick to the head. I don't know if that same effect will be duplicated every time, but this shows that it can be done.

My understanding is that an unarmed able-bodied grown man is more likely than not win against most breeds of dogs, even if he himself doesn't come out in one piece.

The only breed of dog I'd be likely to curl up in the fetal position from is the Doberman Pinscher, since they're the only dogs that were specifically bred to take down humans.

I can tell you from personal experience that most people are viscerally afraid of my St. Bernard when she barks at the door, and she's a petit St. Bernard at only 120 lbs. I have a sign on the front door that discourages people from knocking or ringing the doorbell. It's not that I don't like talking to people. It's because I know they are unprepared.

I should add that she's a sweetheart, and her demeanor changes completely once we invite people inside, but strangers don't know that.

 

[Urban Trekker]

I would be surprised if that was the case.

The breed is actually named after a German tax collector who first bred them. He needed a dog that would protect him on the job from attackers, and we have Dobermans as a result.

 

[john_newman]

I would be surprised if that was the case.

Same.

 

[drop bear]

The breed is actually named after a German tax collector who first bred them. He needed a dog that would protect him on the job from attackers, and we have Dobermans as a result.

I would be more surprised if that was the only one.

 

[Urban Trekker]

I would be more surprised if that was the only one.

You're right. I know that the pit bull breeds and Akitas are working and hunting dogs, and Rottweilers and German Shepherds were bred to protect and herd livestock. When we think of "dangerous" breeds, those are a few that immediately come to mind

I did some digging around, and it looks like the Bullmastiff was also bred specifically to take humans down. This is interesting, because I've never known them to have a reputation like that.

 

[Buka]

I’ve known a lot of Dobies over the years, and the folks who live with them. Tell you a funny story….

A buddy of mine owns several large body shops, good at what he does and an honest businessman, he makes a lot of cash. He’s always been a Doberman guy. He sends away to Germany for a Doberman. It’s trained there for a year, then brought here and the trainers spend a few days with him taking the dog through it’s paces and getting it acclimated.

He’s had some great dogs…..except one. One of them came, got acclimated, and as soon as the trainers left - the dog jumped onto my buddy’s bed, raised it’s leg, peed on his pillow while deeply growling at him.

My buddy calmly shut the bedroom door, went to where the trainers were staying and had them take it back, didn’t even ask for his money back. His eyes still get big when he tells that story. And I still laugh. All of his other Doberman’s have been great, they always played with my dogs.

I used to work with some canine guys back in the day. Putting on the bite sleeve and full bite suit. First time I did that I remember thinking “What the hell am I doing!” But it was fun and great leaning experiences.

In my opinion, the best “man taker downers” are Belgian Malinois. I’ve been hit in the suit by Pits, Shepards, Rotties, Mainois and several others. But it was always the Malinois that hit me the hardest, fastest and nastiest. No sleeve for me with them, full suit all the way. They were like getting hit with a really nasty jump, back kick that had teeth.

 

[drop bear]

You're right. I know that the pit bull breeds and Akitas are working and hunting dogs, and Rottweilers and German Shepherds were bred to protect and herd livestock. When we think of "dangerous" breeds, those are a few that immediately come to mind

I did some digging around, and it looks like the Bullmastiff was also bred specifically to take humans down. This is interesting, because I've never known them to have a reputation like that.

The mastiff I think is a very old breed. (For some reason I equate them to the middle ages)

The boiblol or something like that is a south African breed. That having a look was designed to protect farmers from wild animals. But I have heard it was to protect white farmers in the Apartheid era. And so you can imagine who they were designed to eat.

I have no solution for defending yourself against one of these.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I have no solution for defending yourself against one of these.

In northeast China, people use stick to attack the wolf's leg. I assume dog is weak on the leg too.

If a dog jumps on you, you can grab it's leg, spin your body, and smash that dog against a tree of street sign.

 

[drop bear]

In northeast China, people use stick to attack the wolf's leg. I assume dog is weak on the leg too.

If a dog jumps on you, you can grab it's leg, spin your body, and smash that dog against a tree of street sign.

They are 80kg which is a pretty big dog to be just waving around.

 

[Deleted member 39746]

Im pretty sure most dogs can kill or severly injure you, not counting the wounds opening up risks of infection and disease or the transfer of any diseases like rabies.

You cant really ID the type of dog by the bark, thats why they are good for home protection, as most people wont bother without weapons and they will work as an alarm that can bite people. If specfically trained to be a guard dog they work better. (although i think technically if employed as a guard dog and trained as such you need to post a sign saying "guard dog in operation here" on your house, per a law i found)

 

[dvcochran]

I don't know about casual....but I have a couple friends that dog bites have resulted in numerous surgeries. One had a pretty bad heverything. (Torn tendon)....the other had to have multiple surgeries to his face (pitbull grabbed him by the face)

Forget that....I will choose my safety over a dogs everytime.

My worst dog experience.

We have a very large trailer park in our city. I took a call there in the heat of summer about a dog attack. An elderly man was walking his small dog (I forget the breed but it was very small, Yorkie maybe) and tried to pick it up and run when he saw another dog that was loose.
Another trailer had four pit bulls; three that were kept on chains and for some reason one was on a rope. The rope was eventually chewed in two and a 168 pound Pit Bull was on the hunt (we later found the dogs were being used for fighting).
When the pit saw the little dog. it was on. The elderly gentleman was able to pick his dog up and make a run for it but the Pit tackled him from the back and mauled him badly. Like I said, it was summer and all the man had on were shorts and slippers. The small dog never had a chance.
Another officer and I arrived pretty much to the chaos of people screaming and running and animals of all sorts going nuts. If you have never been to a trailer park, things are packed in pretty tight. My partner had paramedic training and started working on the elderly man while I stood guard. There were some other mongrel dogs loose that had also went nuts and became aggressive but never attacked.
After the ambulance left, we started circling the trailers one by one (yes, guns out). I came around a corner of the trailer next to the dog owners trailer and saw the lose Pit about 100 feet away. It immediately made a dead sprint bee line for me and there was no doubt what it's intentions were. At about 50 feet I made my first shot and hit him in the left shoulder. It slowed the dog slightly but he kept coming. The second shot hit him in the hind quarters and spun him around. Once again, he kept coming at a surprising clip for an animal that was shot twice. When the dog was about 10 feet away I made a head shot which finally stopped him but still did not kill it right away. Fourth shot put him out. Four shots with a .357. Those in the know understand how fast this took place in a distance of 100'.
By the end of it all there were 13 dead animals found and the elderly man later expired from his injuries.

I am sure some people will throw their 'should have, could haves' at me. People who have have had the experience of having to make a firing decision understand how much information the mind has to process and how fast it has to happen.
That was a really bad day.

To the OP, lead treats are your safest bet.
That said, I fully believe animals have a higher sense of a persons presence and countenance. They know when you are scared, threatened, or a safe friend. SA and how you act toward them is huge.
That said, there is a point where none of that matters and their animal instinct will take over. When and why that happens is anybody's guess and Not something I am going to leave up to chance any more than I have to.

Most people on this forum know I am an open carry guy.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

If I'm attacked, I'm out of luck. I never learned to punch anything, and can only defend myself while on the ground.

99% of animal attaks end up on the ground. I read it on the interwebs.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Being serious, though. Dogs aren't really an issue around here. Lots of dogs, but they're pets. What we do have are raccoons, which generally aren't aggressive, though they can do a number on a cat if given the chance, and an occasional black bear.

Same in my area. If a dog is wandering loose, it's a pet that got loose or one of the few that are allowed to wander (the area is mostly forest). Bears are around, but rarely seen (have had at least 3 in our driveway in the last 10 years).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I can tell you from personal experience that most people are viscerally afraid of my St. Bernard when she barks at the door, and she's a petit St. Bernard at only 120 lbs. I have a sign on the front door that discourages people from knocking or ringing the doorbell. It's not that I don't like talking to people. It's because I know they are unprepared.

I should add that she's a sweetheart, and her demeanor changes completely once we invite people inside, but strangers don't know that.

My brother had a Great Dane mix (smallish for a Dane - about the same weight as your dog). He would bark with that big-chested bark if anyone approached the door. When it opened, he fled. Such a wuss.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

You're right. I know that the pit bull breeds and Akitas are working and hunting dogs, and Rottweilers and German Shepherds were bred to protect and herd livestock. When we think of "dangerous" breeds, those are a few that immediately come to mind

I did some digging around, and it looks like the Bullmastiff was also bred specifically to take humans down. This is interesting, because I've never known them to have a reputation like that.

I think their method of "taking down" (may be thinking of a different mastiff) is to knock them down and lay on them. Effective enough with a dog that size.

Now that I think about it, @Steve, I think you're prepared for this one.

 

[Urban Trekker]

The rope was eventually chewed in two and a 168 pound Pit Bull was on the hunt (we later found the dogs were being used for fighting).

Do you mean 68 pounds? Because the AmStaff is the largest pitbull breed, and that's about what they weigh. At 168, we're getting into Mastiff/Saint Bernard territory.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I’ve known a lot of Dobies over the years, and the folks who live with them. Tell you a funny story….

A buddy of mine owns several large body shops, good at what he does and an honest businessman, he makes a lot of cash. He’s always been a Doberman guy. He sends away to Germany for a Doberman. It’s trained there for a year, then brought here and the trainers spend a few days with him taking the dog through it’s paces and getting it acclimated.

He’s had some great dogs…..except one. One of them came, got acclimated, and as soon as the trainers left - the dog jumped onto my buddy’s bed, raised it’s leg, peed on his pillow while deeply growling at him.

My buddy calmly shut the bedroom door, went to where the trainers were staying and had them take it back, didn’t even ask for his money back. His eyes still get big when he tells that story. And I still laugh. All of his other Doberman’s have been great, they always played with my dogs.

I used to work with some canine guys back in the day. Putting on the bite sleeve and full bite suit. First time I did that I remember thinking “What the hell am I doing!” But it was fun and great leaning experiences.

In my opinion, the best “man taker downers” are Belgian Malinois. I’ve been hit in the suit by Pits, Shepards, Rotties, Mainois and several others. But it was always the Malinois that hit me the hardest, fastest and nastiest. No sleeve for me with them, full suit all the way. They were like getting hit with a really nasty jump, back kick that had teeth.

Malinois seem to have no regard for their own bodies when they hit. Others take you down, but Malinois take you OUT.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

The mastiff I think is a very old breed. (For some reason I equate them to the middle ages)

The boiblol or something like that is a south African breed. That having a look was designed to protect farmers from wild animals. But I have heard it was to protect white farmers in the Apartheid era. And so you can imagine who they were designed to eat.

I have no solution for defending yourself against one of these.

A slower buddy is the only solution.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Do you mean 68 pounds? Because the AmStaff is the largest pitbull breed, and that's about what they weigh. At 168, we're getting into Mastiff/Saint Bernard territory.

Pits - especially mixes - can quickly get much larger than that. My mix is 91 lbs, and I've met larger.

 

[Steve]

My brother had a Great Dane mix (smallish for a Dane - about the same weight as your dog). He would bark with that big-chested bark if anyone approached the door. When it opened, he fled. Such a wuss.

Sadie won't flee. She's a back you in the corner and won't let you leave type. She's protective, but not vicious. Our Pyrenees couldn't care less.

We had a Great Dane/Boxer mix. He was also about 120 lbs, as well. Funny dude... thought he was a human. He would sit on the couch with me, but whenever the newfie would climb up, he would look at me like, "Hey man. You going to let the dog on the couch?"