Self-defense From Animals?

Urban Trekker

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I'm primarily a "preparedness" type of guy, and I just remembered an incident that happened to me about 8 years ago.

I used to drive taxis as a second job, back before rideshare was a thing.

On one particular late evening, I was finished with my shift. Turned in the cab, paid my lease, and out the door I went. As I stepped outside, there were a few pitbulls running around the parking lot. I remember there being at least three. Likely escaped from the yard of someone who lived nearby. I tried walking to my car, but the dogs were being "aggressively friendly," if that makes any sense to you. Jumping all over me, wanting to me play with them... but doing it in such a way that I feared any consequence that might come as a result of me trying to shoo them away.

Then I had remembered something. I was less than 10 ft away from the door, and inside the lobby, there were gumball machines. One with candy, one with M&M's, and one with assorted nuts. I immediately went back inside, and popped enough quarters in to get two handfuls of nuts. As I walked back outside, I threw the nuts around, and the dogs immediately started grazing on them. I was able to walk to my car, having completely lost the dogs' attention.

As a result of this, I now keep dog treats in my backpack, just in case. And I don't even have a dog.

Were it not for my quick thinking in that situation, who knows what could have happened.

I'm curious to know: does anyone else have a plan for self-defense against non-human attackers?
 
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Urban Trekker

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Lead snacks offered at over 1000 feet per second.

I really have no desire to harm an animal, let alone take the life of one.

The snacks I buy come in four individually wrapped treats, and have a shelf life of 18 months. And they'll keep a dog busy for a half hour. I carry two at a time; one to give away if I see a dog I want to give it to, and the other to protect myself.

I once considered a large caliber handgun - .44 mag or higher - in case I run into a black bear, but everything I've seen leads to bear spray being the most effective option.
 

Buka

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Bunches of unsupervised, loose dogs is rarely a good thing. Not sure what I’d do.

Treats might be the way to go.

I’ve used an umbrella against a dog before, just defensively. They don’t quite know what to do.
 

drop bear

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I really have no desire to harm an animal, let alone take the life of one.

The snacks I buy come in four individually wrapped treats, and have a shelf life of 18 months. And they'll keep a dog busy for a half hour. I carry two at a time; one to give away if I see a dog I want to give it to, and the other to protect myself.

I once considered a large caliber handgun - .44 mag or higher - in case I run into a black bear, but everything I've seen leads to bear spray being the most effective option.

Would peanut butter work better for that situation?

And then you also have access to peanut butter.
 

Dirty Dog

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I once considered a large caliber handgun - .44 mag or higher - in case I run into a black bear, but everything I've seen leads to bear spray being the most effective option.
If you shoot a bear with a handgun, and it notices, it's going to be angry.
The single possible exception to this would be the .500 S&W Magnum.
Bear spray is a better choice.
 

KenpoMaster805

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My Sifu told a story that there was this brown belt guy from a different school and he was walking his dog and there’s this 2 dog that attack him he kick one dog and the other dog he Did a Kenpo technique as the dog was going to jump him
 
D

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Lead snacks offered at over 1000 feet per second.
that is no joking, why many places with dangerous animals void carry laws or have diffrent for animals. Even then you have dog patrols in some countries basically being police/voulnteers drive around in a van with rifles shooting every dog they see thats not owned.



If you shoot a bear with a handgun, and it notices, it's going to be angry.
The single possible exception to this would be the .500 S&W Magnum.
Bear spray is a better choice.
I mean .44magnum revolvers are pretty common to carry for bear. So the exeption is anything at and more powerful than a .44 magnum for bear.

Long guns generally are more powerful in the same calibre, but the general assesment for what you carry is based on what you are doing, space, willingness to carry, and what animals you expect. you also have people in this equation still.

Two, in the same vein you would carry a less than lethal AND a lethal for people, why wouldnt you for animals? this is not accoutning diseases like rabies which just soldifies why you should probbly carry both, or a lethal. (you can use a firearm to try and scare a animal off as well as it being used to kill it, the same is not true for spray)

Addnedum: No moral obligation against killing animals to the extreme end for not killing it in defence of yourself was considered or in play when writing the above. I dont support said ideology to begin with nor share it. Just read up to the quoted post and saw the pre amble, so needed to shove this here.
 
D

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Now for the OP

The defensive proceedure changes per animal and if its diseased and with what. But purely weapons based, projectiles seem to work the best and just trying to get out of its attack radius. That is, throw rocks at it, and retreat to a behind a door or something, or climb to somehwere safe. You can then shove in more animal specfic things there like shotuing at it, maing yourself bigger etc. (or not) although throwing rocks at some things just annoys it so you would be better served with shooting it if you can.

Also, nuts is reallt random, no idea how it worked and was not aware dogs ate nuts. Seems like a lucky break they A ate nuts, B were the sort to eat anything C wernt diseased and D you had access to nuts via vending machine.
Althougn carrying somethign like treats can work and is a double edged sword, it also means you have food for dogs so any hungry feral ones, or hungry or feral anything that eats dog treats will probbly smell them out and want them.
 

Steve

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

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

I remember reading somewhere that choking out a dog is fairly effective, the only caveat being that you want to avoid going to the ground with a dog even if you have to give them a fore arm to lock onto, because being on the ground means that the dog has better access to your throat.
 
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Urban Trekker

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Althougn carrying somethign like treats can work and is a double edged sword, it also means you have food for dogs so any hungry feral ones, or hungry or feral anything that eats dog treats will probbly smell them out and want them.

I actually don't mind giving a treat to a feral dog that wants one. That's why I carry two. If I didn't give them away, they'd expire after 18 months and then I'd have to throw all of them away. It feels like less of a waste if I give some away.
 

Steve

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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.
 
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Urban Trekker

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Curious thing about black bears: I'm told that if you're unarmed and fight back against a black bear attack, they'll consider you to not be worth the trouble as food and they'll leave you alone. The only exception to this is a female black bear that thinks you're a threat to her cubs. Then you're screwed.

Not that I'd ever want to find out first hand whether or not the former is true. I keep bear spray in the trunk of my vehicle, and will only carry it on my person if I have to abandon the vehicle in a wooded area.
 

CB Jones

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I believe you. I've seen videos of cops casually shooting pets. Brutal stuff.

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.
 
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Urban Trekker

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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.

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.
 

Steve

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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.
Didn't mean to suggest that you shoot peoples' pets indiscriminately. Not intended to be a blanket statement. But I have seen videos of cops shooting pets that were behind chain link fences and/or tied up for barking. Literally, cops walking over to pets and shooting them at point blank range.

Just to add, I don't have in mind cops protecting themselves from animals who are actually threatening. There are a lot of actual court cases and studies with examples of situations where cops are literally shooting dogs because they can do so. Because dogs are considered property, it's usually an unlawful seizure or 4th amendment complaint. I can dig up some additional information if anyone's interested. Been a while since I've thought about it, but since it came up....
 
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D

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I actually don't mind giving a treat to a feral dog that wants one. That's why I carry two. If I didn't give them away, they'd expire after 18 months and then I'd have to throw all of them away. It feels like less of a waste if I give some away.
Its not really your willingness, just food attract shte hungry. and i felt the need to point out if you carried food you may equally paint a target on your back as being able to distract them with it. So basically pointout the potional flaw with it.

Id probbly just give it to a pound/charity as opposed to feed feral dogs though.
 

drop bear

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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 would be surprised if that was the case.
 

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