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Attacked by a dog?

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bkoenig:
I went for a run today around noon, and as I was gasping along I heard growling behind me.  I turned around a large dog (well over 100 lbs) had come out of some trees and was chasing me, barking and growling aggressively.  I turned around and shouted at it, and it stopped about 15 feet away but kept barking.  After about 30 seconds the dog's owner yelled at it.  I never did see the owner, but the dog turned and ran back to him.  I did not reach for my gun, but I was ready to if he had advanced further.

I'm wondering what would have happened if the dog had attacked me and I had been forced to shoot it.  Most dogs I'm pretty confident I could take, but this thing was huge.  If he'd wanted to he could have seriously injured me and the only way I could have defended myself would have been with my gun.  This was in Lincoln city limits.  Do I have to meet the same standards to defend myself against an aggressive dog as I do with a human attacker?

As a side note, this reinforced the decision I made a while back to never run with headphones.  I see a lot of people do it, but you lose a lot of situational awareness.  I've come up behind people on trails and scared the crap out of them (not intentionally) because they didn't know I was there.

NE Bull:
This might be a case where pepper spray might come into play to fend off the animal before things get heated. 
I'm sure some folks would send you through the ringer should you have to take-down their beloved pet.  It sounds silly, but maybe this should be brought up at either the city or state level.

bkoenig:
Good point about pepper spray.  I don't carry it now.  When I'm running I want to keep weight to a minimum, but a small keychain sized one might be a good idea.  It would definitely be a good deterrent to prevent the dog from coming close enough to bite. 

Personally, I would think if I'm in the process of being bitten by a 100+ lb dog I would be fully justified in shooting it, and this is coming from a guy who loves dogs more than he likes most people.  I'm not sure what the legal ramifications would be, though.

RLMoeller:
I don't have an answer to your question, but I will point out that some bully breeds may not be deterred by pepper spray.   And I'm glad you are ok.

skydve76:
If someones dog attacks you and you have to shoot it, they will have NO recourse.  there are strict leash laws in the city.  Main concern would be the possibility of hitting something else.

Personally I would wait for the dog to lunge before I shot it.  However if my children are with me I'd shoot it.  Its a tough call but there a numerous dog attacks in omaha every year.

I know dogs get out unintentionally, but I've seen plenty of people let them out on purpose.  If I had a dog that would chase people I would keep it tied up at all times. 

My basset doesnt get aggressive but she jumps up on everyone.

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