Have you ever had THIS problem with your build?!?

[MushCreek]

I got up yesterday morning after a night of storms, and headed up to the house I'm building. I almost walked in the door before I saw two large pit bulls lounging in the dining room! I wasn't able to intimidate them, or call them to me, and really wondered what to do. They were laying in front of an $800 window, so weapons of any kind were out. I didn't have a pit-bull-worthy weapon anyhow. I got in the van and ran a few errands, and when I came back, thankfully they had left. I proceeded to board up the door openings so they wouldn't be tempted to live here permanently.

I'm pretty leery around dogs of unknown disposition, especially aggressive breeds. Even if I had a clear shot, I don't think I'd tangle with 2 dogs in an enclosed space. Assuming you were lucky enough to fatally wound one, the other one would be on you by then, if it had a mind to.

[Rob_O]

I'm glad you didn't go in with the guns blazing. I'd certainly hate it if I was scared and lost in a storm, then got shot because someone thought I looked like I might be dangerous

[Don_P]

I think the strangest overnight visitor was a longhorn. The skunk was one where we decided the only thing to do was leave and hope he didn't leave a calling card!

[CjAl]

I woulda shot them. I dont play with ferral dogs since my son got cornered by a pack.

[Huge29]

Is there not an animal control around at all?  That way you would at least have a chance of victory and spare the next poor soul from attack.  They will likely be back.  Good to hear that there was no damage/injury.

[MushCreek]

I thought of Animal Control, but around here, their response time is measured in days, not minutes. Shooting wasn't an option, as I didn't want to damage my windows, and I'd rather not shoot a dog unless directly threatened. In close quarters with two dogs, I wouldn't feel comfortable with anything less than a pump shotgun. I'm always amused when people think they could handle multiple dogs with a handgun. If a pitbull goes into 'attack mode', you have to kill it to stop it; injuring it won't work.

The stray dog problem in our area is rampant. These dogs were emaciated; they weren't just out trotting around, they were probably dumped. I read that about 23,000 dogs go through our local pound every year, and only about 4000 are adopted. I was looking for a dog last summer, and the vast majority of the dogs at the pound are pitbulls. Almost every dog in my immediate area is a pitbull. People tie them out or just leave them out, and dogs are dumped regularly. Eventually, I'll fence in part of my property so I have some control over what wanders through. As for the house, I boarded up the doors and windows low enough to jump or climb in to.

[Huge29]

What a crying shame!  In general terms, where are you located? 

[John Raabe]

The dumping of animals is a big problem in lots of rural areas. It is basically cruel and dangerous to others and the environment. We are not "liberating" animals when we return them to "the wild". A pet that can not be adopted is still better off with a quick painless shot rather than an extended starvation filled with panic and rage.

[MushCreek]

I'm in upstate South Carolina, apparently the Pitbull Capital of the World. There have been two MORE pitbulls hanging around since the first two, and they didn't scare easily. The sheriff came roaring up the driveway, too, looking for a guy that tried to steal a 4-wheeler nearby and took off on foot. I think I need to keep one of my sidearms with me, instead of in storage 600 miles away in FL.

One solution I've heard of for roaming pet dogs is to hit them with a paintball gun. It stings enough to scare them, and also sends a message to the owner (if they care) that their dog has been somewhere it shouldn't be. I'm sure if you got caught you'd be in big trouble for 'cruelty to animals'. I might just get a light-duty pellet gun to scare them off without harm, backed up by a 357 mag in case they turn on me.

[Bob S.]

A squirt gun full of ammonia will do wonders to a aggressive dog. He will remember the encounter and avoid you like the plage. It will not harm him as much as shooting him would. It can cause blindness if it gets in his eyes.

Bob

[CjAl]

Ever since moving to the south i have learned people here consider dogs livestock or something to roam free. Nobody ties up their dogs. The dog problem in my development os so bad its boardering on epidemic. They tried to open a dog shelter and hire animal control and the people faught it tooth and nail. They called the state in and the pound was shut down for not meeting code. I thi k it needed air conditioning or something.

i have a neighbor with an aggressive black chow. He comes to mynproperty to relieve himself on my vehicles, house or whatever else he can reach. He is aggressive and my wife has had the shariff out here about it 6 times. They can do something about aggresive dogs but not just dogs running loose. Finally after four $150 fines they have that dog locked up, in the process they filed charges on my wife for threatening their kids with a rifle, which was actually a garden hoe.

I now have a neighbor a 100yds away that just moved into a rental house with a huge fenced yard. He gets how and lets his dogs out loose aparantly so he doesnt have to clean up the yard after them. They come straight to my place which aparatly os the local public dog restroom. i dont want to shoot it because its not mean but i am sicknof my cars getting peed on. I like that paintball idea