What you did worked, and it's hard to improve on that.

The use of pepper spray could be a lesson to the owner: doesn't that smell linger? Two large dogs reeking of pepper spray in the Cooper . Most people of that ilk only respond (learn) to what affects them personally.

Approaching dogs that don't seem to be attacking may respond to a low, firm 'Sit!' But if it doesn't work immediately, it usually doesn't work at all.

Dogs that have learned how to work together to hunt and one starts to circle behind you are an incredible danger. If I were armed, I would take them down ASAP. The one in front will try to grab the muzzle of a deer/sheep/goat/calf, the circling one goes in for the hamstring. I have often wondered when I hear of a child being bitten in the face if that wasn't the first instinct on how to take down prey.

I am wondering if firing a shot into the ground would be effective at all? Scare them off? Make them worse? But I do suspect that it might kick up the IQ of the owner a couple of points...

Sue

Someone screaming in fear probably got the Rotties more excited than they would have been if your charge had been calm. Dogs respect calm; if you (or your charge) shows fear the dogs react to that energy. Best thing to do IMO would be to close ranks and ignore them -- maybe even to the point of turning your backs to the dogs. Cesar Millan is big on a calm assertive posture.
Watch a true alpha dog interact with a group of dogs and it will tend to ignore the other dogs -- head up but turned away -- no fear, no threat, just disinterest. IME that attitude works for people interacting with dogs too.

Part of me feels like I just got lucky. And to be honest, another part of me feels like I was being coward who was afraid to shoot.

It's been the first (and I pray last) time I had reason to draw since getting my CHL. It's been a real eye-opener.

-Blast

D'oh! I remember that now from my paperboy days. I learned back then that you were supposed to walk away from the dog while watching it with peripheral vision. Dogs take a direct stare to be a challenge. Given the screams of the student, I think that wouldn't have worked.

-Blast

Owners need to control their dogs, teachers need to control their students -- bad student. . .

Unless I had Kevlar underwear on -- granny-size -- that would seem awfully risky.


;-)

Pepper spray does linger. I sprayed a Bichon that was going to town on a co-worker's ankle. The owner could not process my command to "control the dog," but understood "put the dog in the car." She promptly got in the car with the dog, petted it, told the dog it was OK, and wiped the tears from her own eyes, transferring the pepper she'd picked up while petting the dog...made for an interesting report.

Our department policy prohibits warning shots. "GET CONTROL OF YOUR DOG, BEFORE I SHOOT IT!" has been generally effective for me.

Anytime you can walk away from an encounter like this, without injury, it's a good thing.

If your class remained safe, I'd call that an appropriate response.

Nicely done.

Sounds like a well handled situation to me.

Excellent plan on having the 5' stick with you, too.

You did well. The spray might be worth looking in to.

You have more patience than I do...

In a perfect world, you would spray the owner and send the dogs to obedience school and another owner....