Hot topic eh?

Well, fwiw, my experience with dogs is that when the fight is on, they are quite a formidable opponent. For dogs averaging 80 to 130 lbs, especially those bred for fighting, an unarmed man is no real match. We simply don't have the tools to inflict the kind of damage they're capable of in close quarters.

In a truly serious confrontation, I doubt you'd have had much opportunity to draw and fire. Had that dog really intended to attack, rather than simply challenge you, there simply wouldn't have been enough time to react. Having watched how bulldogs and rottweilers deal with 600 lb feral hogs, and witnessed police dogs taking down an assailant with prejudice, my impression is they are far better equipped for a fracas than any man. Yes, dogs can be disabled and even dispatched by hand, if you know what you are doing and are lucky. I'd use whatever I have at hand, but I'd prefer a 44 mag if I really wanted to be sure of stopping them in their tracks.

Pepper spray is one of those items that can be held in the hand whilst strolling about without too much inconvenience or without appearing a threat to innocent passerby. If you get the right configuration, it is fairly effective in most situations and easily deployable. In this day and age, unless you can be certain of the environment, young children have no business being out on their own unsupervised. It is a good way to lose a kid, regardless the predator. If they are too young to be able to reliably operate a defensive mechanism on their own with a little training, then they are too young to be out on their own. Naive parents promote a fair amount of Darwinism by trying to enforce a concept that is inconsistent with this reality, in that their offspring tend not to survive as much.

Probably the best defense against a dog attack is likely another dog, preferably one more capable of it than the one you are threatened by. Trained well, a guard/attack dog that is under direct control poses virtually no threat to others, while providing an exceptional level of defense against 4 legged and two legged predators and instigators. It is a sad rebuke that most dog owners just don't take the time to learn the proper care control over man's best friend.

Which brings up the issue of dog owners who insist on letting their dogs out in public without maintaining direct control over them. People who say they KNOW their dog will do this or not do that are living in an illusion. I've met no one who can speak dog, or who can read a dog's mind. To make such a statement that they might KNOW what their dog will or won't do in a given situation is nonsensical and indicates an irresponsible behavior for which they inevitably will be held accountable for, either in losing their pet, or in subsequent litigation, or both. No dog is worth innocent human life. What happens when the dog they KNOW so well up and bites somebody, as one of mine did? They pay the medical bill, go to court, and put the dog down themselves (or pay someone else to do it if they don't have the stomach for it). To have an unrestrained dog out in public is akin to driving at speed down the freeway and taking your hands off the wheel. I've yet to meet a dog that couldn't be coaxed into biting somehow, and no matter what the provocation, the dog and their owner will be held accountable for the act of the dog, unless it is in the capacity of an LEO. Sometimes we take privilege way too far, and others pay a great price for it.

So what to do about the threat? Don't go places where the potential is significant without being prepared for it. Don't count on the owners being able or willing to command their dog not to attack. Public shooting is extreme; the use of deadly force is facing ever increasing scrutiny, as discharging a firearm in public will almost certainly put you at a big disadvantage later on. Deterrent is preferable, and may be in the form of pepper spray, one of those fancy whistles or ultrasonic transmitters that seems to distract challenging dogs, or maybe just a good piece of hickory. If you are full grown and of decent stature, and find yourself in unarmed conflict, I find that staying on top of the dog by grappling him and sprawling over him tends to thwart most of his agility. You are still going to get bit, but if you can keep him under you, you have more options. If you get on your back, you are going to be a lot more vulnerable.

I was out hunting with a friend and his big German wire haired pointer decided he didn't like me so much and snapped on my off hand. After the owner called him to heal, I tackled the mutt and put my forearm on his chin and laid my weight on him for a good five minutes. When he quit struggling against me and nipping me (I got ahold of an ear and put and end to the nips), he finally gave a big sigh and I let him up, still holding him by the collar. Since I wasn't beating on him my pal wasn't so concerned about the commotion, and after I let the dog up and talked to him for a bit, he got the pecking order right from then on. That was dealing with a challenge, which was different from how I would deal with an outright attack. You're not going to subdue an attacking dog, only deter them or disable them.

Animal abuse is unacceptable behavior. Neglect comes in many forms. People who neglect the safety and welfare of their pets by allowing them to roam free in public are in my opinion no better than those who would tie up a dog and beat it or starve it. There is no legitimate reason why any dog cannot be properly restrained and led in public, those who refuse it are just plain lazy at best and at worst willing imbeciles. To my mind they're just trying to foist off their responsibility onto the general public, and the poor pet is the ultimate loser. If you love your dog so much, then take the trouble of caring for him as if you actually do. I guarantee he won't mind it one bit.