This article raised a valid point. But I think it overstated the threat. And it conveyed a lot of negative thoughts, like “you will freeze up, your shots will go into the ground, you will be overwhelmed before you can react,” etc.
I’m a dog lover; owner of three Bull Terriers, which are basically civilized, happy Pit Bulls. No question, the strength, destructive potential and “hard to kill” factor of many dogs is true. But the author of that article overlooked a key feature of the “pack mentality.” Kill the lead dogs, and the followers probably will slink away.
Granted, the earlier the interdiction the better, via snares or other means. But I’d like to present a more positive scenario if one is attacked. I agree that short barreled, smaller caliber handguns may be inadequate. So if feral dogs are a real risk, carry a shotgun loaded with buckshot. You are less likely to miss, and more certain to stop any dog you solidly hit.
If attacked, identify the alpha dog and his strongest followers (that won’t be hard; they’ll be in front,) and shoot them in order. If you have six to eight rounds of buckshot, and use them effectively you very probably will prevail. In fact you may be surprised how fast the “follower dogs” run off once the Big Dogs go down.
If the SHTF badly enough for packs of wild dogs to form, one already should have got over that “can’t be happening” response. Training should have overcome the “ejecting unfired rounds” syndrome too. If you’re still worried about that, get a semi auto shotgun.
Your site is great, and the original article was valid. Just wanted to address the issue from a different perspective. – Mike in Mesa
Letter Re: A New Breed of Feral Dogs, by Buckshot
