Chris and husband and Mike, what horror stories! Reading this I'm full of goose-bumps. So glad, that you are now doing well. But this is easily said afterwards.

I myself when walking my dogs meet regularly lots of roaming dogs. I know most of them, they are a bit curious but friendly and my dogs are used to stay with me. Though it happened twice that owners of dogs, who are never walked, let their dogs (1 of them a Pit) out of their yard, unsupervised. As we passed near their territory they came running, trying to attack my dogs.

I was lucky that nothing happened. I managed to keep my own Pit behind me, but it was all near to a dog fight. I was awfully scared but fortunate enough that shouting at and stamping towards the attackers made them run away. Heated altercations with the owners whom I visited afterwards and by threatening with the police helped finally to create a certain insight. Until now they always kept their dogs inside the yard.

Nonetheless I must admit, I should at least finally carry a stick with me, which I intended to do already long time ago.

I agree fully with Bob "the responsibility goes far beyond just getting that permit and firearm" and with Mike "carrying and using are two hugely different things". I myself have never had a weapon in my hands and would if necessary have no idea how to handle it. This although in Switzerland every soldier keeps his firearm from the military service at home, only since a few years without munition. The traditional thinking: "I am lacking an arm, when I lack the weapon".
Mike and Chris, I do hope you have overcome your traumatism and wish you all will never have to experience something like this again.
Yes, avoidance is certainly the best method, but sometimes things can happen so quickly and unexpectedly.

Sure wish I could have kept my M14 from the Army but you can't even buy one because it's one that can easily be converted to full auto.

That would have been a great deer rifle.

Up here, my rifle would have been used. Sorry for what you went through!

Different rules up here. I hope your dog has no emotional trauma after this.
Maybe a time to start some marker training on walks, just to help get the mind moving forward!
Hope everyone heals well! Hugs!

Thanks Bob and Becky. No weapon is allowed here unfortunately, only one to defend youself, but exclusively within the house, not eve in our yard!

No, my dogs don't see to have a trauma after this. But as it didn't happen again I of course can't know how it would be in an actual situation. All my 4 dogs are marker trained for walks and other things. They walk well, depends of course of the distractions. At the moment I can't walk them myself as I've been diagnosted with breast-cancer and can because of strong dizziness only walk inside the house, where I can always hold and stabilize myself somewhere. Somtimes it is crazy, all bad things happen to come more or less at the same time. Luckily we havehad lots of other phases too.

Sorry to hear about your cancer. There are a lot of new ways to treat that so fingers crossed for you.

Thanks Bob. Yes, fortunately there has been lots of progress the last few years. Unfortunately the newest and so called most successful ones are very controversial. It seems that in the American space they are more accepted while in the German space they are more doubted. Difficult to decide for me as I can't get a second opinion. At least I'm without pain until now and so I hope I'll at least survive all my beloved dogs.

Christina, I've sent you a PM.