Can you realistically fight off a 100+lb dog or are you going to lose?

[Taray787]

Breed and train working German shepherds. No weapons it would be very difficult if not impossible to defeat a properly trained dog over 50ish pounds. Just a big mean dog your chances go up significantly. You are still gonna be injured

 

[Sierra Hunter]

Breed and train working German shepherds. No weapons it would be very difficult if not impossible to defeat a properly trained dog over 50ish pounds. Just a big mean dog your chances go up significantly. You are still gonna be injured

Coming from the working dog world would you rather take the 50 lb Mali who loves it or the real molassers, old neos, boerboels etc?

 

[Mr. October]

How do you think you would do against a 100lb cat?

I'd take dogs any day over one 100 lb. cat. Read the stories about the Indian and Chinese man eating leopards. Or watch your house cat kill a rabbit and picture him 20x his size.

 

[Mr. October]

A bit of a segue....

It shocks me how many people I see that have big uncontrollable dogs. Small women with big dogs they cannot control even on a leash.

Some years ago we had a big loud neighbor who had to have big, loud everything. From his personal car to the dump truck he drove and kept in his driveway his whole life was big and loud except his diminutive, tiny wife. Bear in mind, I live in a suburban development with lots and lots of little kids . . not way out in the country. (Much to my chagrin.) Anyway, dude had to get himself a Neapolitan Mastiff. As a puppy, like most puppies, the dog was friendly enough. But even at 6 months old the wife couldn't begin to keep him under control. The dog quickly became the Beta in the house and constantly challenged to be the alpha and regularly threatened anyone passing by. Again, suburban development with neighbors in close quarters and people walking by on the sidewalk all the time. Big loud dude would trust his flimsy storm door to restrain the dog. More than once it busted it out at passers by only saved by a lunging grab from big loud dude. Inevitably, the dog got hold of someone and nearly killed them. The dog was seized and euthanized the next day and big loud dude found himself on the wrong end of both legal and civil court cases.

I was probably the most fit I've been in my life when that dog lived here and I can say beyond a doubt that there is no way in hell I could have fought that dog off without a weapon. But then . . I ALWAYS have a weapon.

 

[Mr. October]

Interesting thread and, when compared to discussion about other self defense scenarios like people or bears, this is probably a much more likely event for anyone to have to worry about. I think 85% of all animal bites are dog bites.

While I'm not really racing anymore, I did long course triathlon and marathons for many years. My single biggest concern when out training was dogs. Well, on the bike sometime I worried more about road rage drivers who seemed to resent anyone out getting some exercise. But back on topic. I never rode my bike without OC spray and a sidearm. (See note above regarding road rage.) I didn't run with a sidearm but always carried OC spray. Fortunately, I never got caught by a dog on my bike but our bike club had several members get knocked down and mauled by dogs. It is not pretty. I had a couple occasions where I came close but fortunately had non-violent outcomes. I was running a popular river trail near my house one day and a very large white pittie mix came tearing around a bend in the trail running straight at me. I stopped. Put my hand out in a stop sign and said "STAY!". He went from a dead run on to flopping to his back to have his belly rubbed. Phew. A couple minutes later the apologetic owner came down the trail with a leash and broken collar. "There was a squirrel."

On another occasion, I was running along a rural road and a brindle colored pittie tore out of the back yard on a dead run. No barking. No tail wagging. Clearly in defensive mode. Again I stopped and clearly yelled "Stay!". No belly rub this time. But she stopped and stood very defensively not sure what to do. I wasn't about to move. I was concerned for myself but also didn't want her out in the road. We stood at a face-off for a few minutes. Finally I lowered my hand and offered it to her to sniff. As she gave a few tentative sniffs and relaxed a bit, the owner finally came out. She relaxed and I gave her a quick pet and went on my way. I was glad I didn't have to use the OC spray I had in my other hand.

On bother occasions, I'm glad I didn't have to try to fight a dog. Even if I prevailed it would not have been pretty.

 

[Mr. October]

The original topic was about 1 100 lb. dog. It seems most severe and persistent attacks happen when there is a pack. Just recently in Fairmount park in Philadelphia several people were attacked by a roving dog pack. It seems when the pack attacks it is much more malevolent and sustained. I tried to find the video, but there was surveillance camera video just recently of a man being attacked by 4 dogs (all pittie mixes as I recall). He was a pretty fit, strong, younger guy but unarmed and essentially helpless against 4 determined dogs. They didn't kill him but he died later from the sepsis caused by the bites. Watching the video, had he been armed, he would have had several opportunities to draw a weapon and fire it.

 

[Mr. October]

Good video on the best way to defeat a dog.

 

[7mm-08]

The original topic was about 1 100 lb. dog. It seems most severe and persistent attacks happen when there is a pack. Just recently in Fairmount park in Philadelphia several people were attacked by a roving dog pack. It seems when the pack attacks it is much more malevolent and sustained. I tried to find the video, but there was surveillance camera video just recently of a man being attacked by 4 dogs (all pittie mixes as I recall). He was a pretty fit, strong, younger guy but unarmed and essentially helpless against 4 determined dogs. They didn't kill him but he died later from the sepsis caused by the bites. Watching the video, had he been armed, he would have had several opportunities to draw a weapon and fire it.

Two determined 50-pound dogs would kill virtually ANY man.

 

[Fatcamp]

I'd take dogs any day over one 100 lb. cat. Read the stories about the Indian and Chinese man eating leopards. Or watch your house cat kill a rabbit and picture him 20x his size.

I've read most of Corbetts stuff. No chance with a leopard unless it decides to stop.

 

[Wapiti1]

I've read most of Corbetts stuff. No chance with a leopard unless it decides to stop.

Leopard charges are remarkably fast and silent. I was part of a wounded cat follow up in Zambia. Not my cat. It was an experience.

To the original question, IMO, a single dog can be defeated, but you have to keep your feet. If he gets you down, you lose most of your options. Two dogs and you are in major trouble.

Jeremy

 

[NB7]

I am betting on me. Maybe its a false confidence but I honestly don’t see how a really forceful kick to a dogs head doesn’t put it out of a fight or at least make it retreat? I have never been around a police K9 but maybe they are trained to avoid this pain? Not sure, I also plan to never be in this situation.

LMAO. These are always the best kind of bad guy mindsets that K9 handlers loved to hear. (Please understand I am not calling you a bad guy, I just mean the statement!) The dogs aren't trained to "avoid this pain", they just have a different kind of drive than you think.
It was always comical to hear a tough redneck or thug-wanna-be talk about how "I ain't skeert of no dog". Again, I don't mean you personally here.
I can 100% assure you no matter how hard you are going to kick a determined police dog, you are going to have ZERO effect on him. They're not your average back yard mutt, they are NOT going to kow down...unless you have one that shouldn't have screened in during selection. I've trained with dogs and have seen a certain Swedish trainer (who asked first if you were ok with it), punch the shit out of a police dogs locked on a bite. None of them gave up the bite. Now, if you had a solid weapon in your hand, like a hammer or wrench, etc., you might be able to crack one across the bridge of the nose and get somewhere. But again, we're talking no weapons in this hypothetical. Believe me, 100% of the time your punch, kick, or best Austin Powers judo chop is not going to slow down a trained bite dog. He's only going to get pissed and punch (as we call it) into a deeper bite. I've trained a few years in BJJ myself, and I'm no black belt, but having been choked out in BJJ and having trained with maneaters, I can say even a black belt will have their hands full with a determined dog. It's a different physiology on how to apply a choke on a dog, or snap a limb. Without a collar to grab, a choke is not going to happen. If you even came close the dog would likely remove a section of your face.

 

[Z71&Gun]

If a 100 pound plus dog is trained or just is flat out mean and decides it wants to kill you, can a full grown man fight it off or are you potentially going to lose?

In my 20's and 30's I was over confident and had zero concern. As I grow older and like to think wiser....I now question a dog versus man fight to the death. I think I would still come out ok, but there is a thought in the back of my mind that there is a chance that it could go south.

Anybody have real experience with an attack?

Edit - no weapons (hand to hand combat)

If a 100 pound plus dog is trained or just is flat out mean and decides it wants to kill you, can a full grown man fight it off or are you potentially going to lose?

In my 20's and 30's I was over confident and had zero concern. As I grow older and like to think wiser....I now question a dog versus man fight to the death. I think I would still come out ok, but there is a thought in the back of my mind that there is a chance that it could go south.

Anybody have real experience with an attack?

Edit - no weapons (hand to hand combat)

100 pounds is a big dog. That said, I win against a single dog more than 50/50 I think. I used to have pit/Rottweiler mix dogs that would get in fights with each other. One time while breaking up a fight between the two I fell down between them, got scared and started fighting for my life. They were only trying to hurt each other and I still got bit up pretty good. I would much rather fight one dog at 100 lb than 2 dogs at 50 each.

 

[KurtR]

No chance when a trained bite dog is coming unless you have a weapon and even with that your in trouble.

 

[repins05]

No chance when a trained bite dog is coming unless you have a weapon and even with that your in trouble.

If they went for your jugular ....... that could be a big problem. So freaking fast with springs.

 

[WannaBeRambo]

If a 100 pound plus dog is trained or just is flat out mean and decides it wants to kill you, can a full grown man fight it off or are you potentially going to lose?

In my 20's and 30's I was over confident and had zero concern. As I grow older and like to think wiser....I now question a dog versus man fight to the death. I think I would still come out ok, but there is a thought in the back of my mind that there is a chance that it could go south.

Anybody have real experience with an attack?

Edit - no weapons (hand to hand combat)

Got faced with pit bull who blew right through one of those “invisible fences “ they market. (Ignoring for the moment the irony their advertising was 100% accurate).

, bare hnded, i was expecting to get mauled. I tookoff my belt and swung buckle end at his head which hept him at bay.
Even now not sure how I did it, but got both fists under his throat around his collar. I could limit his air intake and keep him from biting me but not cut off enough air to stop him. I decided to drag him to a nearby water filled ditch and drown the bastard.

He was very strong adult and managed to slip his collar as I was dragging him to his doom. I think he saw I was in absolute beast mode with murder in my eyes, as he took off and didn’t come back.
Amazingly I only had minor cuts in my hands and did not get bit.

Now I always EDC. It’s more likely you will encounter a pack of dogs and youlI need every round.
I won’t hesitate to shoot next time, even in front of the dogs owner if I feel threatened. I love and have owned dogs and blame owners for failing to train their animal.

 

[Mr. October]

I've read most of Corbetts stuff. No chance with a leopard unless it decides to stop.

Corbett was an absolute legend. He was the consummate hunter, naturalist, and conservationist. I remember reading one of his adventures in pursuing a man eating tiger. He felt guilty shooting it because . . . he snuck up on it in the jungle while it was sleeping . . . . Can you even imagine where in the jungle a tiger would bed down? Had to be some thick impenetrable stuff. Talk about woodsman ship and jungle lore.