carrying around the house question

[AlfaBrewer]

I had an incident tonight with one of my neighbor's dogs. This is a Pit Bull that has showed aggressive tendencies in the past. He has come up into my driveway and barked (with teeth bared) at my wife and girls, trapped another neighbor in her car, and gone three houses up the block to harass yet another neighbor, to name a few fun times.

On to tonight's happening. We were finishing dinner and getting ready to head out to our Parent Orientation meeting at my daughter's school. I saw the dog in my driveway and went out to chase him out of my driveway. I have used a broom, which in the past had with very effective results (my wife prefers less than lethal weapons, if possible). The dog has always run home immediately. Tonight was different. He ran off about 15 feet, turned around and began barking at me with bared teeth. He then came at me several steps, which closed the distance to 5-7 feet. I lifted the broom again, and he back off to his original retreat distance then repeated the aggression. I did reach for my revolver at that point and called 911.

I relayed the information to the dispatcher and followed her instruction to go inside. I never left my property, and was concealed except for the few seconds I had my hand on the butt of my revolver.

This brings me to my question. Had the dog charged me and I felt compelled to shoot, I would not have had my CHL on me. I left my wallet on the kitchen counter when I got home, and did not stick it back in my pocket until we left for the orientation meeting. For those of you who carry around the house, do you keep your license on you as well? Should I have my license on me at all times while carrying outside of my home, even if on my property?

As for the dog, he was called home before the police showed up. I really have nothing against this breed. I have a Boxer/Pit Bull mix and my dad has a Pit Bull. Both are the sweetest, most gentle, and loving dogs I've ever been around. I also now have a can of Mace by the garage door.

[Scott in Houston]

CHL is redundant at home or on your property. It's not needed at all.

All Texans, with a clean record, have the same rights on their property regardless of having a CHL or not.

[A-R]

You're on your own property, no need for license at that point.

Highly recommend you file formal complaint with Animal Control officers about this dog. If it had done to me what you describe, good chance I would have shot it (especially if it was aggressive around my children).

[Topbuilder]

Buy a BB gun. There is no better training method for people who are too lazy or stupid to train/control their own dogs. I have "trained" several dogs over the years, but I gata tell you that dog in your driveway... his training would have been over.

[pmcdn]

I had a similar experience a few months ago. Around 4am I woke up startled when I heard what sounded like 5 dogs attacking something and it was so loud it sounded like it was in my living room. I got up, grabbed my .45 (which has a light on it), and went to the front to see 4 or 5 junkyard looking dogs outside. I have two indoor cats and a couple outdoor cats. When I stepped out the front door, the chow looking dog had my young cat dead and limp in it's mouth. I had the gun pointed at him shining the light and the dog dropped the dead cat and began snarling at me taking a couple steps towards me about 5 feet away. I shot him right in the face and down he went. The other dogs ran like hell.

I am a huge animal lover and I hated killing that dog, but when he turned on me, that was it. Dealing with the big, dead dog was also a pain in the ass, but that's another story. While I hated killing the dog, I also didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse. Dogs like that in a city neighborhood are accidents waiting to happen.

I now keep a fresh can of wasp and hornet spray right by my front door incase that happens again. In the future, my first course of action will be to spray the dog in the face with the W&H spray (but I'll have the gun handy incase that doesn't work).

[longtooth]

Your incident is identical to mine several yrs ago right down to not letting a neighbor out of the vehicle. Only difference is mine was a Dobermine.
You are good on the ID as said above. DO file. When I shot that one after talking to the neighbor several times, the paper trail got me a "No Bill" w/ the County Attourney.

BB gun. The report might make him run off for a few times but that BB will do nothing but make him mad. At 5-7 ft No way I will give him the opportunity to attack.

I do a Charging dog drill in some personal defense training classes. A charging dog is DESPERATELY hard to hit. I start it at 30 ft. 3 shots is all anyone gets. Most get 2 off. At your range you have one shot. That one will be at your feet.

[Jumping Frog]

Multiple aggression incidents? You have a wife and daughter?

That dog needs shooting. I know you have been able to avoid it in the past, but you are still letting a known risk endanger your daughters.

A dog showing teeth at me at that distance is going down. Every time. Don't get me wrong, I have owned dogs my whole life and love dogs. But I don't confuse dogs with people and I have no tolerance for dogs that endanger people.

[C-dub]

AlfaBrewer, if you think you would not be met with hostility, I would talk to the owners and ask them to please make sure their dog does not get loose like that any more. Ask them nicely and tell them that would rather not have to shoot their dog, but if it comes to it you will to protect your family. If they value their dog's life at all they will probably stop letting the dog out front so much or at all. If not, which will probably be the case, things won't change and you should just call animal control every time the dog is running loose. We occasionally have dogs that get loose in our neighborhood and they will usually come right up to me to say hi and to get scratched behind their ears before heading back home. None of the dogs I've encountered like this, so far, have been dangerous or acted aggressively. Your little friend, however, has and it needs to be dealt with one way or another.

It may not work, but I think if you approach the owners with the attitude of preserving their pet's life they they will probably be more receptive than if you threaten to kill their dog the next time it shows it's teeth at you in your driveway. It may also help with the relationship between your two families. You might not become friends, but it could help keep you from becoming enemies.

[Topbuilder]

"BB gun. The report might make him run off for a few times but that BB will do nothing but make him mad. At 5-7 ft No way I will give him the opportunity to attack."

You are right. BB gun works for me but, I live somewhat in the country. When I open the front door and rack the slide on the powerline 990 it's nuthin' but claws and paws. After a couple of training lessons my gate opening is an invisible ,impenetrable barrier. 5-7 feet would require different results.

[brainman]

While it is true that youdon't need your CHL to carry on your property, it is still useful to carry it, especially if somehing could happen. The second you step off your property, you're carrying illegally if you don't have it.

[RottenApple]

Ask them nicely and tell them that would rather not have to shoot their dog, but if it comes to it you will to protect your family.

IANAL, but I would not recommend telling anyone this. In today's litigious society it is highly probable that this will be taken as a threat and potentially create a much bigger problem with the neighbor. Asking them to keep their animal under control is one thing. Or, better yet, just call Animal Control and/or the police.

[kjolly]

Dumb question, as I should know the answer, but can you open carry on your own property?

[RottenApple]

Dumb question, as I should know the answer, but can you open carry on your own property?

Simple answer: Yes. I do all the time.

[RPB]

Dumb question, as I should know the answer, but can you open carry on your own property?

Simple answer: Yes. I do all the time.

I do too

I shovel, mow weedeat etc all the time armed, why wouldn't I be? Where else do home Invasions occur?

Not a dumb question though.
Chapter 46 says you commit an offense if you are not on your own property, .... etc etc etc
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... /PE.46.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sec. 46.02. UNLAWFUL CARRYING WEAPONS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun, illegal knife, or club if the person is not:

(1) on the person's own premises or premises under the person's control; or

(2) inside of or directly en route to a motor vehicle or watercraft that is owned by the person or under the person's control.

(a-1) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun in a motor vehicle or watercraft that is owned by the person or under the person's control at any time in which:

(1) the handgun is in plain view; or

etc etc etc

It's legal, but only you know your neighborhood, if you want to advertise that you have guns they can steal when you are not home or that the home invaders better be armed too or if skittish liberals call police "man with a gun mowing the yard" or whatever All drivers by in my city just smile and wave; the UPS and mailman usually pop out of their truck and ask what I'm carrying today and ask my opinion on whatever they're thinking of buying

[jimlongley]

I carry on my own property regularly if not religiously, and have been questioned by a neighbor once.

As far as chasing the dog with any implement, remember that you are defending your territory and the dog thinks it's his, if you "broom" it and stop when it leaves your property, you have established the boundary and the dog thinks everything else is his and will defend that boundary the next time.

We have a neighbor whose dog gets over their 6+ foot fence regularly and I ALWAYS chase him back to their garage door. Now, when I come out the door and he is loose, he departs and goes and guards his garage door. The neighbor has been asked to rectify the situation several times and they have been ticketed by Animal Control, but I am reluctant to consider shooting the dog for doing what comes naturally to him. That said, if he comes up into my driveway and acts aggressive to me or my dogs, he probably will die there.