Sharpender
Regular Member
So I'm OCing on my nightly walk with my German Shepherd last night about 8:00 PM. I was in University Place walking in my neighborhood and about to make a right on Grandview and head north. I see two teens in the backyard of the corner house...no fence. One of the kids starts running towards the side of the house opposite me. I wasn't worried about it because I was watching them and knew the hadn't seen me.....until the kid who remained in the backyard started screaming at the runner..."No!..Come back here!" I thought it was odd, but I didn't think it was a threat. As I rounded the corner, this would put me on the sidewalk in front of the house with my strong side facing the house, I see the runner standing in the middle of the front yard looking back at the house. He turns and looks at me, and then takes a step towards me. "****!" I think to myself. He stops about 25 feet from me and I can tell by his face that he's drunk or otherwise altered. The other kid comes running around the corner of the house yelling at the runner to stop. About the same time an older woman runs out the front door of the house yelling at the kid to stop and get in the house. Now I'm thinking there's a real problem, the reaction of the older woman and the other kid made it pretty clear. I stop. The runner looks me up and down and starts moving toward me again. I'm 6ft, 215pds, bald, with a German Shepherd and a OCd sidearm...apparently this wasn't a deterrent for the kid. George Zimmerman pops into my head. I'm thinking about drawing, quickly decide he's not a threat to my life, and pull the spray. The mother starts screaming louder for the kid to stop, he doesn't. My dog is sitting at my side watching the approaching kid. I shout to my dog "schutzhund!" He immediately jumps up barking, and lunges at the kid. As I'm holding him back on leash I yell at the kid to "back the f*ck up or I'll release the dog!" The woman and other kid are just about hysterical at this point. As soon as the kid sees the dog he turns around and starts running/staggering towards the front door. After the kid gets inside the house, I tell my dog "leicht" and he stops barking and sits next to me. The woman comes over and thanks me and tells me her son has been drinking. I say no problem and ask her if she would like to borrow my leash. She laughs, thanks me again, and walks away. I was so proud of my dog. It was his first "real world" protection encounter and he was fabulous. Having him with me, at the very least, prevented the kid from getting sprayed or knocked out, and potentially saved the kids life. In the end, it wasn't my size, spray, or firearm, it was my 7 month, 70pd, German Shepherd.
