For the last few months I’ve been going jogging in the evenings on a semi-regular basis. When I jog, I always take Torrey with me (on her leash, of course) and I almost always leave my handgun at home. I had a close call this evening that left me wishing I’d had some means of self-defense other than my feet and hands. I had jogged a mile and a half and I was only a couple of blocks from returning home when I came across a pit bull standing directly in front of me on the sidewalk. As I approached, it was standing its ground and letting out a low growl. I managed to skirt around it on the parking strip, but then it started giving chase. I began sprinting (and so did Torrey), and luckily after a short distance the dog gave up its chase.
This was the third time in my life I’ve ever felt seriously threatened by a dog, and each of those times it was a pit bull that I was in fear of. I think that for the near future I’ll at least carry my Kel-Tec P-11 when I go jogging, since it’s so much lighter and smaller than my XD-40. I would rather carry something lightweight, like pepper spray, but I doubt I could even find any here in Price. I will have to get some the next time I travel up to Utah County, because carrying a big chunk of metal and plastic while jogging is going to be damned uncomfortable.