I am usually armed when I walk my dog. This is partly to protect him and me from other dogs, if necessary (and from other perps that may be lurking). Shooting the dog would definitely be the last resort for me, considering liability issues, etc. The dog would have to actually attack us before I shot it; and it would have to be something deadlier than a Yorkie. If I saw a Golden running at me I'd brace myself for a potential attack and see what happens. I have personally never seen an aggressive Golden.
My dog is NEVER allowed out off his leash; except for when he is our fenced backyard.
That’s reasonable. If a dog actually latched onto me or attempted to do so, we’d have a problem.
I live out in the country, and a couple of years ago, I was doing some trimming along the fence line when a dachshund ran by me, obviously just about worn out in the heat. A few minutes later, a pretty blonde lady in a minivan came by and indicated she was trying to catch the dog. I put down my trimmer and went into the brush. A few minutes later I came out carrying an uninjured dachshund. It had rolled onto its back and bit my left hand, so I stuck my bare right hand in its mouth to keep it occupied, and got it by the nape of the neck with my left. After we loaded the dog into the van, and the lady went on her way, I went back to my trimming. I hope the poor pup didn’t get sick from biting me.
Obviously I couldn’t have done that with a big dog like a GR, but a big dog wouldn’t have gone on its back that way.