SENTRY K9.COM

What aspects of threat assessment and courses of action do you have to offer for civilians with PP dogs?

I know when I asked a Police Officer about deploying my dog in a PP situation he informed me that the level of use of force is slightly under that of fireing a gun. 

So, I am interested in how to asses the threat level in order to know clearly when the deployment of a K9 is legitimate. I would presume that either a badguy is coming at me with clear intent to harm or has already struck me is a life threatening situation and deployment would be warrented. But how about those gray situations?

I would check with your local state laws, because they are very different from state to state. For example in Mississippi where I live, you can shoot someone on your property if you think the person intends to commit a felony, even grand thief auto. The law was different a few years ago and required you to run away and be cornered before you could use lethal force. Personally I'm glad I live in a state that respects my right to protect my home and family, but not everyone does.