Exactly....I was patterning a turkey gun once with an extremely tight choke. I was shooting large pieces of cardboard at 40 yds. I had a can of black spray paint I was painting an aiming point with between shots I threw the can over to the side about 10 or 15 yards from the target each time. A stray pellet struck the can and let all my paint out.

Myself I wouldn't fire a shot with a person or a dog anywhere in front of the muzzle.