Pepper spray for aggressive dog?

[OzarksRider]

Does anyone have experience using pepper spray to deter an aggressive dog? If so, did it work? What spray did you use?

A couple of days ago when I was out riding a dog attacked my dog. The attack was unprovoked. We were on a public road and my dog was right by my side. I was able to stop the attack by turning my horse toward the attacking dog and yelling, but I’m concerned because he is becoming bolder every time we ride by. He has progressed from barking at a distance to following at my horse’s heels and now to actually attacking my dog. Most dogs we encounter don’t concern me. They bark until we pass by and then they quit. This dog is different. It is becoming bolder and more aggressive every time we pass by, and this time it attacked my dog and intended to do some harm.

[SusanO]

This is my experience with Cujo that used to live next door and on the ground, not on horseback. Pepper spray did not really back him off and I eventually got more in my eyes than he did. You have to really consider which way the wind is blowing and the range of the stream is short. Cujo would just back up a little and then when the canister was empty he would charge back in. I think Bear Spray has a longer range and lasts longer but I would not want to get it in your eyes or in your horses eyes. Cujo was a nasty aggressive territorial piece of work and maybe this dog is not as bad. If you use pepper spray I would do it unmounted and try to keep you and the horse upwind of the spray which may not be that easy.

[lenapesadie]

There is a similar thread going with some product suggestions. I tried and failed to link it here, but you should be able to find it easily enough.

[avjudge]

I’ll see if this works:

Best Anti-Dog defense item for hacking?

I’ve considered carrying pepper spray, but the possibility of spraying my horse in the face during a fracas seems like a real problem. I’m not going to pack a gun. Opinions?

ETA: Looks like the link worked - I assume this is the thread you were referring to? It’s what I thought of when I saw this thread. Not a lot of actual pepper spray use on dogs reported, though.

[eightpondfarm]

@avjudge

I’ll see if this works:

it worked

[OzarksRider]

I saw another thread about aggressive dogs in another forum after I posted my question. Some of the pepper guns look interesting. I actually think the best solution would be a taser but the ones I’ve seen are too expensive to be practical. My horse isn’t a kicker but I’ve told him it would be ok if he made an exception for this dog. So far the dog hasn’t attacked me or my horse, but he meant business when he went after my dog. And it’s probably just a matter of time before he decides to go after the horse.

[Mosey_2003]

@OzarksRider

I actually think the best solution would be a taser but the ones I’ve seen are too expensive to be practical.

A hot shot (cattle prod) would do it, but still wouldn’t reach from horseback. Might be worth it to dismount once though, perhaps would make this game much less fun in future…

[StormyDay]

As mentioned in the other thread the problem with pepper spray is if it’s windy at all you will get it on you too.

Apparently citronella spray is effective. Or, a paintball gun. They aren’t as loud as a real gun and it won’t injure the dog besides a bruise.

[candyappy]

@OzarksRider

A couple of days ago when I was out riding a dog attacked my dog.

How do you restrain your dog safely while riding on public roads or trails? In this instance it might be better to leave the dog at home when you ride? I am trying to visualize how you can control the horse, the dog and accurately dispense the pepper spray?

[shiloh]

At some point you may have to consider notifying local LEO or Animal Control.

I always think about that incident a few years ago where the loose dog on the trail attacked a woman and her horse and injured both of them badly. I don’t think they ever caught the responsible parties.

[OzarksRider]

@candyappy

I am trying to visualize how you can control the horse, the dog and accurately dispense the pepper spray?

Yes, I was trying to visualize how I could control the horse and the dog, and dispense pepper spray all at the same time. I also wasn’t sure it would work, even if I could manage it. That’s why I asked if anyone had experience with it. Only one responder had actually tried pepper spray, and it didn’t seem to work too well.

I like the suggestion to use a Hot Shot cattle prod. The only problem with that is that it would be cumbersome to carry while riding. I wouldn’t mind dismounting to get close enough to poke the dog with it.

As for restraining my dog, I carry a leash to use if needed. In the incident I posted about, having my dog on a leash would have made no difference. My dog was trotting alongside my horse right by my stirrup when she was attacked, and that would have happened even if she had been leashed. In fact, a leash might have made it more difficult for her to defend herself.

I live in a rural area. The terrain is farm land and national forest, and the roads are unpaved. There are no leash laws and no animal control officer. Even though the roads and trails are public, they are very lightly used. In fact, yesterday I rode for 2 hours and didn’t encounter a single vehicle. Hunters often run their dogs in the national forest since there is no requirement to keep dogs leashed as in more populated areas.

Yes, I could leave my dog at home when I ride, but that’s not really a solution to the problem. The aggressive dog is becoming bolder, and the next target could well be my horse if I’m riding or me if I’m walking. My dog, my horse, and I have every right to walk down a public road and expect that we will not be attacked. We are not the problem; the aggressive dog is the problem. I just need to figure out the best way to address it.

[candyappy]

You may not have a leash law ( we don’t either) but I assume that someone’s dog attacking anything on a public road ( or off their property) is something that law enforcement can take care of?

Find out who owns the dog and let the sheriff handle it.

[OzarksRider]

Turns out I don’t think I’ll need bear spray or a cattle prod after all. In the nine months since I started this thread, I’ve only ridden past the property with the aggressive dog a few times. The house is far enough back from the road that sometimes we can pass without the dog seeing us. Other times the dog still runs out and tries to attack my dog, but retreats when I yell at him.

Today I rode past the property and that dog came running out again. He went behind my horse and attacked my dog who was running right by my stirrup. This time, though, my dog decided she had had enough, and she really cleaned his clock. It took her less than five seconds to have him running back to his house with his tail between his legs. When we passed by that property again on our way home, the aggressive dog wasn’t nearly so eager to challenge us again. I was so proud of my dog! She has never been aggressive toward any animal or person, and usually doesn’t respond to another dog challenging her. But I guess we all have our limits.