Does Pepper Spray Work on Dogs?

[susiestar]

I am royally furious. Does anyone know if pepper spray will work on dogs? Or are bullets the only option to make them leave you alone?

thank you has been having problems with the next door neighbor's dogs. NOT on their property, on OURS. These people do not do ANYTHING to train any of their animals. Their cat (Six Dinner Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)) keeps trying to come into our home. Their dogs right now are swarming husband on OUR PORCH barking and snapping at him. husband was trying to go to speak to the owners but cannot because he cannot even go off the porch.

Tyler went outside for less than 5 minutes. He got bitten by these dogs - on BOTH ankles.

I want to shoot these dogs. They have NO business on my property but we live out in the county where there is not a leash law. It is still the owner's responsibility that their dogs do not harm any property or people. Out here you can shoot your neighbor's animal if it injures livestock, property (other than by pooping on it) or hurts someone. I don't actually want to shoot them, I just want them GONE.

A deputy is on route. thank you does not need an ambulance, thank heaven. husband TRIED to talk to the neighbors before I called. thank you wasn't anywhere NEAR their property - he was on the driveway on the far side of our property from them. The dogs like to come over there because our other neighbors put up a fence and have their own dogs in it sometimes.

I hope they quarantine the dogs or make them get rid of them. I don't really give a patootie if they "love" the dogs. They let them roam with-o making ANY attempt to keep them at home OR to train them. I am sick and tired of my children being harrassed by these dogs. thank you has had very very few problems with the other dogs on the street - even got over his fear of dogs by making friends with them. These mangy mutts are different.

Poor thank you. He is really worried about trying to get to the bus. He has been having problems with these dogs meeting him up there and following/chasing him home, but they haven't bitten him until today. The walk to the bus is about 1/4-1/5 of a mile and is away from these dogs' home. I will update after we speak with the deputy.

If you know if pepper spray will chase them off, please let me know. We have to do SOMETHING so that we can be safe on our own property and on the road going up to the bus. thank you is really really afraid and who can blame him?

 

[Mamaof5]

Pepper spray will work, so will a squirt bottle DEPENDING on the aggressiveness of the breed and dog. I hate, hate people who don't own animals responsibily. I have an F2 hybrid dog. F2 means he's about 1\4 wolf (levels of hybrid status are measured in F1 - meaning half wolf, F2, 1\4, F3 1\5th wolf and so on to the point of so watered down it doesn't matter anymore). To own a dog who is a hybrid requires no license here but it requires an abundant knowledge of dog behaviors, biological and instinctual. It requires extensive training on how to deal with a dog of this nature as well.

Not by law though, by morality and ethics in my eyes. My dog is Husky\wolf\Mallie. A sarloos wolfhound was his father which was an F1 hybrid. They breed Mallies and Canadian red Capacian wolf to get a sarloos wolfhound. His mama was a full blooded Siberian Husky. This dog has never bitten anyone, harrassed anyone or even growled at a single person. I don't care what people say I find wolf hybrids much more docile and easier going than full blooded breeds or non hybrid mutts.

That neighbor should not have animals, they suck at owning dogs. Hope the deputy takes them in and charges them with a bite law. I hope you have a bite law (we do, one bite no chances. Some breeds require muzzles right off the bat too like pitties and rotties). Hope thank you is okay, poor kiddo what a way to build up a fear of dogs all over again.

 

[susiestar]

The lady next door jumped down the deputy's throat when he knocked on her door. The sheriff himself and the deputy came out. This time we had the choice of either giving them a warning or insisting on a 10 day quarantine at $325 PER DAY (if you live inside the city it is about $30 per day but out in the county it is more expensive because we pay no taxes to support animal control) and as vindictive as these people are we chose the warning. They have been told that their dogs need to be inside or chained/penned up. Period. They were also told that if the dogs are on our property or the road then we have the right to shoot to injure or kill them if we perceive them as a problem or threat. Since they have attacked a child we do NOT have to be able to prove another attack, simply feeling threatened is enough justification to kill or maim them. The maim part is in case you miss - it means they cannot sue you for vet bills because they should be controlling their animals.

The Sheriff was NOT.HAPPY. He understood that we don't want to get into a war with these people, and he could see why we would think they would do that. It has been recommended that we make arrangements for Tyler to carry pepper spray in his backpack or have the bus pick him up at our property. THe bus will NOT come down our street, so we don't have that option. husband and thank you are going to get pepper spray in a little while. At the very least he can take it to the office when he gets to school and pick it up before he gets on the bus. As good a kid as thank you is they probably won't make him do that unless there are other kids who have been a problem. thank you is just really good at following the rules and not wanting to get into trouble by breaking them. But he shouldn't HAVE to carry pepper spray to the bus!!

I AM thankful he did not get hurt worse by the dogs. It really is not the dogs' fault - shooting/pepper spraying their owner would be more like justice but we cannot do that. Sigh.

They are horrible pet owners - their poor cat is terrified of their daughter and she is now eight. They don't even TRY to teach her to be gentle with it. It cries and shrieks when she picks it up because she squeezes it as hard as she can. I have heard them telling her to squeeze it harder. No wonder it has clawed her a few times. I would take it in except we cannot afford a second cat and Capn Morgan HATES him. As it is their cat keeps trying to get into our home every time he can.

 

[Mamaof5]

I would have quaranteened personally. With that amount of money those dogs probably would have found better homes. Do you not have an animal abuse hotline you can call like the SPCA or something? Animal Control Officers have a lot of power to take an animal away. I doubt they have a vet to have vet bills quite frankly, sounds like a really crappy pair of people all the way around. Getting in a Sheriff's face like that, makes me wonder about that woman's stability too.

 

[HaoZi]

I really can't blame the cat.

 

[donna723]

Did they make sure that the dogs had been vaccinated? You can get in big trouble here if your dog is not vaccinated, you let it run loose, and then it bites someone.

This is definitely a case of a problem owner - the dogs are only doing what they are allowed to do by their irresponsible owners. Why on earth do people like this even have pets in the first place? And to encourage her kid to squeeze the cat even harder? I'm surprised the cat hasn't scratched that kid to shreds by now! I would be very leery of this woman too because frankly, she doesn't sound like she's playing with a full deck!

 

[susiestar]

If they had broken the skin the quarantine would have not been optional. I agree they are not good owners, but we have to live next to them. We didn't push the issue because they ARE unstable and can be really really ugly. As long as the dogs are kept off our property and away from us we felt this was the best option because they have been known to shoot at things - even things others cannot see. The Sheriff is aware of this and keeping an eye on it, but until they hurt someone he cannot take their guns away. We don't want him to aim at us and he might. Mostly we don't interact with them. At. All. It is a reason why I called the Sheriff instead of insisting on speaking to them ourselves. His paranoia over the "cops" and hers over having CPS take the kids (was threatened a couple of times when the oldest was 6 and supervising the 2yo playing around the pond for hours on end, and when the kids would be running around at midnight - sometimes with no clothes on - up and down the street screaming), means we keep as much distance as possible.

We do not have Animal Control here. We live outside the city limits and as long as your animal is not destroying/threatening others and other's property there is NO law to keep them leashed or on your property. IF they are on someone's property and cause damage or threaten someone they can be shot, killed some other way or poisoned with NO repercussions - not even for the monetary value of the animal. Inside the city limits they have animal control, leash and barking laws, etc..., but we are farther out than that. We really have very few problems most of the time with animals. It is just these crazy people and their dogs. They have been told that if we feel threatened and hurt/kill the animals it will NOT be a problem for us in ANY way, esp as it is now on record that the dogs bite. One more bite report and they will be put down by the county if we don't do it. I HATE to think of an animal destroyed like that, but safety has to be the top priority. Almost makes me wish the owners could be made to feel some of that consequence, but we cannot kill them just because their dogs bite.

Just a few minutes ago the dogs were outside my window going nuts barking and growling. NOT happy dog barking, threatened scary barking and growling. Thank heavens our cat doesn't go outside!

 

[HaoZi]

Got a bucket of water you can easily dump on them from the window?

 

[donna723]

So what happens if you have to go outside and those dogs are still there?

 

[HaoZi]

Wait... wasn't the sheriff just there telling them to keep them inside or chained/penned? And they're already loose again or they haven't caught them yet? Some people use mothballs to keep animals out of their yards, got any of those you can chuck outside? Or a nice piece of meat.... HEAVILY infused with cayenne.

 

[susiestar]

Yup. He was here. THey are not quick to do anything. Ever. Except gripe about others. You all should have HEARD the nasty things they said about my niece after she was over for a playdate a couple of years ago. I actually heard them screaming about her outside before I realized who they were speaking about. A lot of what they said was more true about their daughter than my niece because it was things that my niece would not have done on her own - either she was taught not to do or it was out of character for her but stuff I had seen the neighbor's kid doing.

I have no doubt that we will have to pepper spray their dogs. And that they won't keep them penned or chained. So far they have not even tried to catch them - the dogs don't come to them when they call. I may use hot pepper, but not mothballs. I am dreadfully allergic to mothballs. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[donna723]

I'm not sure that mothballs would work for dogs anyway. Around here people put mothballs around the foundation of their house and in their flower beds in the summer if they have seen snakes and supposedly it works as a repellant but I doubt that dogs would pay much attention to them.

 

[Mamaof5]

http://www.ehow.com/about_4587108_natural-dog-repellant.html

 

[HaoZi]

A lot of places sell the ultrasonic pet repellent, some of them for cheaper. I think I saw it in CVS on sale for 9.99. Maybe it was Walgreens.

 

[amazeofgrace]

no to the pepper spray, it will work on dogs, but it will also more than likely take down who ever is using it as well. Def call police or humane society @ least for guidance

 

[skeeter]

here's what I did in a similar situation. We had one neighbor who would leave their two german shepards under their deck 24/7. The dogs would bark 24/7 because of boredom if nothing else. But it counted as "shelter" and they had food and water, so there was nothing we could do.
One of them would get out about once a week however, and would menace the neighborhood. We called animal control several times, and all they would do was take the dog back.
So......
The next time it got out, I removed it collar (this was in the days before microchipping) and took it down to the SPCA myself, saying it was a stray and I was able to catch it. Even though the collar had identification on it, it didn't have evidence of rabies shots, a license, etc. so I knew it was going to be a hefty penalty for them to get the dog (when ours got out without a collar, even though I had those things, it was still a $200 fine for not having the dog "under control"). The dog was a good dog, just bad owners. And I knew they wouldn't pay to get it back. So hopefully it went to a better home.

Don't know if there's any way you can do what I did without the neighbors knowing it...........

 

[Marguerite]

A spray bottle with ammonia should work on dogs and be safer for a child to use. I think talking to the humane society could be useful. I would also be calling the cops back if those dogs are on your property at all. The cops should have stayed until the dogs were removed from your property. Failure to remove the dogs (or inability to do so) should have been sufficient grounds for their removal officially.

The police should not have left the decision up to you, to make you the bad guys. Let the police be the ones to take the 'blame' from the neighbours. Your decision should not have to be based on your fear of consequences. That is intimidation, and giving way to the bad neighbours (and the police permitting this) is rewarding the intimidating behaviour. Here in Australia we have laws against that sort of intimidation, as well as laws to protect people who are victimised after making a report. Once the police realised that these neighbours were uncooperative and unwilling to comply, those dogs should have been impounded.

Don't feel too sorry for those dogs. They are damaged goods, and it would now be very difficult for them to be rehabilitated. Damage done, sadly.

This is really serious - those dogs are capable of killing a person. They are working as a pack, and getting better at it. I'd be really concerned.

Marg

 

[susiestar]

We ARE concerned, and are sure if the dogs are taken away or "disappear" that they WILL get more, probably nastier ones. They have threatened others with this in the past. I wish the cops had made the decision, but they didn't. The dogs were off the property when the officers left, they came back a few minutes later.

Our humane society AND the police both say to give thank you pepper spray. I will test some ammonia in a spray bottle to see if they respond before I send it with him. I really do NOT like the idea of him using pepper spray, but being bitten and/or terrified by these dogs is not a good choice either.

This situation really stinks. Threats to my kids really make me think about buying a gun. I do NOT want one for several other reasons, but if it comes down to it I will do what I need to.

 

[AnnieO]

No matter WHAT you send with thank you - PLEASE make sure to let the school and bus driver know! Zero tolerance does not take these things into account.

FWIW - After our neighbor's dog tried to bite Jett, I grabbed it by the scruff and DRAGGED it back to the neighbors'. (Mind, I don't like dogs much and am somewhat fearful of most... But that's my KID!) I told the lady who answered the door I would not bring it back again, but I do know the home number of the animal control officer (long story). I haven't seen the dog since. Not even in the back yard.

I'm not suggesting you do that. Adrenaline made me do something potentially stupid (but I think the dog recognized that messing with Mama was BAAAADDDD). Still, I agree with the pepper spray, or ammonia, or anything.

Do you own a BB gun? Might be easier than a "real" gun, at least on your emotions. Or... If you have good aim... Shoot near them. Just a thought...

 

[susiestar]

I don't, at this time, own a gun. My father has purchased eleven of them in the last four months, on top of owning quite a few before then. He has gotten into going to the range again. If/when I purchase a gun I will spend LOTS of time at the range with it. I come from a LONG line of women who are EXCELLENT shots and I was the youngest person to ever qualify to use the indoor range at the range we belonged to when I was in elementary school. Every shot was in the center of the target then. It has been YEARS, and I might not ever be that good again, but I bet I would be pretty darn good, good enough to kill these dogs. The reason I don't have guns now is that when the migraines are really bad I lose perspective and am pretty sure I would kill myself to get away from the pain if I have a gun. I MUST keep that in mind regardless of how bad things get with the dogs.

husband is looking into a pellet rifle - it is a lot harder to shoot yourself with a rifle. Otherwise we will most likely get a bb rifle. I wish the migraines didn't happen often enough and severe enough to make me nuts, but I truly lose myself and all perspective on about day 2 or 3, or if I get a really sudden one that hits like lightening. It is hard to describe how bad they are, I truly wish to die when I get them and often cannot take any medications because nothing - not even spit - will stay in my stomach. The shot/nasal spray forms of the medications do not seem to work for me. They make things worse and we dont' know why. Even having the shot at the doctor's office (imitrex shot) causes really scary bad reactions. I never thought I would hear my doctor say that the reaction was scary, but it was bad enough to scare my doctor (me screaming silently because I couldn't make a sound, curled into a ball on the floor because I fell off the table and didn't even try to catch myself because I didn't know I was falling because I was out of my mind from the pain exploding in my head, begging the doctor to kill me - literally, vomiting with-o stop, unable to respond to ANYTHING - ended up in the ER with my doctor riding in the ambulance and they had to give me THREE shots of pain medications to knock me out - and when I woke up it was STILL that bad) I am talking crazy, out of my head reactions to the migraines.

So we are going to be careful with that. I would have to be pretty peeved to go after the dog, but in the past I have almost never been bitten - and NEVER been attacked a second time by a dog because I bit it back the first time. Yes, I have bitten a dog - two different ones. They attacked me, in my own yard, with NO provocation. I bit and they ran off screaming like sissies and I didn't bite hard. But going after my kid is different.

The bus driver and school will be made aware of whatever we do. Our schools do NOT have zero tolerance for ANYTHING because the school board thinks it is stupid (thank heavens!) and so does the rest of the town. Remember, it is only about 15 years since they changed the high school handbooks to make having guns in your car illegal. We have a LOT of kids who live on farms or ranches and drive farm or ranch trucks and these always have gun racks and until 15 yrs ago the rules said that guns must be locked in your gun rack. Even now if they are locked in the gun rack the security and police officers ignore them. It is just too necessary for too many of our kids who live on ranches and deal with snakes, coyotes, etc... on a regular basis while working on the ranch. Guns in backpacks are different, of course. But I am sure they will work with us to help keep thank you safe.

Just have to wait until they are back in school after the break. Thursday is the day we go back to school.