Is it okay to pepper spray a dog?

[Principessa21]

We have this situation and I'm not sure what do next. We have a 14 year old Springer Spaniel and she's just great, really well-behaved. We take her on a walk once a day and there is never a problem with her, besides eating garbage. Well this one house in the neighborhood has a large dog, some type of poodle and does not keep her on a leash. So every time we walk by the dog comes running up growling. Last time I had to pick up my dog before the owner came and grabbed hers. The dog doesn't listen and I'm not only concerned about my dog's safety, but I'm intimidated myself.

Well today there was another confrontation and the Jersey girl in me came out. I'm 4 or 5 houses from this nightmare dog's house and I see the owner in her garage. So I think "Ok, she sees me so she'll put the dog inside or something." She didn't and even though I'm a few houses away, the dog spots my dog and comes running up, growling of course. I start yelling for her to take control of her dog. She just takes her time walking up as I'm backing away into the street. So I tell her how this isn't right, please take better control of your dog. She tells me to walk my dog somewhere else! I was shocked and it just sent me over the edge. I told her that I was going to call the police and she said, "go ahead this is my dog and I'm going to do what I want." I told her that I will carry pepper spray on me and I will pepper spray that dog if it comes near us again like that.

I don't know what to do. My dog is always on a leash and we stay on the sidewalk. It doesn't seem fair that I can't walk my dog in my neighborhood without worrying about an attack. I obviously don't want to pepper spray the dog, but I need to do something. Can I file a complaint at the police station? Is there some animal agency that can look into this?

Anyway, if anyone could offer any help or suggestions, it would be fantastic. Thanks.

[dadofandrew]

I assume the cops will come if you call them, and "suggest" they keep their dog on a leash. However, I'd call a vet and ask how pepper spray will affect a dog just to be sure.

[Principessa21]

I don't want to really pepper spray the dog and I don't want to cause trouble with a neighbor, but I feel like I need to do something. Otherwise, it seems I have to get in the car and drive to another area to take my dog on a walk.

[trwi7]

You sure can.

[DKM4Boston]

You can get pepper spray for dogs. Small dose should send it running for the hills. If you do go that route, make sure you know how to spray it effectively. Like if you spray and miss and the dog comes after you, you don't want to be wildly spraying it all over yourself or your own dog.

[TracyThom]

Many joggers carry pepper spray. I believe some mailmen carry it too. On the legal side of things, you are well within your rights to use it if you believe there is imminent harm to yourself or your pet. On the civil side of things, I'm not so sure. Just make sure you are on public property and not on the dog owner's property should the need to use the pepper spray arise.

[homer]

Is this mutant poodle behind a fence?

[Principessa21]

Is this mutant poodle behind a fence?

No. I could be down the block, and I was today, and it will come charging up. And this owner does nothing to stop this behavior. My dog doesn't bark or snarl at other dogs when we walk so I don't think she's instigating anything. I don't want to hurt the dog because I see it as more of an owner problem, but I'm concerned, for my dog and for whoever is walking her.

Thanks for all the responses!

[Invader3K]

I would assume your municipality has leash laws, which the owner is violating. Assuming you are walking on a public sidewalk, you are within your rights on this one, as far as I know.

[stoutdude04]

Well, if the dog bites or attacks you, the owner will most likely have to put the dog down. You could possibly mention that the next time you see the owner.

[hawing]

I told her that I was going to call the police and she said, "go ahead

this is my dog and I'm going to do what I want." I told her that I will

carry pepper spray on me and I will pepper spray that dog if it comes

near us again like that.

I would absolutely contact police, describe the situation and ask what options exist. (This is especially easy for me to say because one of my relatives is an officer, so I can bring it up in casual conversation.) Don't wait for the next incident and call 911; call the non-emergency number or a community/neighborhood officer if your municipality has one. If this dog has no problem running up to and intimidating another dog, what might it do to a little kid?

 

Before you contact police, write or type out a rough timeline of your observations, especially the bit where you asked her to control her dog and she refused/told you to walk your dog somewhere else, then you stated your intent to carry pepper spray. Document, document, document, because your neighbor sounds like the type who will deny, deny, deny (and perhaps sue, sue, sue if it does come to your having to use pepper spray on the dog, in defense of yourself or your dog).

If for some reason you don't get a cooperative response from police (which I hope is unlikely), reiterate that this person told you to walk your dog somewhere else, and calmly ask what is reasonable about that. Get the name of everyone you talk to so you can follow up if needed.

 

Walk your dog somewhere else? That is seriously outrageous.

Take this action not only for yourself, your dog, and anyone else in your neighborhood who might be threatened by this dog, but for your neighbor (whom you might save from a lawsuit) and the troubled dog itself. Maybe the best case scenario is the neighbor loses the dog and the dog gets a new lease on life with an owner who actually has a conscience.

 

Good luck, and let us know how it plays out. Obviously this has my dander up.

 

 

[paul253]

If I were you I'd call the police in your jurisdiction and flat out ask them. And get the name of the officer you talk to just in case something happens and the police say you weren't allowed to do it.

[DHonks]

I'm with Hawing. I'd contact the police and file a complaint, letting them know of the behavior. Don't go vigilante without having a record with the police first.

[bbrauch2000]

My fiance lost her childhood dog when a mailman pepper sprayed her collie, that was tied up. He sprayed her, she shot off like a bullet, pulled out the stake it was tied to and got hit by a car. Maybe just walk the other way

[homer]

You should call The Dog Whisperer.

[TooLiveBrew]

Maybe just walk the other way

 

I'm sympathetic for your fiancee's loss, but there's no way I let a dog terrorize me & its incompetent owner tell me where I can & cannot walk on city streets.

[1992casey]

I don't understand why one would pepper spray a dog that's tied up. It would be on the owner's property at that point, and that's the time you could easily walk away.

[hawing]

That's awful, bbrauch. In Principessa's defense, I think she is hoping it doesn't have to come down to pepper spraying anyone.

 

Some pet stories are truly sad, especially for the pet.

[Thurston Fluff]

I don't want to really pepper spray the dog and I don't want to cause trouble with a neighbor, but I feel like I need to do something. Otherwise, it seems I have to get in the car and drive to another area to take my dog on a walk.

 

I think your neighbor has already caused trouble. You have done your part by talking to her and her reply was "yea what you gonna do about it." As far as peppering the dog I think it's not only ok but the right thing to do. The growl is a sign the dog is being territorial which is not good. It will also be a valuable lesson to the owner that their dog is not the only one who has a right to the sidewalk.

 

The owner will no doubt get pissed so be prepared. It may be wise to have a response to her tirade about hurting her dog ready. Something along the lines of it's not your sidewalk and I am sick of being afraid your dog is going to hurt mine. It will be unpleasant but I bet it only happens once.

 

Bad dog owners suck.

[logan82]

Before you contact police, write or type out a rough timeline of your

observations, especially the bit where you asked her to control her dog

and she refused/told you to walk your dog somewhere else, then you

stated your intent to carry pepper spray. Document, document, document,

because your neighbor sounds like the type who will deny, deny, deny

(and perhaps sue, sue, sue if it does come to your having to use pepper

spray on the dog, in defense of yourself or your dog).

If for some

reason you don't get a cooperative response from police (which I hope is

unlikely), reiterate that this person told you to walk your dog

somewhere else, and calmly ask what is reasonable about that. Get the

name of everyone you talk to so you can follow up if needed.

This looks like very good advice. Especially the bolded part. Always document anything even if it is just a note with a time and date. This other person sounds like somebody who would cause trouble and documenting things will help. Write things down while they are fresh in you mind. It will ook better later if you run into any problems with the police.

[Thurston Fluff]

I had to pepper spray a dog once. essentially the same situation as described but it was the first time I ever passed by there vs a recurring event. The owner called the cops and he got a ticket for having an unleashed dog. The officer told him he would have done the same thing. I really wouldn't worry about the police or getting sued. You are in the right and she is wrong. In fact if she did try to sue I wouldn't be surprised if her lawyer would tell her not only don't sue but don't let her insurance company know her dog had to be pepper sprayed. They frown on dogs who need that sort of thing done to them.

 

p.s. I know it's not a pleasant thing to do. I didn't like doing it either but sometimes a little pain now prevents more later. Especially if that dog would hurt someone else's dog who didn't know it was there and have to be put down. I bet any dog would rather take a painful but harmless shot in the eye than a painless but lethal shot in the leg.

[GAME05]

pepper-spraying the dog's owner might also be effective.

[brucrustu]

mutant poodle

I know some people pheasant hunt with standard poodles, and they are nothing to be trifled with. I've seen these dogs out retrieve labs. They owners get some serious ribbing about the dogs though.

 

I would establish dominance in any manner that made me feel safest without long term injury to the dog.

[craigharmann]

Here in San Antonio, there are loose dogs all over the place. Not quite sure why that is. Most of the people that I see out walking are carrying a very large stick or a metal pipe or something. Just haul off and whack the dog!

[1992casey]

If you consider pepper spray, make sure it's in a form that's legal. It appears that you might have trouble getting it shipped to Wisconsin.

 

Wisconsin Pepper Spray Laws and Legal Use

 

Another thing to consider is that if you're not careful, your dog might get caught in the cross-fire.