Who here has used dog spray?

Art Deco said:
It seems like noone here has had to use bear spray. Good. We have black and brown bears here in Pennsylvania. Often seen from a distance but they vanish fast if you get close. Hopefully.
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(Hopefully,) was doing the water bit one evening noticed trash cans looked funny"Hmmm, looks like a bear", not ten foot away hiding in a "privet hedge" was an old Black bear, finally He could wait no longer and 'Huffed" at me( hey Pal you are taking up my valuable Gourmet time!) I gladly conceded the trash to "His Ursliness' and went and retrieved my "My -Super Single Blackhawk" I had no desire to give 230 grains of relief and He left.
Our troubles began when the "Park Service" started trapping nuisance" Dumpster Bears" and releasing them in the woods around here, it was actually in the "90's before I saw a Black bear in the wild, one of the Guys I used to work with killed a 500# plus Black Bear near a cornfield with a bow and arrow( strange thing though there was a funny looking hole between His eyes) this Bear had so much fat on Him ,He spoiled overnite and the fat and carcass was wasted.
Bear are a "Force of Nature".
 
We have a great local dog trainer who specializes in field trials. I asked him and he suggested carrying a squirt bottle with lemon juice. It hits the eyes safely.

The only dog which is a regular to chase me is a greyhound.
 
JuicePower said:
We have a great local dog trainer who specializes in field trials. I asked him and he suggested carrying a squirt bottle with lemon juice. It hits the eyes safely.

The only dog which is a regular to chase me is a greyhound.
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I like that lemon juice idea for most smaller dogs a lot. Doubt that you even need to hit one in the eyes.. just a strong lemon scent would put them off.
 
Art Deco said:
However rare bear attacks are, they happen.

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They do indeed happen. I've had several black bear encounters while riding which fortunately didn't result in attacks. The worst thing you can do is surprise a bear, especially if it's a sow with cubs. To avoid this when riding in "bear country" I make noise with my bell & horn to advertise my presence. I also carry dog spray but it's effect on a bear is questionable.

When hiking in Yellowstone in 2008, I asked a park ranger if they sold pocket size spray bear repellent. I thought he was going to die laughing! "This is what we carry." he said. He reached in the back of his truck and pulled out what looked like a large hand held fire extinguisher! "Those little pocket jobs are just going to piss em off!" He chuckled.

Admittedly, the species of bear they have out there are far more aggressive than the black bear we have here in the east. Effective or not, I still carry the dog spray. It's better than nothing IMO.
 
6zfshdb said:
They do indeed happen. I've had several black bear encounters while riding which fortunately didn't result in attacks. The worst thing you can do is surprise a bear, especially if it's a sow with cubs. To avoid this when riding in "bear country" I make noise with my bell & horn to advertise my presence. I also carry dog spray but it's effect on a bear is questionable.

When hiking in Yellowstone in 2008, I asked a park ranger if they sold pocket size spray bear repellent. I thought he was going to die laughing! "This is what we carry." he said. He reached in the back of his truck and pulled out what looked like a large hand held fire extinguisher! "Those little pocket jobs are just going to piss em off!" He chuckled.

Admittedly, the species of bear they have out there are far more aggressive than the black bear we have here in the east. Effective or not, I still carry the dog spray. It's better than nothing IMO.
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Just a point of dark trivia; When attacks are compared, lone Black Bears attacks in North America are considered more dangerous overall and just about as likely to result in fatalities as Grizzlies, and Black Bears are far more responsible for 'Predatory' attacks than grizzlies. A Grizzlies average size just happens to be able to do more damage in a short amount of time, but they typically just fight until you are no longer an obvious threat. That is why the modern advice with Black Bears is to curl up and protect yourself at first, but if the Black Bear doesn't break off the attack in a short time, or starts gnawing on you, fight back with everything you've got!

But this is just internet trivia. Get some real training before you rely on a guy on the intrawebs! ;-)
 
You guys know why they sell the little bells with the pepper spray. So they can find your remains. 😁
 
Marcela said:
You guys know why they sell the little bells with the pepper spray. So they can find your remains. 😁
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That's what your phone is for. And to take a really bad selfie if you survive.
 
Good advise r.e. surprise. To which I would add: If you have a technique that works for a particular bear, just stick with that. Don't improvise.

I will never forget a trip to Sequoia National Forest with my buddies and their two daughters, who were about 6 and 9 years old at the time. As Lizzie was putting the girls to bed, one of the girls said, "What if a bear attacks?!"

Liz replied, "Matt and Scotty will protect you." Scott and I were, unfortunately, quite wasted at the time, and burst into howls of laughter, which unintentionally terrified the girls.

A few hours later, a brown bear did wander into the campground. We followed the instructions of the ranger, and the example of the other campers, and banged pots and pans to scare the bear away. This ritual then repeated about every 45 minutes for the next few hours, with the bear making exactly the same approach and retreating exactly the same way.

About the fourth time this happened, yours truly, being now completely trashed, stood up and said, "Yeah, get out of here! We mean it!"

At which point the bear turned and took a step in my direction, looking me dead in the eye. If I were translating into New York '80s street slang, that look said, "Yo, say what? You 'mean it?' Just what DO you mean, shitbird?"

At which point, I said, "I meant I was just playing. No disrespect, sir." He turned around and lumbered off.

I stuck to banging pots and pans with my butt planted in the chair until we finally went to bed about 3:30 AM.
 
My first post on this site, I think! My wife and I just got a pair of Turbo Vado 4s, which we are loving. Today I went on an almost 10 mile ride. Coming up a hill (I already had the bike on full boost) a Pit Bull charged from a house and was really fast. I pedaled like mad. I don't even think I took time to shift up a gear or two, which might have helped my speed. I was pedaling very fast! The dog caught me and bit my pants. It was pure luck that it didn't bite any flesh, the pants were a little bit bunched up so that's all it got. Holes in these new sweat pants. I'm getting more and more shaken up the more I think of it. It seems possible that if a pit bull really got its jaw into my leg it could have taken me down from the bike, and then it would have been way worse. I've out run dogs on ebikes before (I put together a pair of class 2 hub motor Townies a dozen years ago). This new bike is powerful and fast, but this dog was the fastest thing I've ever seen.

I don't know that I would have had time to use any spray or anything. I suppose if I had a bit more composure and stopped instead of trying to outrun it, if I had spray with me. I guess I need to get some.

These sweatpants were new at Christmas. Dog tooth holes.
 

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The bears scored a human today. Colorado near Gunnison. Dogs came home, dog walker didn't. Two bears ate dog walker. See bbcnews.com . Wildlife Dept executed 3 bears.
 
jlehet said:
My first post on this site, I think! My wife and I just got a pair of Turbo Vado 4s, which we are loving. Today I went on an almost 10 mile ride. Coming up a hill (I already had the bike on full boost) a Pit Bull charged from a house and was really fast. I pedaled like mad. I don't even think I took time to shift up a gear or two, which might have helped my speed. I was pedaling very fast! The dog caught me and bit my pants. It was pure luck that it didn't bite any flesh, the pants were a little bit bunched up so that's all it got. Holes in these new sweat pants. I'm getting more and more shaken up the more I think of it. It seems possible that if a pit bull really got its jaw into my leg it could have taken me down from the bike, and then it would have been way worse. I've out run dogs on ebikes before (I put together a pair of class 2 hub motor Townies a dozen years ago). This new bike is powerful and fast, but this dog was the fastest thing I've ever seen.

I don't know that I would have had time to use any spray or anything. I suppose if I had a bit more composure and stopped instead of trying to outrun it, if I had spray with me. I guess I need to get some.

These sweatpants were new at Christmas. Dog tooth holes.
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Carry the "Judge", most Gun guys know what I am referring to.
 
I have use a bike pump to ward off dogs but a spray is only going to work if the dog is downwind and you are completely stopped. Better to report the dog's owner to the local authorities as there are animal control regs everywhere.

A neighbor's dog used to chase me down the street which was a better than 7% grade and I worried about hitting the dog and crashing. Fortunately another neighbor had a pet mountain lion on a chain in his backyard and one day the little dog that used to bark at the cat got a little too close and became a meal.

What has worked for me with animals has been a small airhorn pointed in their direction. I have used this effectively with flocks of sheep blocking the road and with deer. The worry with deer is that I have no way of knowing which way it will decide to head.
 
john peck said:
I can sympathize, having been attacked by multiple dobies I did not refer to as the ´lads´! Got nailed good
by a pitbull once. I have a cure though, It´s call a balloon full of ammonia.
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john peck said:
I can sympathize, having been attacked by multiple dobies I did not refer to as the ´lads´! Got nailed good
by a pitbull once. I have a cure though, It´s call a balloon full of ammonia.
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When I was a kid, I biked to and from our elementary school. At one corner I had to ride past there resided a doberman. Though I would pedal as silently as possible by the corner, too often the dobie would spot me and come roaring out, snapping at my rear tire as I pumped my one-speed with all my strength. Never got nailed by that dog, though. In my later life, I biked to work. A big golden retriever a few doors down from me would give chase occasionally, until one time I got him right on the chops with a well-aimed boot. He looked astonished and as if his feelings were hurt, but never did it again. He meant no harm, but was just messing with me.
 
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Avoid if possible. We can create an even more aggressive behavior in an already pissy canine.
 
A neighbor let his little dog run loose and go into the street which is very steep and no way for a bicyclist to stop in time. Major PITA until the dog was killed by a mountain lion.

I used my bike pump to keep dogs at a distance but now I use CO2 cartridges and so the only option is a small pepper spray which only works if the dog is downwind of me. It is supposed to be effective on an attacking mountain lion but hope to never verify is this is true.
 
Most dogs I encounter while trail riding are friendly and even fun to interact with. Still, I usually ride during the week when there fewer dog walkers and other pedestrians on the trail. I'm thinking this may not be the best approach though since a higher percentage of the dogs I do see during these times are unfriendly. I guess people who own problem dogs tend to walk them when there are fewer people around.

Just this week, I came up on a young couple walking FIVE dogs that were all positively vicious! The guy held 3 on short leashes and the girl with him held 2. All appeared to be young pit-bull mixes and every one of them wanted a piece of me! They were snarling and pulling on their leashes so hard, the couple was literally being dragged forward! I pedaled as hard as I could with pepper spray in hand as I passed! Luckily, the couple was able to impede their forward progress enough for me get by. It was so close, I felt the hot breath of the lead dog on the back of my calf! I would have used the pepper spray but I couldn't take my hand off the bars to aim!

Thinking back, many scenarios come to mind. The best approach would have been to stop and wait or take a detour. This wasn't possible though since I was rounding a bend and came up on them suddenly. Should I stop and wait for the owners to get the dogs under control? If not, should I have used the spray? Would it have been effective on one really viscous dog let alone five? Could I have even aimed the spray properly?

Sure, dog owners are responsible for their pets on public property. Would this couple have offered help or even given their names if I was injured? Chances are, anyone who would take dogs like this out in public would be inclined to take off and leave me there should an incident occur.

Dogs truly are mans best friend and and a joy to have around but unfortunately, there are exceptions.
 
I've carried a small gel pepper spray. For rides in remote areas where bear and cougar can be present I have carried larger bear spray canisters, some are smaller than others and easily carried in an accessible location. Never had to use either the pepper gel or bear spray. Dogs are the most likely animal encounter and I've had aggressive unleased dogs come after me (mostly after a leashed dog that I was riding with) a couple times - nothing much came of that other than my dog getting nipped and I wouldn't have used spray in those situations. I'm not saying that a golden can't hurt you but that isn't their intention. Pits are a different story and can inflict serious damage or death as infrequent but regular news reports show. An of course human aggressors which is probably by far the greatest threat. One of the smaller bear spray canisters is probably the best bet and easy enough to carry.

: UDAP Pepper Power

Find Bear spray in Alaska. Bear Spray orders for Alaska. You may find bear spray by visiting one of these retailers.
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see the video of charging pit being turned away with bear spray
following video shows why smaller pepper sprays might not have not have enough effect on an engaged pit.


www.dailymail.co.uk

What happened the last time Britain banned dangerous dogs

In 1991, John Major's government passed the Dangerous Dogs Act after the six-year-old Rukhsana Khan (pictured) was mauled by a pit bull terrier near her home in Bradford.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
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