HALT! Don't be mad when I use it.
*Caution* This blog is full of assumptions and maybe be frightening to some dogs
I bought
Halt! Dog pepper spray from a nearby store, after researching it online, about a year or so ago. I live in a rural area and often walk, jog, or bike the country roads near me for exercise. There are many dogs living at houses along ALL the routes I could take. After living here for a year and having dogs from certain houses chase me across and down the street while biking or jogging, I decided to get this spray. I was tired of changing my running route because of dogs that I knew would come after me and owners who would stand at their door casually calling the dogs name as it charged me.
Since getting the spray, I have not had any dogs charge me -as if they knew I had it -until today. Two dogs I've never seen before were roaming free in a parking lot near the road. I got my spray in my hand, ready, just in case. After walking a bit more I saw the owner standing there, 10 feet or so from the dogs. The dogs saw me, and the
big black and brown one* barks and starts charging me, and the littler starts to follow him. The owner's+ response? "No! no!" It didn't work. My first thought was, cross the road, maybe they won't, but the dog was too close, coming fast, I didn't want to turn my back to him** and knew I couldn't give my full attention to crossing the street. I figured better to have to spray the dog than possibly get hit by a car.*** The dog keeps coming, growling. He was about a foot from me, with no intention of turning around when I sprayed him right in the face. It was about a 2 second spray, enough time for it to register and he backed off. The smaller dog took one more step towards me; I pointed the bottle at his face. He decided to turn around and so escaped unharmed. I continued walking. The next part is my "favorite" (not really).
The owner says, incredulously, "Is that pepper spray?"
My response "Yeah."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. Put your dog on a leash"
Realizing she is concerned about the dog's health, I try to reassure her. "He'll be fine. He'll be ok."
Seriously?! Your dog (which I think was a Rottweiler but I don't want to stereotype dog breeds, just saying it was big, brown and black and scary looking) was inches from me while I'm walking ON THE ROAD and you can't believe I just sprayed him with pepper spray.
Now I know that not all dogs attack. But I also know that dogs attack. (My sister has bite mark scars on her arm to prove it and my friend had a recent experience with a LEASHED dog actually biting his leg...it was a small dog and he's a tough guy so it didn't break the skin, but there you go). And I had never seen this dog before so I had no clue what he was gonna do.
I want to scream and shake these people. New York is full of laws. One of them is to have the dog on a leash. Especially if roaming free. Especially if prone to chasing people across the street barking like it wants to tear their flesh from their bones. ESPECIALLY if roaming free in a parking lot in the middle of town out for the morning potty break (I am assuming here. Maybe the girl likes standing outside in her pjs with her purse yelling at dogs that maybe she doesn't even own). Isn't the reason we have these laws so that people will obey them and the world will be a more perfect place? Don't let me get started on that. But ok, leashes are annoying. Fine. Great. Good. Then train the dog to actually listen when you call it. That's kinda your responsibility as an owner.
Now these dogs did not cross the street to come after me but there are many others that have. My thought at the time is, what if there is a car coming? Do the owners not care that their dog recklessly runs across the road to scare an "attacker"**** which could cause their dog to get hit by a car??? I am actually providing a service to these dogs. I am (hopefully) teaching them to not chase people because the people might have scary stinging stuff that shoots out of their appendages and thereby saving their lives by keeping them from crossing the road. You are welcome!
My favorite thing is the dog that caused me to get the spray in the first place, "Michael" (as I am once again assuming his name is because that is what the owner says in a voice like the girl calling Mr. Skinner to the manager's office in "Hot Fuzz"). I don't know if the dog had some other incident happen or they realized that I carry spray or something as I habitually get it ready in my hand ANY time I go by their house. But they seem to be more conscious of the dog now. If they see us coming down the road and the dog is out, they call him and then try to bribe him to listen with the promise of a "cookie!" Unless they changed his name to "Michael Cookie." So NOW that dog has been trained to respond to people going by with barks and charging and he will get a cookie!!! Well, maybe if he just barks and then runs to the owner for a cookie, that is a better response.
Wow. I feel better getting this all out there. Now I have to avoid that route for a different reason. The "owner".
Extra side note. I just rubbed my eye with the hand that had sprayed the Halt! The corner of my eye is slightly stingy. The spraying happened an hour and a half ago. Make sure to wash your hands after. Oh, and the spray didn't get in my face at all, as I have heard it might. So yay!
*not a picture of the actual dog, obviously, as the dog I deterred did not have a collar on. Also it wasn't THAT scary looking.
+ I am assuming she owned the dogs. It may have been her boyfriends (again assuming) dogs.
** I do not know for sure it was a boy...I didn't have the time to check...I am assuming here.
***I mean me get hit by a car. I won't tell you that I was hoping a car would come to stop the dog for me.
****Once again assuming this is how the dog views me, based on his/her response to me.
Off to get more spray! I don't want to run out next time!!
