Does pepperspray work on attacking dogs?
A dog,a bichon frise, that a friend of mine own ,got attacked by a loose,aggressive dog.
My friend wonders how she can prevent her dog from being attacked by loose dogs.How she can help her dog.
I told her about getting a walking stick but i do not think she will get one.Does pepper spray work?

I have heard pros and cons about pepperspray. Although I carry it while we are training in our area, (known for big cats) it is controversal. If the wind is blowing in your favor (away from you) it may work. I have heard in some cases the animal became more aggressive and did not stop the attack. If the wind is blowing at you, you may spray yourself and your own dog. A walking stick is a great idea. She can always turn in the owners to Animal Control for loose dogs but then that is a whole other issue. In my area we have no Animal Control. Loose aggressive packs are common. Thankfully, this is going to sound awful to some, we live in the country so that when the packs of dogs come on to our property they are extinguished. If we run them off they just come back. I have several outdoor cats that I keep for rodent purposes due to our grain bins and all cats are kept up on shots and altering. I also have horses that I do not want run through our fence (barbed wire). Plus I do not want my dogs getting killed or sick from these mangy dogs.

The Post Office issue pepper spray I've used works, But sometimes and hopefully rarely you'll encounter a dog that is so aggresive you need to club or a gun. I think Ed's got some articles on dealing with agressive strange dogs.

it works on attacking grizzly bears. i think it will probably work on the most aggressive dog you can find. but i would carry the bear spray cannisters. they are bigger and more powerful.

you will probably get some back spray unless the wind is blowing strongly away from you. it's just the nature of pepper spray. it hangs in the air like a curtain and you can walk through it thinking it's already gone.

the best deal is to shoot it straight into the animal's face/mouth at close range. it is not a good tool for trying to cross distances.

Here's the article Dennis mentioned http://www.leerburg.com/dogattack.htm#stray

Thank you all for your answers.
We do not have animal control officers,(even though i think we should have them.).

Pepperspray sounds good,i think my friend will get one,and feel a little safer while walking her little dog.

I would go with a solid walking stick in addition to the spray. If it's a windy day, the stick will come in handy. Also, you can wave it over your head and make all sorts of threatening gestures and noises.. that would scare off a LOT of dogs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />