# Neighbor has Pit Bulls - Does Pepper Spray Work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355 "2009-08-31T14:41:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/21 "2009-08-31T18:24:27Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Maybe. > But they are responsible for injuries far in excess of their representation as pets: > [Dog Bite Statistics - Dog Bite Law](http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html#Thedogsmostlikelytobite) No, they are _not_. At least, as far as anyone can tell. The CDC has said that no one knows _or can know_ what proportion of the dog population is any given breed, so we do not know scientifically what their representation as pets is. Period. Your dog-hating shysters are _lying._ The CDC has _further_ said the reporting of what breed bit is unreliable to the point of being bad science. People misidentify them, willfully or not; people _can’t_ identify them in tests; people will say “if it bit, it must have been a pit;” people under-report bites by other breeds; the press sensationalizes. Therefore, both halves of your ratio – the number of biters, and the representation by breed – are unknowable, scientifically. That “study” – and _all_ studies like it – are scientific nonsense, according to actual scientists. We’ve been over this and the scientists haven’t changed their positions. You guys are fast moving into the same category as moon-landing-hoaxers and anti-vaxers when you keep promoting this claptrap. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/22 "2009-08-31T18:27:19Z")
Who cares if it’s a pit bull or not? I thought the concern was over a possibly aggressive dog that may endanger the kidlets. My question is: What are you going to do with the mace? So what I’m gathering here is there’s the possibility that the little ones are playing in your yard when you’re not watching, and the dog gets out and plays chompy chompy with the children. So you’re going to run after the screams, then start macing the dog while the kid’s arm is in its mouth? I suppose if you were right next to the kids, you could potentially stop the dog in its tracks by macing it once the dog lunged or exhibited some behavior that led you to believe it was going to attack. Otherwise, it would seem to be too late. You’d be spraying mace all over the place with wounded kids around. Unless you want to arm the kids with mace, so that they can preempt attack. I can’t see any faults in that plan. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/23 "2009-08-31T18:35:22Z")
Sailboat, thanks, I will talk to my neighbor in that context. Yeah, I was thinking about collateral damage & figured pepper spray on the kids was better than them getting hit by the bat I was aiming for the dog (never mind a gun, I don’t have/want one of those). ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/24 "2009-08-31T18:36:22Z")
Maybe I’ll buy TWO pepper sprays & put one out back, in case the kids needed it. Not that I think it’s LIKELY the mean dog will escape. It’s just a horrible thought. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/25 "2009-08-31T18:42:27Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Whoopie. The Clifton study. > > “Say, ma’am, what kind of dog was it that bit you?” > > “It was a pit bull, for sure.” > > What a great study that was. So why the snark? I see \*\*Fessie’s \*\*post as some basic info sharing and not a condmenation of pitbull, rot, etc. owners, not a call to arms to have these animals destroyed, not the incentive for you to start packing heat whilst walking your pooch, and so on. And obviously it brings out the poo-pooers who refute the study all together because their dog is a mixed x/y/z so how are you going to classify him? Well? Let’s hear it smart guy. I think it’s at least one more think-about for potential dog owners deciding what breed to get and one more item-for-consideration when your neighbor brings one of them home. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/26 "2009-08-31T18:58:00Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > So why the snark? > > I see \*\*Fessie’s \*\*post as some basic info sharing and not a condmenation of pitbull, rot, etc. owners, not a call to arms to have these animals destroyed, not the incentive for you to start packing heat whilst walking your pooch, and so on. > > And obviously it brings out the poo-pooers who refute the study all together because their dog is a mixed x/y/z so how are you going to classify him? Well? Let’s hear it smart guy. > > I think it’s at least one more think-about for potential dog owners deciding what breed to get and one more item-for-consideration when your neighbor brings one of them home. **Sailboat** has already covered it all, “smart guy”. Go read what he had to say. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/27 "2009-08-31T19:04:25Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > Maybe I’ll buy TWO pepper sprays & put one out back, in case the kids needed it. Kids armed with pepper spray is likely more dangerous than any dogs. ---
**Author:** ![cdsilv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cdsilv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdsilv)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/28 "2009-08-31T19:11:51Z")
I grew up with dogs - collies, setters, mutts. Dogs that were human agressive learned not to be or weren’t around long. We were told over and over never to try to stop a dogfight by wading in - use a water hose. It also works if they’re trying to come after you - they usually end up wanting to play with the water stream. A squirt gun with ammonia/water mix will stop them in their tracks, its what we used to break them of chasing cars. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/29 "2009-08-31T19:15:18Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > I’m betting Red thinks it looks like a delicious buffet just waiting till his owner has a lapse with the leash (or until he figures out how to scale his 4’ fence). > > Pepper spray? Would it work? I understand what your thinking. Pepper spray is not an actual seasoning. You may want to try rubbing them with bacon grease. Maybe that will motivate Red to scale the fence and rid you of the vermin while making it look like an accident. ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/30 "2009-08-31T19:17:32Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > The dog is a year old, it will snarl and leap at its own shadow. Its what dogs that age do. You’re not actually serious, are you? I’ve been around a lot of dogs, and that’s definitely not normal behaviour for a one year old dog. It seems like you’re a pit bull apologist (and I’m not saying that like it’s a bad thing - I also think it’s a maligned breed), but this particular dog sounds potentially dangerous. It’s certainly not unreasonable for **fessie** to be concerned ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/31 "2009-08-31T19:23:50Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > You know what, it’s way too pretty a day for me to sit here and bicker about this study versus that one. It’s irrelevant anyway - I’m not asking about a theoretical dog, I’m talking about one that snarls and leaps towards me, straining against the leash, when I’ve done nothing to provoke misbehavior. > > I’m also not asking for legislation. I’m asking for anecdotal experiences that are relevant to keeping my specific children safe. > > You wanna bicker, fine. Have it. 1. Carry a knife when you’re out walking 2. Keep a knife with you when the children are playing outside. 3. You got a bad vibe from the neighbor’s dog(s). Trust your gut. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/32 "2009-08-31T19:32:07Z")
> [@kathmandu](#): > > You’re not actually serious, are you? I’ve been around a lot of dogs, and that’s definitely not normal behaviour for a one year old dog. Well, yeah, with the caveat that none of us but **fessie** knows what she’s _actually_ seeing. She’s probably accurate; she’s a Doper, and I hope she’s accurate; but my experience is that people in the abstract are horrendously bad at dispassionately evaluating animal behavior. I’ve seen, and read of, people screaming and fleeing from a dog wagging his tail. The snapping, snarling monster **fessie** sees could be real or it could be a product of her nightmares (no offense, **fessie** , I have largely taken you at your word in this, I am speaking of my general experience with reporting by third parties). People have been happy to pet my dog until they hear the word “pit bull” and then they recoil in fear (and possibly later tell others the dog tried to kill them). That’s why I’ve asked questions about the dog’s weight and size, and urged her to talk to the family and maybe (under controlled conditions) meet the dog. It’s about all I can offer from this remove to help her determine the actual level of threat with more certainty. A picture of the dog “in action” would help, but not even that is definitive. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/33 "2009-08-31T19:39:12Z")
Get at dog. If the aggressive dog gets loose, your dog can buy time while you and/or the kids get to safety. ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/34 "2009-08-31T19:49:55Z")
It may be reacting to its owner’s nervousness or apprehension when being walked on a leash. I own a Rottie/pit mix who was abused and rescued. I have found when I walk her on a leash and I get worried/tense about someone coming toward me (worried about how she’s going to react) she tends to be far more aggressive acting. I’ve had to really police my own behavior. That said, off the leash behavior can be totally different. She loves small children, licking and snuggling up to them, and if stepped on, will cry like nobody’s business, but will not take revenge. Red may calm down as he becomes accustomed to his environment. OTOH, I would not take chances with my small kids. I am doubtful that pepper spray would work, as pits tend to be very single-minded when angry, and I have seen ours smash her head into walls and keep moving. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/35 "2009-08-31T19:58:04Z")
A tip passed on to me by an old biker years ago is to carry a water pistol filled with ammonia; most dogs hate the smell/burning of ammonia, and getting squirted in the face with it will usually send them running for the hills. Of course, you could just preemptively toss a poisoned ball of hamburger over the fence. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/36 "2009-08-31T19:59:04Z")
> [@kathmandu](#): > > You’re not actually serious, are you? I’ve been around a lot of dogs, and that’s definitely not normal behaviour for a one year old dog. Of course I’m serious. A young dog that’s happy and excited and wants to be petted can look like a snarling raving maniac to someone who’s not familiar with dogs (and if **fessie** thinks there would be anything left of her precious children after she rides to the rescue from inside her house, she’s very unfamiliar with them). ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/37 "2009-08-31T20:08:42Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Of course I’m serious. A young dog that’s happy and excited and wants to be petted can look like a snarling raving maniac to someone who’s not familiar with dogs (and if **fessie** thinks there would be anything left of her precious children after she rides to the rescue from inside her house, she’s very unfamiliar with them). That’s not what you said. You said that snapping and snarling is normal behaviour for a young dog, not that normal dog behaviour can be mistaken for snapping and snarling. There’s a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/38 "2009-08-31T20:13:34Z")
Really? A 4’ fence? I’d say it just doesn’t want to come over. I have a tiny Jack Russel that cleared a 4’ fence with ease. One jump to the top and over it went. My bigger Jacks have even less of a problem, which is why I now have a much larger fence. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/39 "2009-08-31T20:32:09Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > The dogs are right across the street from my kids’ best friends. The kids are 6, 5, 4 and 2 years old, so the mom and I are always supervising. > [@](#): > > That’s a horrific thought, that the dogs could get loose and run into our yard. Because I don’t supervise mine in their own yard anymore. Her dogs can’t see our yard from theirs, she’s down a hill and around a curve and there’s a house in between. But still. We have a ton of big sticks back there, for the fire pit. And a few bricks. ::shudder:: So, are you always supervising or not? ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355/40 "2009-08-31T20:32:30Z")
So are some actually contending that: 1. There is no true scientific basis for distinguishing one breed of dog from another. And 2. As such, one cannot declare one “breed” more “dangerous” than another and that attempts to do so are scientifically unsound or contain some type of internal bias -intentional or otherwise. Then 3. By this logic, one should approach a “chihuahua” with the same level of apprehension as a “rottweiler”–assuming one is able to discern one from the other. I’m not trying to debate this notion along purely theoretical lines. Yes, common sense dictates that you and your young’uns need to be more cautious around big, mean-looking growly dog than you do around yappy, rat-like, fufu dog. But are we really saying that one can’t, in any way, shape or form -in very broad strokes- determine that certain breeds of dog (pit bulls, rotts, German Shepherds and Dobermans) pose a greater level of threat than some other breeds? And a pre-emptive ‘no offense’ to any Dopers out there and no need to get those hackles up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbor-has-pit-bulls-does-pepper-spray-work/508355.md?page=3)