Dog Deterrent

by Olivia
(Pennsylvania)

What kind of dog deterrent would you use on a dog that comes on to your property and attacks your dog?

Hey guys its me again... Okay so our neighbor has a 11 year old german shepard. and he is allowed to "roam" around the town or mountain--whatever you want to call it. So when we got Remmi we knew that Ratchet,the neighbor's dog, didnt like him...

They just recently moved down the road a ways. but Ratchet is still coming up to our house. When he does, he attacks Remmi has left bruises and everything on him...

Remmi will just let this happen since Ratchet is 2x the size he is. Is it something Remmington's doing or what?

Gale's Reply:

It really doesn't matter whether or not Remmington is doing anything to provoke Ratchet. The bottom line is that Ratchet is trespassing into Remmi's territory and attacking him. And, it needs to stop--more specifically--you need to put a stop to it.

In an ideal world, your neighbors would have both the good sense and the common courtesy to prevent their dog from roaming the area putting himself and other pets at risk. But, since they are apparently lacking in this regard, it's going to be up to you to be pro-active.

First, Remmi should only be outside when you or another adult in your household can be right there with him. As "pack leader" Remmi should be able to look to you to protect him from this kind of thing. It's what pack leaders do. But, you can't protect him if you're not there when Ratchet appears. So be there.

Hopefully, Ratchet is the kind of dog that heeds human warnings and can be driven off by a loud angry voice and threatening gestures in his direction. But, if that's not the case, you may need to ramp things up and use a dog deterrent.

You want to use something sufficiently unpleasant that it will send Ratchet packing without causing him injury. There are ultra-sonic devices you can purchase that give off a sound that humans can't hear, but dogs don't like. There is also a diluted form of pepper spray now on the market that has been approved for canine use.

Both the ultra-sonic device and the pepper spray have advantages and disadvantages. Both have mixed reviews as far as effectiveness. There may be other products out there too. And, perhaps some of our community members can comment on their own experiences.

Whatever you decide to do to keep Ratchet off your property and away from Remmington, I think you should talk to your neighbors. They may not even realize there's a problem. (Or they may not care.)

But either way, they should know that their dog has come on to your property and attacked your dog. And they should know what you intend to do to protect your dog the next time it happens. At least you will have given them the opportunity to handle things on their end and spare Ratchet any unpleasantness.

Attacks of this nature can escalate over time. Remmi could get seriously hurt if this is allowed to continue. And, attacks can be traumatic for a dog psychologically as well. So, I would urge you to stand up for your dog. If you don't, no one else will.

For information on obedience training visit our pit bull training page.

For help with behavioral issues, check out our dog behavior training page.