Originally Posted By: Susan
What you did worked, and it's hard to improve on that.

The use of pepper spray could be a lesson to the owner: doesn't that smell linger?

I am wondering if firing a shot into the ground would be effective at all?



Pepper spray does linger. I sprayed a Bichon that was going to town on a co-worker's ankle. The owner could not process my command to "control the dog," but understood "put the dog in the car." She promptly got in the car with the dog, petted it, told the dog it was OK, and wiped the tears from her own eyes, transferring the pepper she'd picked up while petting the dog...made for an interesting report.

Our department policy prohibits warning shots. "GET CONTROL OF YOUR DOG, BEFORE I SHOOT IT!" has been generally effective for me.

Anytime you can walk away from an encounter like this, without injury, it's a good thing.
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