A woman asked me to help get her father's bike out of the car so he could leave it with us to get new tires. The front wheel was off. The bike was stuffed into the back seat of a sedan.
In the bottle cage I saw a full size can of hornet spray. I said it was a strange choice of refreshment.
"He carries that for when dogs chase him," she said.
I ventured that it was pretty harsh stuff to blast a dog with. Not only that, blowback would be pretty rough on the rider,too.
"I know," she said. "But he's been bitten a couple of times and he's 86 years old. I can't really tell him a thing."
So, word to the wise: don't startle or intimidate the old dude on the 17 inch black Fuji Absolute. And definitely don't bark at him.
I would think a simple blast from a water bottle would work most of the time without the aftertaste of hornet killer.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention the DEFINITE animal cruelty charges if someone saw him shoot the dog with toxic chemicals. An irritant like pepper spray is one thing. Poison is a higher level entirely.
ReplyDeleteThe unexpected spray of water discourages many dogs. A shouted follow-up of "get off the couch" also helps. Beyond that, I stop and GLARE at the canine scofflaw; ready to use my trusty Topeak mini pump.
ReplyDeleteI agree the hornet repellent is probably overkill. I would go with a squirt of water. It is also important, to yell "NO". Most dogs know this word. I have seen it work.
ReplyDeletePeace :)