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Have you ever been riding your bicycle around the block when a dog comes running out of it's yard and starts chasing you down the street? Maybe you're walking down the street when you spot a rather large dog a few houses away. The dog appears to be unattended and you don't know if it's friendly. Has this ever happened to you? Your walking your small dog (on a leash) down the street when suddenly your confronted by a strange, free roaming dog and it's growling and in the attack position.

What do you do? What can you do?

In the first scenario, described above, where the bicyclist is being chased by a dog, you would probably start peddling faster while simultaneously kicking out at the dog in an attempt to both outrun the dog and prevent it from biting you. The second scenario has you walking down the street when you spot a large, unattended dog a few houses away. Lot's of people go for walks carrying a base- ball bat or large stick to protect themselves just in case the dog turns out to be, shall we say, unfriendly. First, carrying a baseball bat or a large stick can be cumbersome and get heavy after awhile. Second, you have to be prepared to beat the dog (not an easy thing to do). Imagine how you will feel afterwards. So, instead, you'll probably just turn around and walk back rather than take a chance. The last scenerio as described above, has you walking your small dog on a leash, when your confronted by a larger, strange dog. Most likely, you will pick up your beloved pet, hold it close to you and then just hope for the best. Trying to run away almost never works.

Let's look at some other options. One is to keep the dog from coming near you in the first place. You can accomplish this with an electronic animal repellant. Using ultrasonic technology, the devise produces a discomforting but not harmful high frequency sound, audible to dogs but not to humans. One such device is the Ultrasonic Dog Chaser. It's small and lightweight. It measures 3 & 3/4 inches by 2 & 3/16 inches by 7/8 inches. That's roughly the size of a deck of cards. Weighing in at just 3.5 ounces with the 9-volt battery, it's quite compact. It has a frequency range between 20,000Hz - 25,000Hz. At 135dbs, it has an effective range up to 20 feet. The device is easy to use, too. Point the animal repeller at the dog and press the button. That's all there is to it. It's also safe and humane. The electronic animal repeller is not the repeller of choice however, if your walking your dog.

A second option is to whip out your trusty dog repellent spray. Mace makes a safe, humane and effective dog repellent spray that's EPA approved. It sprays 8-10 feet, but don't spray it into the wind as the results could prove to be dis- astrous. Here's how it works. When sprayed with a pepper spray dog repellent spray, most dogs throw themselves on the ground rubbing their eyes. The painful burning effects of the spray typically wear off within a few minutes, leaving the dog healthy and unharmed. Choose dog repellent sprays with pepper spray, also known as OC (oleoresin capsicum) spray, as it's ingredient. Other sprays may not work on dogs that don't respond to pain. It's totally non-toxic.

Another option is the stun baton. A favorite among security guards, it is very effective on dogs. Just touch the dog on it's face. It will drop to it's knees, turn and run. Normally, however, the clicking sounds the baton makes when turned on is enough to deter the dog. Stun batons come in different lengths ranging from 300,000 volts to 500,000 volts. A stun baton is a stun gun placed into a baton. Stun guns use high voltage and low amperage to temporarily disable an attacker. It does not rely on pain for results. The energy stored in the gun is dumped into the attackers blood sugar by converting it to lactic acid. Unable to produce energy for the muscles, the body is unable to function properly. The stun gun also interrupts the tiny neurological impulses that control muscle move- ment, causing the attacker to lose their balance. All this happens very rapidly. Should the attacker be touching you, the current will not pass to your body. Of course, as a last resort, you can use the baton as a stick or baseball ball to hit the dog with.

So go ahead and take that walk down the street, or pull out your bike and ride around the block again. There's no need to be afraid of those stray dogs any more. Have FUN!

You can find these devices in some stores and on most internet sites selling self protection products.