Originally Posted by PGHNeil

I agree that the "pepper spray" comment by the OP was excessive but how rational do you expect his 5 year old daughter to be? He's simply trying to protect her.

Originally Posted by sloppy12

How many times have you been sprayed?


I think most of this is just bravado or venting. Yes people are ****** bags and walk dogs off leash or with mile long retractables. but its a 2 second slow down thing... I mean wild kids running all over are just as risky to pass I cant imagine to many people saying they would mace them.

as far as irrational fear thing goes if the OP's little kid is scared its scared. Get over it really isnt a option. And since you cant really change behavior of other people if I was in his shoes I would just stop and make sure the dog owner got their dog. Its called command and control its not real hard to master.

Originally Posted by cyclezen

Actually, not irrational...
All of you who are some how defending the owner/dog combo who are not reacting properly to other users on a trail - is one of Humanities' greatest flaws - rationalization.
The dog is being 'dog'.
Now the nature of the dog is likely unknown to the other users (dad/child) , and the vast majority of small children will initially be very frightened of any animal coming at them, especially fast moving ones and ones almost or as large as they are. Not irrational behaviour, completely natural and expected of children.
Dog 'Owner' should not even need to be asked. They should respond 'AUTOMATICALLY' and provide some restraint of the dog. No Questions.
Anything else is at the least being inconsiderate, further is 'over-entitlement' and worst is downright 'aggressive'.
I've had a lot of dogs in the family. And always tried to keep encounters with others on the friendly side. All the dogs were large, and some goofy and rambunctious.
I'm good with 'off-leash' in common open spaces, but always ready to intervene if a situation happened. A few times interjecting myself between my dog and the other party.
Always trying to end the meeting in a friendly manner. Sometimes they just moved on cautiously, and I'm OK with that - I did my responsibility properly.
Pepper Spray (not Bear Spray) has a very limited range... I'm ok with that.
You don;t have to do a direct hit. Dogs will back off initially; even if you just use a water bottle spray (which I've had to do a few times, riding...)
But Pepper Spray will work if the dog isn;t playing nice...
Dog may even develop an irrational fear of any spray can pointed at them, after an encounter with Pepper Spray... LOL!
Ride On
Yuri
Opinion is all well and good, until the rubber meets the road... then you do what it takes to not lowside or highside...

Originally Posted by Kapusta

I get that he wants (rightfully) to protect his daughter. And if he sensed that there was an actual danger to his daughter, then by all means, use pepper spray, or whatever else you need to.

However, if he were to do it solely due to his daughters fear, I think it is the wrong approach for the reasons I stated. If anything it is just re-enforcing the daughters fear. It also may have the effect of increasing the trauma (she may fear a dog approaching her, but not want something bad to happen to the dog, and feel like she caused the dog to be sprayed).

There is a difference between understanding that dogs can be dangerous and simply being petrified of them. Of course the girl can't be BLAMED for be petrified, its just the way she is for whatever reason (in this case a previously bad experience with one), but it will be far helpful for her to understand one does not need to be categorically scared of them.

IMO better solution would be to put himself between the dog and his daughter.

AS far as the owner goes.... sure, give them hell.

Originally Posted by PGHNeil

Yes, it's definitely a teachable moment and as a parent who has had two kids in therapy and have been to therapy myself I get it but encounters like this need to be worked up to if there was indeed a traumatic event involved. I stand by my previous comment that the OP needs to either file a complaint about unleashed dogs if there is such an edict in that area or choose to ride someplace else. Introducing her to more calm dogs or service dogs might not be a bad thing either. As you implied it's not the dog that's necessarily bad, just the owners.

Originally Posted by Kapusta

I was going to "like" your post, but for some reason the Like button is missing.... on just your post

Originally Posted by Kapusta

Years ago, I had a dog who at some point developed a fear of kids. I am not making this up. At some point while I was living/working at a boarding school, something must have happened with some of the kids, though I never figured out what it was.

Somehow I never felt to need to pepper spray kids who walked up to her.

Originally Posted by Kapusta

I was going to "like" your post, but for some reason the Like button is missing.... on just your post

Originally Posted by prj71

Guys,

The OP hasn't been back on this forum since 10/1/21. I don't think he liked the answers.