Best Dog Repellent Sprays in 2023

There are times when your pooch doesn’t listen to you when you ask him to stop chewing on your shoes, gnawing on your furniture, or stop barking in the middle of the night.

There are also timers when all you want is to enjoy a nice walk to the park, only for a strange dog randomly baring his teeth at you and aiming to start a fight with your pooch. These situations call for a reliable repellent spray for dogs.

7 Best Dog Repellent Sprays in 2023

• Best Overall: The Company of Animals Pet Corrector
• Runner-Up: PetSafe Spray Shield Citronella Spray
• Best Budget: Rocco & Roxie No Chew Bitter Spray for Dogs
• Best for Chewers: Grannick’s Bitter Apple
• Law Enforcement’s Top Pick: SABRE Dog Spray – Protector Dog Deterrent
• Best for Training Pups: Sentry Pet Care Stop That! Spray for Dogs
• Solo Walker’s Choice: Safety-Sport Personal 911 Air Horn

Best Overall: The Company of Animals Pet Corrector

Key Features:

• Emits a harmless hissing sound
• 30ml can be used up to 30 times
• No toxic substances
• Comes in 3 sizes/packs
• With free training guide

Dog trainers often used compressed gas in cans like The Company of Animals Pet Corrector to stop a dog’s unwanted behavior. Your pooch could be barking or jumping at people non-stop. With this harmless dog repellant spray, you can interrupt such behaviors by mimicking a harmless hissing sound.

You don’t even need to worry about your dog’s safety since it contains an odorless compressed gas that contains no toxic substances or chemicals. Each can be used for up to 30 sprays. It comes in 3 different packs depending on the number of sprays you want to buy.

Runner-Up: PetSafe Spray Shield Citronella Spray

Key Features:

• Citronella scent
• Compact design
• Up to 10-foot stream
• US-based customer care

Citronella, a favorite plant species, is often used to make oils, mosquito sprays, dog sprays, and bug sprays. It smells terrible to dogs that they immediately stop what they are doing if you spray this. Don’t worry about your dog’s safety since this won’t badly burn as pepper sprays do.

You can clop this dog repellant spray on your belt. You can also consider placing this on your waist leash for that hands-free carry-on. The citronella spray can reach dogs up to 10-foot away.

Best Budget: Rocco & Roxie No Chew Bitter Spray for Dogs

Key Features:

• 4x as bitter
• Long-lasting alcohol formula
• With calming copaiba oil
• Furniture-safe
• 100% guaranteed

Does your favorite canine have a chewing problem? Do you often get headaches finding your stuff all wet and chewed-up? Your pooch could be suffering from boredom and anxiety.

The Rocco & Roxie No Chew Bitter Spray for Dogs is a safe and cheap solution to your current chewing problem. This bitter spray for dogs is 4x as bitter as what pets hate, ensuring an efficient deterring solution to your woes. This can also stop dogs from licking and chewing the skin minus the harmful side effects.

Best for Chewers: Grannick’s Bitter Apple

Key Features:

• Includes bitter principles, isopropanol 20%, water and extracts
• Non-toxic
• Easy to use

Some dogs simply love chewing and knowing things, especially furniture. If this sounds like your dog, consider Grannick’s Bitter Apple as the short-term answer to your prayer. This is very effective in deterring pets away from your beloved furniture.

All you need to do is spray Grannick’s Bitter Apple on areas your pooch often chews and gnaws on. Don’t worry about safety since the formula used is very safe and non-toxic. Its strong alcohol odor is enough in training the pooch to stop unnecessary chewing and gnawing.

Law Enforcement’s Top Pick: SABRE Dog Spray – Protector Dog Deterrent

Key Features:

• With natural pepper spray
• Human- and pet-safe
• Delivers 14 sprays
• With ring attachment
• Comes in 2 colors

There are times when you will need to stop dogs from fighting or deter a dog from attacking you. But like animal lovers, you want to inflict no harm on any dog animal that attacks you. Thankfully, there are natural dog sprays like the SABRE Dog Spray – Protector Dog Deterrent available.

Law enforcements prefer this brand because it uses natural ingredients to deter dogs. It is safe for both pets and humans, making it a crowd favorite. The best thing about this dog repellant spray is that the brand actually donated proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).

Best for Training Pups: Sentry Pet Care Stop That! Spray for Dogs

Key Features:

• Dog-, human- and environment-safe
• No long-term side effects
• Made from natural ingredients
• Guaranteed effective after one burst

Another all-natural pet deterrent spray many people love is the Sentry PET CARE Stop That! Spray for Dogs. It contains natural ingredients proven to effectively deter pets like bitters, tea tree oil, and water. According to reviews, one spray is enough to stop dogs from doing any unwanted behaviors.

One can use this spray to stop dogs from chewing furniture, electrical installations, doors, car seats, etc. This is perfect for training pups on how to behave. This is one safe way of training dogs to stop certain behaviors without hurting them.

Solo Walker’s Choice: Safety-Sport Personal 911 Air Horn

Key Features:

• Ultra compact
• Easy to use push button
• 2 sounds

Don’t like the idea of spraying substances on your pooch or other pet parent’s dog? Consider the Safety-Sport Personal 911 Air Horn as a great pepper spray alternative. This ultra-compact dog deterrent is so easy to use and will keep you from having to deal with a naughty pooch in no time.

Unlike regular safety horns, this model has 2 sounds you can choose from. If you are not a fan of the trumpet-like sound, you can always remove the trumpet piece and use that whistling sound. This is capable of stopping most dog fights and unwanted dog behaviors from continuing.

What is Dog Pepper Spray?

Dog pepper sprays are generally safer to use on deterring unwanted dog behaviors. Since dogs have a more sensitive sense of smell, dog pepper sprays or dog pepper sprays have a less strong odor. This means this is safe to use on dogs, humans, and the environment as well.

Dog pepper sprays can be used in training pups from excessive chewing and gnawing. You can also use this to stop dogs from fighting. For most pet parents and solo walkers or runners, they keep a dog pepper spray in hand just in case a stranger dog threatens their safety

But then, not all dog pepper sprays are created equal. Some are made from natural ingredients while others make use of artificial ingredients. It is crucial that you be very careful in choosing one, especially if you plan on using this when training your canine buddy.

When to Use Dog Repellent Spray

There is no reason to use a dog deterrent spray on every dog you find. For one, no dog owner would be happy to hear about a random individual spraying their pets. In most cases, the best way to use dog pepper sprays is for training purposes and in stopping aggressive dogs on their tracks.

But then, many pet parents, vets, and trainers are against using pepper sprays as training tools. This is since there are lots of things you can use to train dogs aside from dog deterrent sprays. For one, positive reinforcement is the best way to encourage good behaviors in dogs.

Dog Deterrent Spray Alternatives

Not everyone owns a dog pepper spray. Even some pet parents would choose not to use this to their dogs or other dogs, for that matter. If faced with a situation when you need pepper spray for dogs, know that there are alternatives you can try.

Turn around and leave

Sometimes, the best way to deter off-leash dogs is by getting yourself out of the situation. Forget about running as this usually entices dogs to give in to the chase. The best thing you can do is to turn around and leave or cross the street if you must.

Yell

Most dogs stop in their tracks after being yelled at. If you see an oncoming dog giving you the stink eye, consider yelling. But if your own dog is the issue, you might want to avoid yelling as this can really upset them.

Use treats

Dogs have a very soothing relationship with treats. If you have treats nearby, use this to deter dogs. This can be enough to stop that neighbor’s dogs from coming at you or your dog.

Use a big stick

Some dogs can easily be distracted with a stick. If throwing a stick does not seem to work, try swinging the stick without hurting the dog. Hopefully, this is enough to stop him from charging at you.

Throw rocks

Even dogs would not want to be hurt by flying rocks. You don’t necessarily need to aim the dog when throwing rocks. Usually, this can be enough to make dogs reconsider coming at you.

Use your legs and feet

As a last resort to dogs trying to bite you, consider kicking them. You just need to kick him and disorient him a bit, giving you enough time to get out of there. Note that this usually won’t work on larger and more aggressive dogs.

How to Use Dog Repellent Spray

There are some pointers you need to keep in mind when using a dog deterrent spray.

• Make sure that you are aiming the spray away from you
• Aim downward and the dog’s mouth, nose, and face
• Use a dog pepper spray when he is still several feet away

What to Do if Your Dog is Sprayed

Thankfully, dog pepper sprays are usually harmless. The effects are temporary even if they can hurt your pooch. You won’t have to worry about anything if the spray used is an air horn or a dog repellant spray made from citronella.

All you need is to help your pooch get rid of the spray in him by washing his face. Try to keep him calm and use some special ointments if the spray goes to his eye. If another individual used the spray, make sure to talk to them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What spray will keep dogs away?

There are two sprays that can deter dogs. One is a citronella spray. The other is dog repellent pepper sprays.

Dog repellent pepper sprays are effective thanks to their active ingredients. These are usually used for more aggressive canines. In some cases, these can cause pain and discomfort to dogs like itching and coughing.

Citronella sprays are the usual pet parent’s choice because these do not hurt dogs that much. The main ingredient mused is citronella, which is a special grass that has a citrusy aroma. Since dogs hate citrus scents, these are usually enough to keep dogs from doing whatever unwanted behavior their parents disapprove of.

What is the strongest dog repellent?

The strongest dog repellants are those that give off strong odor enough to stop dogs on their tracks. When it comes to this list, the strongest one is the Rocco & Roxie No Chew Bitter Spray for Dogs. Its 4x bitter formula is proven effective by pet parents and trainers alike.

What scent will keep dogs away?

Dogs stay away from citrus scents and bitter odors. Some dog deterrent sprays also use capsaicinoids. Some people use mustard oil since dogs also don’t like the smell and taste of this.

What can I spray on furniture to keep dogs off?

There are many dog deterrent sprays you can use if your pooch constantly gnaws and chews on your furniture. Based on this list, you can use Rocco & Roxie No Chew Bitter Spray for Dogs, Grannick’s Bitter Apple, and Sentry PET CARE Stop That! Spray for Dogs. 

Conclusion

There are times when the only choice you may have when your pooch is misbehaving or another dog is putting your safety at risk is the help of a dog pepper spray.

Thankfully, there are safe dog deterrent sprays you can buy in the market. But if you are not keen on using such sprays on dogs, you can always use natural alternatives to stop dogs from engaging in their bad behaviors.