Many people want to know about the effectiveness of stun guns on animals. While stun guns are quite effective on human attackers, a stun gun is specially designed to target the nervous system and muscles of humans. It is not designed for animals’ bodies, and will have an unknown effect on them. The general consensus is that stun guns are not an appropriate method of stopping animal attacks.

A stun gun may have a range of effects depending on the animal. It may be unable to stop the animal from attacking, especially if it is a large animal like a bear. On the other end of the spectrum, it may actually end up killing the animal, even though stun guns are a nonlethal method when used against human attackers. Even though you want the attack to stop, you may not feel comfortable killing an animal, which is one reason you wouldn’t want to use a stun gun in such an attack. The bottom line is that stun guns are not designed to be used against animals, wild or domesticated, and can have unpredictable results.

Another danger of using a stun gun against an animal is that it must be pressed directly against the animal in order to work, and this is not always possible or desirable. With that being said, if you do have a stun gun with you and are being attacked, turn it on. The sound of the electrical current has been known to scare away some dogs. Many will run at the sight of a stun gun once it is on. Occasionally, there are new reports of such devices being used against animals. Stun guns and TASER devices have been known to be effective in some cases, but they should always be the last resort, and a more appropriate method should be used if one is available.

A better choice for animal defense is a product designed to control animal aggression, such as an animal repellant spray. This works similarly to pepper spray. In fact, if you want to carry an all purpose self defense weapon that can work against animal or human attacks, consider a canister of pepper spray. Pepper spray, even that designed to be used on humans, is known to be effective at causing the same effects in dogs and other animals as it does in humans. Still, regular pepper spray may not be effective against large animals that may be able to fight through its effects. Bear repellant, a special type of spray, does exist, and it has been proven to be effective in attacks from large wild animals.

Other ways to repel animals that are more effective and safer than stun guns include a Dog Chaser. This specialized device emits a high frequency sound that cannot be heard at all by most humans, but will keep dogs from coming within 15 feet of you. These devices are shaped similarly to a small remote control or garage door opener, and will work against canine attacks. Similar devices use a flashing LED light strobe to confuse the dog.