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Reviewer Information
Gender:	Male
Age:	65
Height:	5' 6" (1.6 meters)
Weight:	159 lb (72 kg)
Email:	mike-at-pahiker-dot-com
Home:	Southwest Pennsylvania, USA
Background:	I’ve been hiking since ’65 with occasional backpacking trips (backpacking became a love affair in the early 80’s). My first sleeping bag weighed in at 8 lb (3.6 kg) by itself! These days my loaded pack only weighs about 15 lb (6.8 kg) sans food. While most of my adventures are in the Northeast, I’ve also been spending a good deal of time in the desert Southwest and most places in-between. My trips tend be in the cooler months - September through May - as I’m not much of a hot-weather person.

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Product Information
Manufacturer:	APlus+ Equipment, Ltd.
Year Acquired:	2020
URL:	APlus+ Amazon Store
MSRP:	$16.99 US
Power:	1 9v Battery (not included)
Options:	Flashlight, Dog training, Dog repellent
Size:	Listed:	4.3 x 1.5 x 0.80 in (10.9 x 3.8 x 2.0 cm)
	Measured:	5.1 x 1.8 x 1.0 in (13.0 x 4.6 x 2.5 cm)
Weight (sans battery):	Listed:	1.6 oz (45.4 g)
	Measured:	2.2 oz (62.6 g)

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Product Description

This is an ultrasonic device intended to stop an approaching dog without inflicting harm on the dog. It operates off a single 9-volt battery. It claims to emit a high-pitched sound that dogs do not like, causing them to stop in their tracks. It can also be used to train dogs by emitting a less annoying sound (controlled by a switch), and it has two build-in LED's so it can be used as a flashlight in an emergency.

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Usage Report

The instructions are fairly simple and straightforward:

• Insert 9v battery into compartment.
• To use as a light: slide the switch to Light
• To stop a dog: slide switch to Chaser setting, aim at the animal, depress the button. Effective to 30 feet (9 m)
• To train a dog Slide switch to Train:
  • Point your pet trainer directly at the dog always using an outstretched arm from a distance of approximately 6 feet (1.8 m) away (effective up to approx. 20 feet (6.1 m))
  • Give the verbal command, then immediately press the button for one or two seconds
  • Repeat steps one and two until your pet responds to your commands

Dogs and the outdoors just go together, and most owners are responsible, but occasionally I come across an owner who thinks the great outdoors is their personal backyard and they can do anything they please, including letting their dogs off leash and out of sight. In times like these I like having something I can use to deter a charging animal, preferably without causing it any harm. In the past I have relied on bear spray (hey if it can stop a charging griz then it should be able to stop a pooch, right?) but that does come with its own problems. Dogs don't always charge with the wind to their face, and if it's coming from behind then the dog isn't the only one going to get hit by the spray, and if it ends up being a friendly pup then the owners have a nasty surprise waiting when they catch up (and it has happened). This seemed to me to be a better idea, if it actually works.

I bought this back in January 2020 thinking $17 isn't a lot of money to give it a try. I found it while surfing the web looking for ideas other that the bear spray. Now, this unit is sold by a number of companies, and I'm not convinced that APlus+ is the actual manufacturer, or just a company that pays to have their name on the product, add to that that I couldn't find any reference to a company called APlus+ outside of Amazon, and I am less convinced of it than before, but, again, $17 isn't much to try something.

Initial impression when it arrived and I unpacked it is that it has a nice ergonomic feel, doesn't feel heavy, and the slide and switches are well placed (easy to reach with just one hand). The battery compartment opens easily, and inserting the battery takes no effort. Thus far I was pleased.

The first thing I tried out (lacking a dog of my own - that will change shortly) was to try the flashlight. The two LEDs put out a nice, bright light that registers 280 lux on my light meter, that's enough for a late-night emergency light.

As I said, I don't have a dog, so testing the training feature isn't possible, and won't be included in this review.

Testing the "chaser" feature was much easier, and, I have to admit, kinda fun. Not wanting to test it out first in the backwoods I decided to try just walking around the neighborhood with the Dog repellent hiding inside my windbreaker's pocket (not according to instructions, but I didn't want to deal with angry neighbors). So, as I walked down the streets and came across a dog in his yard rushing towards me I pressed the button and, to my surprise, not only did he come to a stop but he also cowed down and started looking around. This was promising! I continued walking around and every time I came across a barking or charging dog I hit the button...and they stopped!

The next thing to do was to try it while out hiking. Again, my desire here was not to annoy other hikers just out for a good day with their favorite hiking partners, only those misbehaving owners who let their dogs out of sight. It didn't take long. Second hike out and I came across a dog running over the ridge and down the trail towards me - no owner in sight. I wasn't sure just at what point the dog repellent would be effective so I took it out, aimed it at the dog, pressed the button and waited to see what happened (bear spray in the other hand just in case). At about 10 yards (9 m) he started slowing down, at about 7 yards (6.5 m) he came to a complete stop, just as the owners came over the ridge. I think they were afraid that I was holding a gun (does kind of look like that from a distance), they yelled at me that he's friendly. So all-in-all I was pleased at how well the Dog repellent worked, though I'll still carry the bear spray for those 300-lb doggies I run into occasionally (though I've felt less threatened by them than by dogs).

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Summary

The APlus+ Dog repellent does work, and doubles nicely as an emergency light. I've carried it on several hikes and have always had a good experience when using it in a pooch-on-the-lose situation.

The only issue/concern I have with it is a lack of a battery indicator. There is no idea how long the battery will continue to power the Dog repellent effectively, and I don't think I can change batteries quickly enough if the need occurs. I haven't decided just how often I'll be changing the batteries, but I'll probably test it out on a neighborhood dog the day before I head out into the wilds.

• Things I like:
• Light and comfortable.
• Decent emergency lighting.
• Effective at stopping a charging dog.


• Things I don't like:
• No battery life indicator.