Be prepared, carry pepper spray or a pocket knife when strolling or walking a dog

[Peter cotton]

39. Over 100 years ago, the "Velo-Dog" revolver was marketed for just this purpose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velo-dog



The Velo-Dog was a pocket revolver originally created in France by Charles-François Galand in the late 19th century as a defense for cyclists against dog attacks. The name is a portmanteau of "velocipede" and "dog".

Surviving examples vary considerably in appearance, but all have certain features in common. All have short barrels and fired the 5.75 mm (.22 calibre) Velo-dog cartridge. The hammer is shrouded to avoid its snagging on clothing, so the weapon is double action only. Another unusual feature on many guns is the lack of a trigger guard, and a trigger that folds into the body of the weapon when not in use.

The revolver uses the 5.75mm Velo-dog cartridge, a centrefire 5.5 mm (nominally 5.75) cartridge slightly less powerful than the 22 Long Rifle, using a jacketed bullet. For the more humane, there were cartridges loaded with spice or salt.[citation needed] The cartridge is, or was until very recently, still made by Fiocchi.

They're quite inexpensive as older firearms go, with very nice examples usually selling for no more than $300 or so.