Kismet is unpredictable with dogs she meets, some she loves and plays with, some she's a bit offish with, some she just attacks... So that she can on her loose long line go and meet opther dogs, I keep her muzzled just in case... that way she can be friendly with friendly dogs and I can easily separate it if a fight breaks out...

We compromise in the same manner as many others on this thread... On paths she is walked un muzzled but with the muzzle (a nice bright red one) clipped to my belt. If we walk somewhere there are always dogs, the woods or a field, then the muzzle goes on so she can have thge maximum freedom of her long line without me worrying if theres a dog in that bush or round the next corner...

If we are walking in a big open field where I can see for a long distance then she is unmuzzled and I put the muzzle on only at the sight of an approaching dog.

If we are at the enclosed but open access field near me (its a cow field the farmer lets dogs through most of the time, decent 5ft mesh fence and kissing gates - we only use it when the cows are elsewhere), then she is off lead, but muzzled to avoid surprises...

Currently this is working for us. Though it does mean that on the couple of incidents where we were attacked she was the one hurt... at least it meant I was not the one being chased for the vet bills and I was able to claim compensation from the owner of the other dogs.

Fortunately Kismet doesn't mind the muzzle at all, particularly now I have a lovely open greyhound one where she can get her nose right to the floor and her mouth open wide for panting

That's a lovely photo and she clearly isn't bothered. Axel has a black one like that, and a 'breezy' muzzle too.
I voted yes. Obviously it is choice, but if I had a dog like that I would muzzle. I don't see a muzzle as a horrendous thing or as a failure on anyone's part. I think they can help you relax and therefore help your dogs behaviour.

This is the breezy muzzle. It allows easy treat giving.



I also think the point made in the very first post is a good one, it's surely easier to break up a fight with only one dog able to grab hold that both locking on to each other?

Axel isn't aggressive with dogs, but it's more of a security thing for small dogs 'just in case'. Like I said, I don't see a problem with muzzling your dog so long as they can pant and do natural things. Axel can even forage for treats with his on!

I do understand why people might say 'no', but I personally think it's better safe than sorry and would save incidents sometimes.

They definitely help me relax more on walks. Jenny being the main culprit sets Danny off so I muzzle them both. jenny doesn't like her muzzle very much but Danny couldn't care less

The above posts are exactly what responsible dog ownership is all about, thank you for the pics, your dogs are beautiful!

I have been watching this thread with interest as someone who uses muzzles. I have 2 hounds and use muzzles when they are running in the field to prevent injury to each other. Bella accidently caught Toms side with her tooth in the early days and punctured the muscle when I didnt use muzzles and that made my decision that it was safer to do so whilst running together.

I use a muzzle on Tom in certain other situations. I would like to say though there are some assumptions being made that the use of a muzzle is the easy way out instead of training , I have worked very hard with Tom and his issues and the use of a muzzle is by no way a replacement to address the problem or avoid training, it is in my opinion it is a safe and responsible action in particular circumstances, he can still pant, drink , grab his rope toy and have treats whilst wearing it and is in no way distressed when it is put on.

There are differing reactions to walking a dog wearing a muzzle but if people take the time to find out why the reaction generally changes. There will come a day I hope when the use of a muzzle with Tom is only in exceptional circumstances and indeed we are getting there but until then I will continue to use it. There should be no stigma attached to the use of muzzles but unfortunately there is, as another poster said , a dog in a muzzle is much less of a threat to a human but the assumption is made they are a biter. Tom hasnt bitten ever but did get in a bit of frenzy in the early days and is safer to be muzzled with dogs he hasnt met before. And given there are many iresponsible owners who have dogs offlead with no recall I cant risk it , although some would disagree and think I am putting him at a disadvantage if he was attacked, I try and mitigate that risk that by being on high alert and choosing my walks and times carefully in areas I know there may be dogs who are not under control, I can control Tom onlead and off lead and if he gets wound up I deal with him and he now listens and does not get to the frenzied stage he did in the early days. People who have met him over the last year on Dogsey walks have commented on the improvement each time they see him and the main on Dogsey walks is that he cannot be let off to chase his ball with the others which he finds frustrating until we get walking and then he does his doggy thing and enjoys the walk, we have walked on Cannock Chase with Dogsey dogs and with his chase instinct it would not be the sensible thing to do with all the wildlife lurking in the trees !

Muzzles have their place when used sensibly with training back up to address the issues.

Excellent post Maureen...as usual

I could not agree more Labradork. My Ben is DA towards all male dogs labrador-sized or bigger. He is absolutely fine with smaller dogs, and all bitches. We have tried everything we possibly could to overcome this aggression he displays, and we have failed.

So, now that we have trained him to recall well, and stopped his gallivanting off when he feels like it, we have been walking him in an area where it is extremely hilly and pretty much deserted. Where we cannot see if there could be another dog around the next bend, or over the crest of the next hill, we put him on the lead. However, the other day OH was walking Ben and Tai out, both on leads, and another dog, a GSD, came up to say hello and Ben pounced on him before OH could stop him and the owner of the GSD understandably went ballistic. Ben never inflicts injuries, but he flattens the other dog in these fights and it sounds horrendous. This behaviour is of course unacceptable, so we have now bought a brilliant baskerville-type muzzle off the internet from www.companyofanimals.co.uk. These are pretty much tailor made to fit your dog, you have to measure the head as instructed on the website, and they are made of black silicone rubber so very comfortable to wear. Ben has no objection to wearing his, we have tested it out in the house whilst brushing his tail and clipping him between his toes, both procedures of which he absolutely hates and would have resulted in him threatening you with his teeth if left unmuzzled. The muzzle seems to calm him and he just laid there whilst he was brushed and clipped.

We will be trying it out in earnest tomorrow, so whilst we will still have to be careful and recall him when we see other dogs coming, because weighing in at 45 kilos he can still be frightening and flatten another dog if left unrestrained, at least both ourselves and other dog owners will know that he cannot bite.

So I say a big yes in support muzzles, provided that they are fitted correctly and the handler knows what he or she is doing.

Some people are saying that if the dog is dog aggressive then the dog should be muzzled in case another dog comes to great. I do understand that but shouldn't the other dog have a good enough recall for their owner (who should be supervising) to call them back at the aggressive owners request?

My dog is dog aggressive and because other owners won't call their dogs away when i ask i have to muzzle her now which is making her even more insecure with dogs as she's got no defence

I hear what you are saying, but my personal view is that I want other dogs to be able to approach my boys without suffering an attack. I want to be able to let my dogs off the lead to mingle and socialise with other dogs of all sizes, colours and creeds, without them being aggressive. Tai was never ever ever aggressive until we got Ben. The two of them together have the tendency of acting like a couple of yobs out on the town after a few drinks! If Ben goes for another dog, then Tai will wade in, not to bite, he never bites, but just acts aggressively with a lot of noise! He weighs 46 kilos, so it is just not on.

The muzzle on Ben will help us to train him not to be so aggressive towards other dogs without fear of us or anyone else getting accidentally bitten. He is a very large dog, he can still defend himself even muzzled. In addition, he has a very thick double coat and is immensely strong and very very fast. In addition to that, I would of course prevent another dog from seriously attacking him - I'm a big old girl, and usually walk with a thumb stick which is very good for separating fighting dogs.

I think that this muzzle is going to be extremely advantageous for Ben and the whole of the male dog population in Northamptonshire ... and my heart and blood pressure too!

You wouldn't have that problem if you walked you pet on a lead that's my opinion.