On a serious note, training a muzzled dog is hard because you have to post the reward through the holes in the muzzle, and with an excited dog trying to grab the treat before it drops through the mesh it is all a bit fraught. I know. I`ve done it!
I have also been injured by an exuberant dog slamming into me at top speed so maybe all dogs should be fitted with bumpers as well?
And stilts for short dogs in case I trip over them?

If it became law, which I would hope it never does, yes I would.

Jts I wouldn't muzzle and keep on a lead, as then your dog would be a sitting target, but I don't see a muzzle as a punishment, there is a million reasons for a dog to wear a muzzle, from something as simple to stop a dog eating rubbish on walks, I read today that there has been bait left out for badgers in certain areas that have killed dogs, a muzzle would stop something like this.

Been there!! We now use the softer black Greyhound ones - they seem to fit better around the head as well

Yep - this was why Trip was muzzled initially - I trained her to wear it and she never had an issue - accept she could not eat the rubbish before I could get her away from it!

I'd muzzle HIM!!!! idiot

xx

IF it became the law, then yes, I would muzzle Zara. I would rather that than pay fines and have her taken from me.

No i wouldn't muzzle madison and im sure if they ever tried to bring in such a silly law the majority of dog owners would protest hard against it and i would definately be amongst them - innocent until proven guilty in my book!

If it became law, then I would have no choice!!

I wonder how/if it would affect how dogs greet each other though? ie would it make a difference on normal, sociable greetings between well-balanced dogs?

My female Kerry used to be muzzled at agility when working off-leash as she had never bitten but could get quite reactive with other dogs (tries to headbutt!) and I thought it was safer. She didn't mind but it didn't stop her going off on another dog and the owner got bitten by his dog as he picked it up to stop it biting her! I felt awful.

She is better now but she could have been a competition dog in agility had she the temperament of my male Kerry as she was very good. Never mind hey.

What I don't like about the dogs we sometimes see muzzled is they use the wrong type of muzzle -not the basket type ones but a tight-fitting one where the dog can't pant or drink. Looks cruel to me but if you say something people think you are a know-it-all and don't want to listen in my experience.

I had a foster dog that was not good with other dogs and had to be kept muzzled and on lead, its amazing the amount of people that still let their dogs run up to him, so much so that in the end i had to warn them off. In one case a lady let her dog run up and that was in an dogs on lead area !