Muzzles can be and are used for different things.

As usual, most people jump to conclusions when they see a dog wearing one, assuming it to be dangerous, when in actual fact dogs wear muzzles:

to prevent them scavenging
to prevent them getting at a wound/stitches/removing their coat

as well as being dog/people aggressive.

I find it amusing that people are MORE threatened by a dog in a muzzle than one without due to them thinking that a muzzle = dangerous, when in actual fact of course their dog is at LESS potential risk from being bitten!

Perception comes into a lot of aspects of dogs.

Tie two dogs up to a fence and walk past.

Both dogs may lunge and bark.

The labrador (or similar) will be deemed as behaving that way because it is "upset at mummy leaving it and wanting to rejoin her", the GSD/Rottweiler will be deemed as being vicious.

Totally agree.

I dont see a dog with a muzzle on as a big threat, see it as an owner being responsible.....

fair enough if people think that people will judge them or look down on them for having a muzzle on...but as you say SB, perception.

Is it that actually the human goes away with the perception... 3 people commented today so most people think my dog is......when actually there may have been 50 people that seen the dog that day and only 3 commented so actually its not MOST people who are assuming there is any immediate danger from the dog...

Recently in the city centre I was getting fed up with shrieks etc but actually, if 10 people acted a bit thick around him, Id probably passed about 100 people, so not everyone was judging him, thinking he was a threat etc etc. (couple even petted him) Very easy for me to intially think, OMG why are people all judging us and thinking hes vicious etc, but the reality is only a small amount (of silly people) acted that way....

I do agree about breed predudice, many a lab can walk past people in the street without folk jumping into the road, where I am, but apparently oncoming traffic is less risky than walking past my dobe....got to laugh at them really

I sometimes use muzzles when working with DA cases fr example.

Usually when the dog is socilising with mine at first, more than anything it calms the owner down which helps enormously. Long term I think they should be unneeded, some owners will always feel more comfortable if their dog is muzzled though.

Adam

I will muzzle up Boomer every once in a while if I am out of eyesight and he is in the car. Some people are just downright stupid. My car cannot be any more marked than it is, "Caution-K9" on back glass, the side windows, front and rear bumper. He sits inside a cage, seperated from the front, and the back windows are steel mesh where I can roll the windows all the way down and he can have plenty of cool air. But, I actually had some stupid people come up one day and stick their fingers through the mesh windows....That is a very good way to lose a finger or two!!!

How about fitting some finer mesh on top of the current mesh? This will still let air in but stop people poking their fingers in (you'd think common sense would stop that but obviously not!)

Yes I believe they should be.

There are two aggressive dogs at my local park. One is so bad that if I happen to arrive at the park as this owner and his dog are leaving, I actually have to pull my dog right over to the side so that this guy can 'safely' walk his dog out.

The other week they were near us in the park and Dexter started going over to greet the dog. The owner went beserk, yelling and screaming and then actually lifting up his dog and holding him above his head!

Sorry but if his dog is THAT aggressive, he should be muzzled.

I voted 'yes' but then read this response which to me is good sense and responsible dog ownership

I don't like muzzles but I understand their place on occasions. A couple of years ago I saw a lady walking a bulldog cross wearing a muzzle. At the time I thought, what a shame but I also wondered if she had attempted any training with him. Whilst I was busy pontificating 'in my mind'!! another walker with dog came round the corner and the bulldog cross went loopy. Although he was on the lead, the owner was caught unawares and didnt have the strength to keep hold of the dog which shot off and still managed to pin the innocent walkers dog down!! Everyone was shaken up and it was still horrible to witness but thank god the bulldog was wearing the muzzle. You can't always assume that the handler can do just that ....handle!

Sort of depends on the dog - if I had an onlead - must keep my dog away from the interloper or it'll kill it in certain situations dog - then muzzle. no question. Wouldn't want to trust to purely my own handling ability.