I had a disagreement with someone about this the other day, she'd gone into a park with her 3 non-breed friendly greyhounds on their leads, unmuzzled. A man had come into the park behind her with 2 pugs and let them off the lead, one of her greyhounds swung round and grabbed one of the pugs and started shaking it. Amazingly the pugs got away unharmed (apart from pychological trauma and a fear of greyhounds), the woman with the greyhounds proceeded to yell at the man for being stupid and irresponsible.

My point to her was that the man with the pugs had no way of knowing that the greyhounds were aggressive, he'd probably not been around many before and being a regular to the park - unlike the woman - pressumed her dogs were ok. Her reason for not muzzling was the same old "I want them to be able to fight back if attacked".

The argument makes no sense to me whatsoever, how many people's dogs are regularly attacked by others meaning they need their own teeth as defence at all times?

If you have complete control over your dog whilst it is on a lead surely this includes the dog's head, mouth and teeth. If there is anychance of your dog attacking another then walking them in park areas and anywhere you may see others should be a no-no, UNLESS muzzled.

I cannot begin to see the other side of the argument on this, my greyhound was breed aggressive for a long time and I would never take the risks people seem to throughout their dog's life. If he'd injured or God forbid killed a dog whilst I was "in control" of him on the lead I would never forgive myself because when it came down to it, it would be my fault, not the owner of the other dog that ran up to him.

But surely the man is the one making this presumption, and the man is the one who's dog wasn't under control. You say that if there's any chance of your dog attacking a dog it should be muzzled, I say if there's the chance your dog will run up to other dogs that may or may not be friendly, it should be on-lead. Even if the greyhounds were muzzled, a) muzzles can still do a fair bit of damage to a small dog - they don't half hurt when you get a big whack from one, and b) it is totally unfair to the greyhounds and their owner because even if the greyhounds can't bite, their stress levels will go through the roof. What if the greyhound didn't react aggressively but was terrified of this dog approaching them, you say aggressive dogs should be kept out of/muzzled in parks for the sake of other dogs, surely dogs that will rush up to strange dogs should be kept out of/kept on lead in parks for the sake of other dogs?

You say that you don't take the risks others would - well, I think this man was taking a risk letting his dogs off around on-lead dogs when he didn't have a good enough recall to call them back. Yes, plenty of people do it but even if you think the man isn't 100% to blame, he has a good portion of the responsiblity to keep his dogs under his control and can't blame the greyhound owner entirely.

I think it was the Pug owners "fault" this situation happened. I never let Parker go up to leashed dogs unless I know the owner and their dog and they are ok with this, or the owner says it is ok for the dogs to meet.

Parker got head-butted by a muzzled Greyhound when I was sitting on a bench on the heath and a man just appeared round the corner with 2 muzzled Greyhounds and Parker decided he was going to have a friendly bum-sniff. The Greyhound head-butted him in the tummy with its muzzle and he yelped and moved away. I apologised and said to Parker "serve you right for sticking your nose in where it's not wanted"!

I am fed up with owners who let their dogs approach on-lead Cherry and stress her out. This happened again this week when she had a Staffy bitch charge at her head and I think she nipped it as it squealed and ran away. The owner said "oh that's the ONLY time she won't come back, when there's another dog around" as if that was ok! Well, if that's the case please train your dog or keep it on a leash/long line.

Haven't read all the replies but after last Sunday's incident I'm afraid I have to say yes. I don't trust the owners overall and think it is too much risk otherwise.

We were walking Woody in an un-popular spot when from over 200 yards away a dog came charging over and attacked Woody. It pinned him down and went for his throat. He managed to break free but the dog would not let off him, charging and biting and attacking him.

Neil was hitting it with Woody's lead and yelling to the owner, who just stayed where he was calling the dog back, over and over again.

Eventually the dog let go and went back but Woody spent the rest of the walk with his tail between his legs, not leaving our side.

I know this is not something that happens all the time and that most people with DADs are in full control, but I just don't think I should have to risk something like this happening to my dog (or us or a child caught in the middle) again. This is the third time this has happened to him and it makes me furious! Especially when I've been working so hard with him lately to build up his confidence.

Poor Woody-I hope he's feeling better now but it does shake their confidence (and yours). This dog should have been on a lead though as even if it was muzzled it could have upset and hurt Woody.

I carry a personal alarm for circumstances like this as I'm really fed-up with some inconsiderate owners who let their dogs behave like this.

Sorry, was this dog on-lead but escaped from the owner's grasp or was just loose? I don't think anyone's saying aggressive dogs should be off-lead and unmuzzled! I walk my reactive dog on a double ended lead and bought his particular harness specifically to stop him slipping it (like he could regular ones), for his safety and that of nearby dogs (don't think he'd hurt one but he might belt over to it gobbing off and scare it), I think with an aggressive dog it's important to ensure the dog can't slip a collar/harness/headcollar and get loose.

Then EVERY dog should be muzzled as there is always a chance of them attacking another dog.

I stopped muzzling mine on street walks because it just encouraged people to set their dogs on him or torment him to look big in front of their friends by winding the "vicious" dog up.

Pidge, even if that dog had been muzzled it would still have attacked and upset and hurt Woody. It should have been on a lead. I hope Woody wasn't seriously hurt and that he recovers his confidence quickly. I really wish people would control their aggressive dogs, it's too many incidents like that that have resulted in Rupe being the way he is. People just don't seem to care that their dog has traumatised another!

My feeling is both the Pug & Greyhound owners were at fault. The hound owner for not keeping a better eye out as to what was about her, shes obviously aware her hound does not care for small dogs & the Pugs owner for letting his dogs loose near strange dogs

Pugs are very sociable dogs & possibly play in the park with other hounds/types

The other way to look at it is, if it had been a small child who had spooked the hound, would the dog have turned round & grabbed it...


Whilst i can see this ladys point i feel her thinking is flawed. She has a pack of 3 dogs & if one is attacked on lead, no doubt the others would join in. I would say part of her outburst was horror at what happened. She was reacting to the situation & what could have been - she has a reactive dog & my own feeling is she owes it to that dog to bring it out separately to the others & give it her 100% attention

Im sure the Pugs owner will think twice before he lets his little dogs off again near any dogs. Lucky little dog it wasn't seriously hurt.

As for aggressive on lead dogs, think it depends on the dog & the owners capability to control it. I dont feel there could be a yes/no answer for every reactive dog.

Actually in a public park I think a dog should be able to tolerate another dog walking past in close proximity without trying to eat it.

If not. Muzzle.

If your greyhound is still prey orientated - small dogs and cats - I see no way you can possibly control three on a lead. Were they to have met the pug on lead walking around a blind bend the same thing may well have happened - or how about a neighborhood cat hopping over the fence in front of you unexpectedly?

Not talkng about the odd grouse or go away snap - again thinking of "Ooh lunch" or serious deathmatch dogs. (thinking here of a staffordshire that used to be fine with other dogs unless one had a growl or go at him then he'd be going for the kill - not your fault if some rude offlead dog ran upto you but too much of an overreaction not to be guarded against sort of thing)