Hi CG,

I think the muzzle sends the exactly the right message. My boy doesn't like strangers and the muzzle, more often than not, stops people approaching. Most are appreciative of the fact I'm being responsible and keeping everyone safe.

I don't understand what you mean by the whistle? Scooby does have recall, although it's disappearing along with his hearing. He cannot be trusted with people though so would be recalled and placed back onlead at the site of a person anyway. He does sometimes go offlead but only if wearing a muzzle, just in case someone takes us by surprise but that only happens when I can see well enough ahead.

Onlead 90% of the time I probably don't need to muzzle him as I can easily avoid people but it doesn't necessarily stop him reacting. I find people are a lot more understanding when they see him barking and growling on lead with a muzzle on than on lead without a muzzle on.

The muzzle shows that I am a responsible owner of a slightly deranged dog...

I understand how you feel...it's happened to me far too many times . Tonks now wears a bright green collar with friendly written all over it. Got it from a company called the friendly collar company.

they had 3 terriers

I know that I shouldn't take it personally but I think it was the injustice of it if you know what I mean. She wasn't doing anything wrong.

I suppose I should get used to it having a sbt x but generally I've come across people want to stroke her.

I know exactly what you mean. I have had a pensioner shout abuse at me, from across the street, while Tonks was sitting next to me outside a shop we'd just come out of. I had my children with me, who were 1 and 2 at the time. She was out out because she had to cross the road because 'I was blocking her path with my vicious dog' and ' I would be sorry when my dog ripped my children's face off, then I would know she was right!' Tonks was sat on one hip looking at me as if she didnt know what all the fuss was about.

Hi but first impressions,are important,Yes I understand what you are saying,but I am only used to the muzzle used in racing,because dogs get excited and could bite other dogs but it rarely happens.I just think its sad when dogs need to socialise,but its your dog and you know it best.crystalgirl

Hi CG,

I can see where you are coming from if my boy was a young dog but at 14 years old he's pretty set in his ways. He likes the people he knows and he's happy with that. He has a lot of friends and he goes to work with me everyday where he socialises with a variety of staff members and volunteers all of whom he has been introduced to carefully.

Strangers invading his space is stressful for him and by muzzling him I send a very clear signal that he is not to be approached and so we avoid the issue altogether. I used to just tell people that he was nervous of strangers (before he wore a muzzle) and they would all say 'oh it's fine, I'm great with dogs' and force themselves on him resulting in him getting stressed and sometimes snapping. This way none of us have to go through that trauma.

Thats disgusting..A few people hear stories about staffys in the paper and automatically fear them, even tho they are sweet dogs..

At a time I was thinking of muzzling my Lasqa, for her protection. She wasn't dangerous at all, she would have never bitten anyone except maybe if she was cornered and couldn't see a different way out. But I'd had so many people come up to my dogs and just smooth them without even asking (one time a mum actually sent her kids over to smooth my dogs without even looking at me), and Lasqa was very uncomfortable with strangers and fearful of people approaching from above (she was only a tiny jack x) that I thought maybe they wouldn't if she was wearing a muzzle. In the end I didn't as she really didn't like wearing it.
But I find it incredible how many people would just run up to my dogs and touch them without asking me, and my dogs were clearly demonstrating they didn't like it. And all because they were 'so cute'.

On the other hand people's reactions towards 'dangerous looking dogs' are ridiculous. Luckily I've not had any such reactions yet, but that's probably because I've not been out in public with her that much yet..

And I never understand that! Why avoid a muzzled dog...it's going to be able to do far less harm than an unmuzzled dog!

I'm not a fan of putting a muzzle on rather than seeking behaviourist advice but I understand that sometimes it's necessary.