Incident today, help please

Hi

i came home from work at lunchtime to give Oz a charge around teh park. as you know by now Oz is DA so always on a lead but a flexi lead in the park with harness so he can have a good run around.

there were lots of other dogs off lead, so we avoid them as much as we can to avoid temptation for both Oz and the otehr dogs. Needless to say, i always have eyes in the back of my head but i just didnt notuice this one dog ( another staffie) who was off lead and came charging towards Oz who obviously had a go. The staff ran back to his owner who apologised and i made sure his dog was Ok, which it was.

Then another little dog cam running over, i shouted to the owner who immediately called it back.

Thsi comes to my question, OH thinks we should get a muzzle for him when he is on a long lead so at least if another situation occurs like this, Oz couldnt do any harm to another dog.( i have to say that if a dog does come a bit close he belts towards it like a train and its a bit difficult to hang onto the lead if i dont anticipate quickly enough). I am undecided as people think he is a scary dog, would this just not exasibate the situation or should i just go with it for park use? he loves sticks and this would stop him being able to play with them? i know it woudl give me more confidence and not shake me up if another dog approaches, i just dont know what to do and if we do get a muzzle which is best and what size?

thanksk all

As long as you introduce it carefully & positively, then there isn't a problem. My only worry would be that he can't defend himself if another dog has a go.

I'd always go for a Baskerville type so that he can pant & drink. Size wise, I'd have a look in your local let store & try a few on. Then you can probably get one cheaper on line!

I can't comment on a muzzle personally but it is so flipping frustrating that you have to consider it because others are not in control of there dogs! That makes me so cross......

Never been that keen on them as Caryll says if they cant defend themselves. And people who don't have dogs on leads will have to accept consequences  

mmm thats what i think and to make it worse, when we rescued him we found out that he had been tied up outside in a public place with a muzzle on and did have srcatches over his nose where i think he must have been trying to get it off so i'm really not sure but it would help with the stress when it happens again. i just feel so responsible if anything should happen to another dog. its such a shame as Ozz is the most loving and softest dog to humans but not other dogs especially naything bigger than him, goodness knows what must have happened to him before we got him I really dont knwo what to do for the best

Sad isn't it, but you need to do what feels right for you Xx

Lola is DA but I only muzzle her off lead. I keep her on a lead in public and keep my eyes peeled for loose dogs. I use a Baskerville Ultra which I think is the most suitable for a Staff  

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BASKERVILLE-ULTRA-MUZZLE-size-5/dp/B0051H45GC/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1385567527&sr=1-1&keywords=baskerville+ultra+muzzle

Hope your both ok sara I hate that people let their dogs approach other dogs I'd be scared about him not being able to defend himself

It really shook me up, i had to give myself a moment to get it together. Its not Ozzys fault and i can usually guess by his body language whats going on its just when they suddenly appear without notice. I'll give it some more thought what to do but please keep giving me your opinions as they really help

Have you thought about getting a 'no dogs' harness? It might stop the plank heads from letting their dogs approach?

thats a good idea Caryll, do you have a link so i could ahve a look? thasnk so much

Here are the harnesses with writing on  

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STRONG-NON-PULL-DOG-HARNESS-/171164273168?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Kitchen_Steamers_Cookers_PP&var=&hash=item27da2f8a10

The only time I would consider a muzzle was if the dog didn't like people - if off lead dogs come bounding over to your ON LEAD dog - that's the other owners problem!

It's so frustrating isn't it!! I've tried yellow ribbons, no dogs bandanas, muzzles all sorts! But when people are ten miles away and don't even know where their dog is it makes no difference! We were followed for 10 minutes by a collie pup the other afternoon, couldn't see the owner anywhere so we just kept walking and he kept his distance but kept trying to initiate play, think Biscuit was quite happy with him by the time the owner appeared!! Happens all the time here, I just walk very rurally now and carry her muzzle with me to whip it on in an emergency, but she always wears a muzzle when street walking as she will lunge at people too!

We muzzle chance most of the time, but if he's running about on his long lead and we are in the middle of no where he doesn't wear it but we always carry it in case.

But i wouldn't muzzle Ozzy as he can't defend himself like others have said

Thanks so much for your valuable advice, I may buy one and have it with me just in case, I'll tell OH what you have said to love you guys

Muzzling your dog outdoors is a personal choice and you are the best qualified to decide whether this would be beneficial for both of you. A muzzled dog tends to give the impression that it is HA.
I think that some dogs can get stressed when muzzled on lead as they are less able to defend themselves.
The other side of the coin may be that you could use a muzzle as a way of introducing Ozzy to other submissive dogs.

As others say Sarah you are in control of Ozzy , why have to take these steps against ignorant people , me personally would not be muzzling unless I was letting him off lead , but whatever you are comfortable with at the end of the day good luck in your choices

Thanks again, still not decided but from all the advice you have given me I think I will do without

Baskerville do their Ultra Muzzle in a Baby Blue colour, so if you do decide to get one for him, at least it won't look as harsh
We are subjected to breed specific legislation here in Ireland and staffies are one of 11 breeds that are 'restricted' and supposed to be muzzled in public.
I'm not usually one for breaking the law but I wholeheartedly disagree with BSL and I don't muzzle Reggie, but I am training him to wear one and will carry it with me on walks in case I get stopped by anyone.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baskerville-Ultra-Muzzle-Blue-Size/dp/B00CD40HW2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1385678086&sr=8-4&keywords=baskerville+ultra+muzzle+blue

Hi Sara,

We had a very similar situation with Fritz. We rehomed Fritz from his previous owners, who said they couldn't look after him anymore. When we went to pick him up we noticed two large scars on his back (they said he'd been attacked by another dog in the park), but it wasn't until we got home that we noticed a faint scar around his nose. When we took him to the vets for his vaccinations and neutering, they told us it looked like a muzzle mark, probably from where he was forced to wear one all-day everyday

Anyway, after a few walks in the doggy park we realised that he had some dog aggression issues and we finally came to the decision to buy him a soft nylon safety muzzle for when he's in areas we know he'll encounter other dogs. At first he hated it, rubbed his nose in the grass to try and get it off. It was really disheartened and saddening :(We felt so mean. However, one day he got into a scrap with another dog, and that's when we realised how lucky it was he had the muzzle on. It was so much easier to handle him and break up the fight. He's totally used to it now, doesn't seem to care much at all, and it gives us that reassurance if a dog ever appears out of nowhere we'll be able to contain the situation.

We've had a few comments that it makes him look like Hannibal Lecter though...

Hi Sophie, don't mean to butt in would just feel bad if I didn't, those nylon muzzles can be very dangerous and shouldn't be used for exercise!! Only for short periods such as grooming or the vets, they don't allow movement or for the dog to pant properly and especially in hot weather or for dogs with short faces (like the staff) can cause real problems! You'd be better off with the Baskerville ultra for exercise, I use them on the kennel dogs and they can still pant/drink/take treats and are much more comfortable! They're the black ones, not the old brown ones so good that you're being responsible sounds like he's fallen on his feet with you! X

Im no expert but Im surprised no hasn't mentioned behaviour training instead of just putting a muzzle on as the only alturnative ?
Im not being pedantic as I had a similar incident today which I will explain on another thread.

If you know bull breeds you know that sometimes there is no alternative. Even if you do want to socialize and attempt rehabiliation they will still need to be muzzled.. one slip up on yours or their side could be fatal without!

Hi everyone and sorry this is so long!!

I've just seen this post and can totally relate to Sara and Ozzy's predicament. My boy can be DA, not always, but I can just never tell how he might react to another dog. He is better with dogs he knows well, but we still have to keep a close eye on them if they are together. He isn't always reactive to all dogs and can happily say hello to another dog he meets, but then other times I know the signs and know he will react.

I use the Baskerville Ultra muzzle which works well for him. Like others, I carry it with me just in case. He is obsessed with his ball/toys to play fetch with when we are out on walks and there are a couple of wide open spaces where he can be off lead and muzzle free, but like you Sara, I have eyes in the back of my head and am constantly on the look out for other dogs and quickly put in him on a lead and/or muzzle him if another dog is getting a little too close for my liking.

Most of the time when other dog owners are approaching and see me put my lead on Dizzy they will do the same, or I will signal them to make sure they know I mean for them to put their dog on a lead or recall them. But as we know, this does not apply to everyone and also some dogs have other things in mind when they see other dogs.

I don't muzzle him when I am walking along the street as I agree this suggests to some people that your dog is aggressive to humans, which is not the case. I used to worry about if a dog off lead comes running up to my dog on a lead, but if anything were to happen (god forbid) then it would be the other dog owner's fault for having a dog off lead and out of control in a public place/highway.

Unfortunately I recently had an incident just over a week ago where I was out walking my boy over the local fields and he was happily playing with his ball. I saw a lady with a smallish dog (border terrier) approaching in the distance so diverted as I usually do. Then suddenly she appeared to be coming towards me again so I turned back the other way only to see that her dog was now steaming at full pelt towards mine barking its head off. I knew instinctively what was going to happen so I grabbed my dog by the collar whilst shouting at her to call her dog back and also whilst trying to get his muzzle on but it was too late. Anyway, her dog ran straight up to my dog and started to have a go at him, at which point he reacted exactly has he would to defend himself. I tried to hold on to him but somehow he managed to squirm free of his collar. It was an awful moment and everything was then in a slow motion horror movie.

I won't tell you what went thru my head at the time but all I knew is that I had to stop the fight as quickly as I could, so I literally rugby tackled both dogs and in trying to separate them ended up getting bitten on both hands myself. God knows how I stopped it but I managed to separate them and the second they released I screamed at the woman to get her dog on a lead and move away. I continued to lay on my dog as I knew that given the slightest chance he would go back at the other dog and it was also vital time for my dog to calm a little.

By this point my hands were covered in blood and I was shaking like a leaf. How I managed to get his collar and lead back on with the excruciating pain thru my hands I don't know. Thing is, after we were back on our feet all he was interested in was finding his ball which had subsequently got lost in the mayhem.

After a trip to A&E, I wasn't too badly injured and had a few puncture wounds to my hands and fingers and apart from some bruising and swelling I was fine. My main priority at the time was making sure neither dog got hurt. I just didn't even hesitate when it all kicked off, it was just instinctual, even though everyone says I shouldn't have tried to stop it. If I hadn't I dread to think what would have happened to the other dog. I just kept saying to the other woman when I got up “is your dog ok? is your dog ok?”. I think she was more mortified after seeing me covered in blood!

So now after that episode, even though it was totally the fault of the other dog owner, I am still shaken up and now nervous when we go out plus will not even let him off the lead over the local field at all now and he is muzzled on the extended lead, so he is missing out on his ball fetching which he loves. It’s so sad that this is the situation, especially as he was only defending himself. I just can’t risk another situation like that and the safety of another dog and moreover the safety and consequence of what would happen to my boy, if something terrible did happen and I couldn’t stop it. But then there is the question of him not being able to defend himself if another dog was bigger and stronger than him and attacked him.

But what do you do for the best?  I would never cope if something happened to him as a result of either consequence, he is like my child and I adore him and love him to peaces. He is my fur baby! I just wish all dog owners were responsible when letting their dogs approach other dogs. I love walking my boy especially at the weekends when we get more time together and having that pleasure clouded by what happened makes me really sad

How horrible for you Lisa, glad you're both OK xx

Lisa, trusts the exact same predicament except Oz has never been off lead, I still haven't decided to get a muzzle yet as Oz loves sticks and it would really stop his fun. I really hope you are ok Lisa it was very brave of you. I just hope to other dog owner appreciates what you did

Why should you have to punish your dog becasue of other peoples stupidity, I wouldn't muzzle him either. If you see a dog approaching with its owner just ask them to pop he lead on so it is under control until they are out of your way. If you keep your dog on a lead (of any length) you are being a responsible dog owner.

Thanks everyone I am ok just still a little shaken up by the whole incident.

Thanks Kathy - the majority of dog owners I meet are responsible enough to put their dogs on leads, but you are always going to get the idiots wherever you go unfortunately!