Hi i have to muzzle my staffy bitch as she has been attacked by 2 boxers and now seems to want to go for any dog she sees so to play it safe i muzzle her so i can let her off lead but i have a question she rubs her face along the floor and has a sore nose in the process any ideas how to stop her doing this before she has no skin left on her nose

many thanks

Not sure how you could solve the problem with the sore nose. Sudocream always works quite well with that sort of thing but it doesnt really prevent the problem.
Going slightly off topic......if your bitch is muzzled and as you say "go's after any dog she sees" how will she protect herself if she starts on a dog that goes for her???  Would it not be better to play it safe by keeping her on lead?

It can depend - I use to have to muzzle my dog at times and it was a bit like an off switch.  He knew his powers were limited when he had that on so he behaved......

No i dont want to keep her on lead i have done this for over 6mnths and i enjoy nothing more than to see my dog running free in the park besides she is never too far from us for this situation to happen i have thought about that situation already and if a dog is off lead it should be a well behaved or muzzled dog in my opinion

THnakyou yes so does mine she behaves very well when muzzled

Your dog will get used to it so persevere and just treat the sore bits where it rubs.  I muzzle my dog regularly when required but I also keep him permanently on the lead because he goes for dogs and runs away.  No harm to the dog in me doing either of these things and he does have a very happy life :)

CG

How old is your dog. It looks as though we may have to do this with my boy, and I'm finding it difficult to come to terms with. When we had to muzzle him a while back for a couple of weeks he was very unhappy about it. :-(

To both OP and carene

I can appreciate the difficulties and compromises involved when having to exercise a muzzled dog but would not recommend that having a dog off lead when muzzled is a safe or wise practice.  Any dog which is muzzled by virtue of that fact cannot defend itself if need be and therein lies a potentially huge problem :(  Even if wearing the muzzle calms the dog in question, other approaching dogs may none the less stress the muzzled one and it may then (quite naturally and instinctively) go on to display posturing or vocal signs of angst which could provoke an attack response from un unmuzzled dog.

I've witnessed a very few really serious dog on dog attacks over many years (thankfully, % wise these are still relatively rare) but can assure you things can change in a flash - even when the owner or owners are particularly close to the dogs when the incident occurs.

Unfortunate though it is to have to keep a dog leashed at all times, it is IMO the lesser of the two evils.

regards, Teri

To Carene:

He's 8 and a half and I've had him from rescue for 4 and a half years.  He's been a bit of a demon from the first day we had him (hence rescue) and his problem has always been he wants to attack other dogs.  So we just muzzle in company and put him on the lead outside.  He went nuts when we first did it but we've tried to train him and re-behaviour him but he's just too stubborn to do it so we do what we have to do.  And to be honest its second nature to him now so he just gets on with it.  He'd rather be out walkies with a muzzle and lead than be in the house.  It's not cruel and it's not spoiling his life :)  Belive me, he has a great life!!  And he's not being a nuisance to anyone else either.

CG

(Not that this is about taking sides) but im with you Teri. Everybody loves to see thier dogs run free and in an ideal world this would happen. All dogs would be well behaved and re call when asked and all owners would be as kind and considerate as we are. Unfortunately this is not the case and therefore, i would keep my dog on a lead in this situation as opposed to being muzzled and off lead. Walks can be just as effective on lead as they can be off and you are in much more control when your dog is on a lead should (god forbid) a situation occur.

Yup Freds Mum - a walk on a lead is just as effective as a walk off the lead.  If I can be 99% sure there's no one there I will let Copper off the lead.  Yes he loves it.  He runs and runs and runs.  But there's always that 1% person that just pops up with 2 dogs out of nowhere and it all goes to ruin.  So I can't take that risk and I don't anymore.  A dog can have a very lovely life even if he's 100% walked on lead :)

CG

I take my dog on "smelly walks" if i havent got the time to give him a proper long walk. I was told that by letting a dog sniff everything i.e. every lampost etc, rather than pulling them away, it gives them as much stimualtion and tires them out the same as long walk, due to them working out every dog that has pased that spot;if it was a bitch;if it was entire male; if the bitch was in season. There is a misconception that an off lead walk is the best form of exercise but its not. Mental stimulation is just as good.
Sorry think im digressing slightly :-)

I do understand all of your comments but my question to you was not should i have my dog on a lead with a muzzle or not it was in fact how can i stop her tearing her nose apart trying to remove the muzzle although i appreciate your comments i will carry on with my dog the way i wish i know my dogs body language better than anyone and she is by my side at all times by running free i didnt mean half a mile ahead or behind me i just meant along side me and if i see a threat i will put her on a lead

Hi happygirlie,

>i will carry on with my dog the way i wish i know my dogs body language better than anyone

I beg to differ - I think you will find that her own species "read" her better than any person can, regardless of how experienced or how close the contact.

>and she is by my side at all times by running free i didnt mean half a mile ahead or behind me i just meant along side me

In which case why the need for her to be off lead?

And how then can you

>enjoy nothing more than to see my dog running free in the park

Apologies if I'm somehow misinterpreting your comments here but I would have thought that she can only be *either* "along side you" *or* "by your side at all times" ...... not both simultaneously?

I appreciate that your point of concern was relating to your bitch rubbing her nose when muzzled and as you will see some posters have replied on those lines :) However the broader picture relating to the vulnerability of your dog has been addressed for the safety of your dog which, when running free and muzzled is  in significantly greater danger of injury than a loss of hair and/or grazing to its nose :(

You are of course under no obligation to pay heed to any advice given but hopefully will appreciate that, because some posters believe that the general safety of your dog is compromised with your current exercise regime, it was better brought to your attention :)

regards, Teri

I haven't been on here for a while and this is just what I was looking for!  I was going to ask if I should muzzle my boy.  He has not been off lead now for nearly 3 years (well it will be in September).  He is 4 on February 16th.  I am not really too bothered about the walking because if he is on lead I know I have total control over him, and he does get quite a bit of running about at home in our garden.  I was thinking about muzzling him so that I can let him off but after reading some of these posts I am not too sure now.  Anyway I am still considering the muzzle for at home, I know it sounds silly but I don't feel comfortable when young girls come around our house, I have 2 boys (21 and nearly 18) and my dog just don't like the sound of the high pitched excitable girls.  My son is 18 in a couple of weeks and he is having some friends round before they go out and there will be some girls also, so I wanted to know what type of muzzle I should get, he is a dobermann.  I just know that I will feel more relaxed at home while they are there.

Hapygirlie

Maybe we have adressed your problem. by advising he is a safer on a lead he wouldn't need to wear a muzzle and would therefore stop the rubbing and soreness.
I personally would have been happy withe the replies. It's not all been about the muzzle rubbing but has highlighted some important issues.

So if i keep her on lead theres no need for the muzzle you say so in fact she will never get to greet another dog which then in turn will make her even more anti dog i will muzzle her as she is not showing signs of aggression with it on her tail wags etc and its safer all round but thankyou

If she's already 'anti' dog, then she may pretty much always be anti dog...

she is a Stafford after all!
actually edited to add and try and be more constructive - if the muzzle is causing her discomfort, hairloss/sore patches... then perhaps it might be best to keep her leashed for a short while until the sore parts are recovered?
Also is she anti dog with all other dogs or just some? 
It could be hard to differentiate if she's muzzled and loose....

To be completely honest with you happygirlie i dont think muzzling but still allowing your dog to greet others agressively is acceptable either. If your dog is muzzled but goes up to adog growling and acting aggresively then the other dog could and probably would also react in an agressive way. If the other dog isnt muizzled it could well attack your dog and cause some serious injury. Your dog has no way of protecting itself so could be quite a scary situation all round. That was the point i was trying to make about remaining on a lead and in control. I for one wouldnt appreciate a dog coming up to mine (muzzled or not) if the owner knows it has aggresive tendancies.

Just wanted to add, if the muzzle is rubbing away hair across the nose you could sew some padding to it. I actually fixed a small piece of vetbed to Hattie's muzzle (a greyhound type muzzle) which did the trick. If your dog is scratching at it to get it off and causing damage maybe it is the wrong size/uncomfortable? I have found a less severe, for want of a better word, muzzle which may suit your dog or the person with the Dobermann. It is called a muzzle loop, made by trixie (if you are interested I'll try and find a link).

I would also say I always walk Hattie on the lead and muzzled, I'd rather be safe than sorry!

Edited to show image at (http://www.trixie.de/trE/SBIFZdTAqx41bawnpNN3q43FcsUNVjdSYw6/nLE/index.html). Go to dog, then muzzles, it is the last on the list - nylon muzzle loop.

That looks really interesting, almost as if it would double as a head collar too, would it?

I have a dog aggressive dog and allow him to run off lead (muzzled) every day. It would be no life at all for him to be kept on his lead, and indeed even if I walked him 6 hours a day I doubt he'd get enough exercise, the exercise that a 2 hour off lead walk provides. If the OP is sensible in finding safe areas to walk the dog then there is no issue of meeting other dogs. I've been doing this now for the past 4 or 5 years with Mr Beastly and in all that time have only met 2 lots of dogs while he's off lead as I'm very careful. Because I can't completely discount the possibility of meeting another dog, wherever and whatever time we walk, he's muzzled to be on the safe side. He's had over a thousand fun, off lead walks. The very slim chance that we may meet a dog that decides to attack him is in my opinion a chance worth taking as the risk is so miniscule and compared with the wonderful quality of life he has.

Sorry Tigger2 but i think ts a misconception that Dogs have to be walked off lead to enjoy it or be provided with enough exercise

Also, I know we're going slightly off topic now, but a muzzled dog although it can't bite can still cause a fair bit of damage to another dog esecially if it is a smaller dog it encounters!

Freds Mum,

You must be kidding me. Health/behavioural issues aside, any dog trainer, behaviourist or vet will tell you that being allowed to exercise off lead is a fundamental need. I can't imagine that many breeders would be too pleased either if you told them that a puppy you were going to purchase would never be allowed off the lead (excluding some of the small breeds here - I know a lot of people who use extension leads for small dogs). The majority of our most common and popular breeds are designed to be active, very active even.

What breed do you have? I cannot believe that anyone other than those with the easiest exercised breeds would believe that it's a "misconception" that dogs need to be let off the lead. Of course doing stints of road walking for whatever reason is fine or doing a mixture of lead and off lead, but to never let a dog off the lead when there isn't a reason not to let it off is not fair at all in my opinion. If I had a dog that could never be off lead in public due to aggression or recall I would do my absolute upmost to find somewhere fenced in that I could be given permission to use. If that was not possible I would exercise the dog by jogging or cycling with it or taking it swimming several times a week. If all else failed I would at the very least have it on a good length extension lead. I would not think it acceptable to just lead walk it for its entire life.

>Walks can be just as effective on lead as they can be off

This simply isn't true in my opinion. I can be out with my dog for 2 hours (1 hour 25 mins offlead) and he'll easily cover 2 or 3 times the distance I do. Most of that time he'll spend running, mixing with other dogs, following scents, chasing squirrels, running like a complete loon through the long grass after a rainfall, running up and down hills, paddling in the stream, jumping in puddles and generally having a great time! My dog simply isn't interested in sniffing the pavement for mental stimulation.

The first thing anyone remotely aware of the needs of a dog will ask when presented with a dog with a behavioural problem would be to ask how much exercise the dog gets. So many dogs are completely under stimulated and then the owners wonder why the dog is a complete fruit loop when it is a very simple need to fulfill. A lot (not all) of behavioural problems can be completely cured by providing more physical and mental stimulation.

In response to karenclynes

Totally agree with your comment re some muzzled dogs can and do still cause injuries to other dogs if they are of sufficiently greater size, build, weight, determination etc :(  

In response to zarah

I am fortunate in that my dogs are able to enjoy as much off lead exercise as I choose to give them and, on first reading, your account of the physical, mental and behavioural needs of dogs re off lead running make perfect sense :)  However, I know of many and varied sizes, ages and breeds/crossbreeds/mongrels which for one reason or another cannot enjoy that particularly freedom.

For all we know this poster HAS permitted access to a fully enclosed recreation / sports ground where she can safely allow her muzzled dog to sprint and bounce around to it's hearts content (likewise how do any of us know what Freds Mum's circumstances are ) BUT as not everyone will have such facilities available to them then fair play to the many responsible, caring, devoted owners who pound the pavements to give their less trustworthy charges a good physical workout :)  After all mental stimulation can be effectively carried out at home - whether indoors or in the garden or both :)

Whichever way we choose to exercise our dogs so long as the methods are completely safe for the dog and others (man, beast or machine) meeting the dog, then how can we encourage a specific regime with a dog when *the owner* of that dog knows it best and yet doesn't FULLY trust it running loose?

regards Teri

Hi Teri :-D

I understand what you are saying. I wasn't targeting my thoughts in relation to any particular person's dog though nor the particular regime they use. More at the sweeping statement that "Walks can be just as effective on lead as they can be off" and "it gives them as much stimualtion and tires them out the same as long walk" and "ts a misconception that Dogs have to be walked off lead to enjoy it or be provided with enough exercise". 

I simple don't think those statements are true (imo :-D). Yes it is a sad fact that some dogs can't go offlead for whatever reason so they have to make do with what they are given. I'm sure in a huge number of dogs this is not "just as effective" nor "gives them as much stimulation and tires them out the same", and unfortunately a lot of people end up in catch 22 (you have a loopy dog already, sent even more stir crazy through pent up energy and frustration).

I have to say I agree with Tigger2. With a high energy breed that is going to be completely miserable with a life confined to a lead I would muzzle the dog and let if off lead in the remotest area I could find and take the chance that it might be attacked BUT only if it wasn't the kind of dog who would clear a whole field to lay into another dog - my friend keeps his dog muzzled and lets him off lead, for example, because he will bite if another dog comes up to him, or sniffs his bits for a bit too long etc. He most certainly isn't interested in running over to other dogs to attack though and will recall instantly to have his lead put on and will quite calmly pass the dog on the path as long as they don't try to exchange sniffs at which point my friend will just guide him away with the lead and he does also carry a stick incase the other dog attacks. If the dog was the type to cross a field then I would muzzle it and have it on an extension lead if possible and/or look for other additional ways to exercise it as I said above.

I will say I was a bit annoyed at the response to Tigger2s post. I don't think it's a "misconception" at all that dogs need to be walked off lead to be provided with enough exercise, but I will eat my hat if Fred's Mum turns round and tells us that she has a BC or the like that is a completely well rounded individual with just a 20 minute lead walk a day. I do think most dogs need to be let off lead to be provided with enough exercise, and for the unfortunate dogs that aren't let off lead for whatever reason they have to make do with what they are given but in the majority of cases (not all - some people do a great job I'm sure) I'm not convinced that what they are given is adequate for their breed and the physical/mental needs that come with it.

Tigger2 obviously knows her dog best and the reply irked me a bit. That is all

Hi zarah,

I hear what you're saying :)  It's easy to make comments or remarks that can come across as "blanket statements" and possibly that is what has happened here - although I have no personal knowledge of the circumstances and facilities available to any of those mentioned.

Certainly my own girls (a high energy and high maintenance breed) don't go off the wall or stir crazy when confined to lead walks and/or in some instances confined to the garden when they are in season (I usually have them under home boundaries arrest for pretty much the duration!)  Yes, perhaps I have to be more imaginative during part of the time insofar as mental workouts are concerned (particularly with the mini manic one LOL) but it is do-able.  But of course again this experience and particular routine is over short periods and several months apart so not necessarily comparable to someone who has to restict a dog to on lead exercise alone throughout it's life time.

I agree a catch 22 situation can easily be created but in some instances feel that, depending on the breed, local facilities and the character and training (or lack of it) re other locally exercised dogs it could be the lesser evil.  It's a judgement call at the end of the day and one which can only truly be made by the person closest to the situation, i.e. the owner of the wayward (for want of a better word) dog.

regards, Teri

ETA what on earth am I doing up at this evil hour again .... I really need sleep :-D

Agreed :-D

ETA: I've been meaning to go to bed early for the last 3 nights, yet here I am again!

As a lot of us have said "in my opinion" so at the end of the day walking on or off lead comes down to your own beliefs and circumstance. Also, every dog owner/vet/trainer has different ideas. I am just going by what i've been taught, and discovered for myself. The vet has actually said to me to be careful with too much off lead walks. Dogs that run and run and run can do lots of damage to bones and joints later in life. He said many owners think its more effective because it tires the dog out more than a lead walk. However tiring the dog out is not necessarily the aim of the game.
Sorry that this is going completely off subject of a muzzle that is rubbing. Hope you have enough ideas to work on - stitching a bit of vetbed to soften it sounds like a great idea :-)

In response to carene, the trixie muzzle loop can be sort of used as a headcollar. I sometimes use a double-ended lead, one end attached to her normal collar, the other to the ring underneath her chin on the muzzle loop, so she is basically walking on a normal collar and when she goes into demented mode by seeing another dog, the muzzle end comes into play giving me that extra bit of control.

How do you order them? There doesn't seem to be a facility on the web-site.

I ordered mine through http://www.k9capers.com/. You'll have to do a search on their site, it won't let me post a direct link. I ordered size 2 (XL) to fit my female Dobe.

Thanks. I've ordered a size 3 for my big black lab. Did it take you long to get your dobe to accept it? Luke has never ever tolerated any type of head collar, despite all our best efforts. However, now it's make or break - I don't think he has any choice. :-(

It really is a misconception that dogs need off lead exercise every day. As long as they are provided with enough metanl and physical stimulation at home then a dog really can survive with no walks at all. Infact many top behaviourists will advised that a dog aggressive dog doesn't go for walks whilst a behavioural management programme is put into place, sometimes they will even suggest that the dog never goes out for a walk again.
So much depends on the breed of dog and the circumstances in which they are living. Obviously if it is a high energy dog living in a tiny flat or with a postage stamp for a garden then a good run is more important, but if kept with a decent sized garden and a committed owner that plays and trains the dog alot providing plenty of stimulation then there is no reason why a lead walk wouldn't be enough. Lets face it, how many huskies or hounds spend life confined to a lead because they aren't safe off lead - yet all are high energy breeds.

As long as they are provided with enough metanl and physical stimulation at home then a dog really can survive with no walks at all.

Thank you so much Lucy and Meg. that is what i've been trying to say but i think you've put it alot better than i was coming across!!!

That's interesting - actually the kennels where our dogs board don't walk them unless they stay for more than 2 weeks, and they always seem perfectly OK when they come home. Presumably the same applies to quarantine kennels?

Well of course they can survive, just as we could survive off pizza and chips every day. That does not mean it is ideal or adequate though. I appreciate that some people with dogs confined to a lead do the best they can but a lot of people do not and I have no doubt that those dogs would be happier and healthier both mentally and physically if given more stimulation than they are given. I don't think I said dogs need off lead exercise every day and I agree that due to health reasons (injuries, being in season, illness etc) that it does no harm to be confined to road walking or just with the use of the garden for some time but to NEVER be allowed to run free is a miserable existence for all but the smallest and easiest exercise breeds that can make do with a brisk lead walk and the use of a garden.

My posts were in reference to the blanket statements that were aimed at all dogs. To never allow a dog off lead that has no problems because you don't think it has the need to be off lead is plain selfish. I appreciate that dogs with aggression issues will need modified exercise regimes.

As for Huskies, I would never buy one of these or similar breeds unless I had the facilities to run them in harness or a safe area of land to let them run free. To keep one of these breeds on the lead and do nothing else with it physically strikes me as completely pointless and downright unfair. I'm not sure what you are trying to get across by saying "Lets face it, how many huskies or hounds spend life confined to a lead". Well yes they do and most of them are very highly strung and frustrated and end up dumped in rescue because the owners can't cope. 

In reply to carene, I have to say with this muzzle she really doesn't mind it being on at all because she can still do all the normal doggy things with it on, grooming herself, drinking, panting etc. it just stops her opening her mouth wide enough to do severe damage if she so desired (although it does look a bit uncomfortable when she tries to yawn with it on). She is currently wearing it at home (under supervision) because she keeps having a go at the other dogs, and I'm trying to keep her integrated with them, but limiting any possible damage she might inflict. She's sitting on the sofa as we speak, licking her mother's back, good as gold!

> Sorry Tigger2 but i think ts a misconception that Dogs have to be walked off lead to enjoy it or be provided with enough exercise

Freds Mum - I would challenge anyone to come for two walks with mine and tell me they are as happy on lead as off. On lead the zois mope along at my heel or just behind me, they take no interest in anything they're passing and if I stop to chat to someone they whinge and moan. Off lead they race around playing chases, they snuffle around for mice, they dig in rabbit holes, they chase bunnies and hares...they still walk beside me for some of the time but only for a cuddle then they're off again. Anyone who has seen a sighthound running flat out for the sheer joy of it can't possibly say they're just as happy on lead! My collies are the same, they live to chase their tennis ball in the field - a lead walk to them is a means to get to the field - it's not fun in it's own right.  I would think that those people who have active breeds of dogs and think they are as happy with no off lead running are kidding themselves on. OK, a dog won't die if it isn't allowed off lead regularly but it could be happier :-)

IMO it depends on the individual dog.
For example my vizsla would be fine on lead because I can run and play and train her to keep her mentally and physically stimulated HOWEVER she prefers to be off lead as I can't provide the searching for smells and chasing of squirrels but if lead was all she was used to or to keep her safe this needed to be done then she would adapt. To be honest if I am training her even if she is off lead she chooses to be with me training even when rabbits and fox poo are around lol!

My other dog hates the outside and is much happier just playing ball and training inside HOWEVER I don't believe this is healthy for her hence getting a behaviourist. She would prefer to be on the lead when she is insecure but on the rare occasion that she gets to Richmond park she would hate to be on lead.

I think one thing is for certain dogs need their physical and mental needs met - these however are different for each dog and no one is going to agree on this subject because all your dogs are individual.

All the best
Anna

>Well of course they can survive, just as we could survive off pizza and chips every day. That does not mean it is ideal or adequate though.

My point of view exactly. It's survivable but far from ideal. Acceptable in the short-term (illness, injury, seasons etc) but definitely not in the long-term.

So....if the alternative is PTS???

One of mind was muzzled approx 7 years ago in certain situations for over a year as we worked with her.  She would bite if anyone came near but we never muzzled her off lead and she has a terrific recall so was safe to let off in an open field with no people around.  However, she had a habit of trying to use the muzzle as a battering ram.  :rolleyes: Hers was people aggression mainly down to fear and for a time; she was on the extended lead.  She was a rescue dog.  

We used the Baskerville muzzle and yes she would try to get it off by rubbing her face along in grass, never did it on the floor or ground, and it never caused her any problem with her nose.

Personally if it was me it would be straight to a training class that specialises in dogs with problems to desensitise the dog's reaction to other dogs as a starter and then work with the dog onwards to accept other dogs.  Perhaps an extended lead short -term with training and no muzzle.  Just a suggestion mind, to cure nose prob... :-D

I have 2 that are as happy as larry on leads when we do some obedience work, they love it.  A lot of time they are off lead and if on lead for whatever reason, say an injury, I'm the one on lead as they take me for a walk while I follow on the sniffing trails:-D but they are quite old now.

>So....if the alternative is PTS???

I'd still consider muzzling to be a short-term 'fix' whilst I kept up the rehab with a professional trainer/behaviourist, keep asking around for secure places to let him off, exercise him at unsocial hours when he could be let off a run, and social hours on-lead for gradual desensitisation. Hard work and time-consuming, but better in the longterm for the dog - and that's what mattrs. :)

Tigger2: What about the extendable leads, thats what i had in minds when i suggested to happygirllie that keeping her dog on a lead would mean she was in more control but the dog still had a certain amount of freedom. Wouldn't be as successful on a large breed but for her staffy would give him enough line to have a good run.
I know someone who has a medium sized dog who doesn't let off lead and its the friendliest happiest dog you could meet, so im sorry but it is obviously different for every dog. This dog is absolutely fine and has no issues at all. To say it has an unhappy life becasue it's not let off lead is absurd!

Any dog which is muzzled by virtue of that fact cannot defend itself if need be and therein lies a potentially huge problem
yep.

Normally when their is an issue between dogs it is a two way reaction.. and the dog who gets muzzled is frequently not the one who was actually out of control...just the one who was pushed too far.

Here's a nice article on social manners.

http://www.flyingdogpress.com/sayhi.html

It worries me that society is so into quick fix solutions! For every problem there is a gadget offering instant success. Problem solved.

But a dog with a muzzle still suffers from the same feelings that cause it to react and need to wear the muzzle so only the surface has been repaired... like repainting a leaking boat without fixing the hole.

I agree a muzzle can be helpful...a lot of the benefit is it relaxes the owner and when the owner is relaxed they do not give off the vibes that cause the dog to react to an owner perceived danger.

and I think essential in some dogs to wear a muzzle but first try to retrain the dog, and improve the behaviour, the focus of the dog onto you and control over the dog. I see so many dogs who just have an argument with very cocky out of control dogs and then the next time I see them the dog always has a muzzle on!

There is a big difference in a dog who savages and causes dangerous harm and a dog who has a scrap. And who maybe gives a nip. So look at your dog, see what is going on understand her more keep things in perspective and work on this to gain a happier long term solution.

If you will use a  muzzle find one that its well and is comfortable to wear. And to spend some time training the dog to accept wearing it. So associate the muzzle with something positive... a little and often training programme so that when she wears it she is comfortable with it on.

Wearing a muzzle is a big step. It tells other people you recognise that you have a dangerous dog. If something goes wrong you have already passed the last resort before euthenasia. A dog with a muzzle can't communicate and warn off a dog who invades their space, nor can it take any form of warning defence against an aggressor.

A friend compromises. Affter attaking three dogs leaving tooth marks and one leaving a minor tear( while her dog was on a lead so I don't blame her at all..what more could she do! ) she keeps her dogs attention her using a ball and the dog wears a version of the head halter that prevents the dog fully opening his jaw so will reduce the impact if things do go wrong.  She spent time training him on lead and 6 months later he now plays off lead and fetches the ball...the halter just lets hin pick up the ball.  She is firm with him and if he looks like he is going to reah to a dog she gets his attention before the twitching ears turns to a look in his eyes etc... if she catches him late and he starts towards a dog she commands him sternly and he returns to her. But even using a halter they need to be taught to accept wearing it so that it won't cause them discomfort. Because she worked on the dog and just didn't give up on him he is fine now and not had an incident for at least a year.

Wearing a muzzle is a big step. It tells other people you recognise that you have a dangerous dog. If something goes wrong you have already passed the last resort before euthenasia. A dog with a muzzle can't communicate and warn off a dog who invades their space, nor can it take any form of warning defence against an aggressor

Bingo!

I must admit I got my dog through dog-to-dog agression with the use of a halti and the Turid Rugass book that Husky Gal told me about in a very quick time and he became quite sociable and well mannered with other dogs off lead - a bit defensive if they approached when he was on lead.

Unfortunately it was the people thing I couldnt get past..... so my experience of the muzzle was with people rather than dogs

Maxine