To be upset at peoples reaction to the muzzle?

[Doggydoggydoggy]

Just that really.

Dog wears one because she has nipped a few people.

She is not people aggressive.

I had a woman today clearly frightened because she ran near her buggy.
Near as in running past it.
Not barking/lunging/acting aggressive/approaching the child etc.

The woman got really scared at the sight of my dog, recoiled pulling the buggy so my dog did what most dogs will do in response and looked at her and went to approach.

So I called her back to me immediately and put her lead on.
That didn’t stop the woman constantly looking back angrily at me as she was walking ahead.

I really don’t think my dog had done anything that would reasonably make anyone feel frightened.

I can only assume it is the muzzle making the mum think she must be some child mauling demon.

And I find it really upsetting.

I wanted to talk to her and explain that she has the muzzle for nipping dogs and that I was sorry she frightened her but she honestly poses no risk to her child and has no interest in her child.
But her constant looking back and glaring at me made me feel really uncomfortable so I didn’t.

[ChrisNReed]

I can hear the explanations but these are only know to you. Other people will not know the back story about whether your dog nips people or other dogs or whatever. People are right to be cautious of a dog in a muzzle with no lead. I sometimes think dog owners think it is other people who are at fault for failing to understand the ins and out of their dogs behaviour. I jog and often get 'Ooo he's just being friendly' for a free running dog that is to my eyes barking and eyeballing me for no reason and being aggressive. This may be true, but why would I risk finding out the hard way it is not 'just being friendly' and get bitten just to avoid offending the dog owner? It is worse for children. A large dog looks (an potentially bites) a child in the face. If dogs were 5ft tall and 20stone I guess dog owners attitudes would be different.

[Alleycat1]

Exactly, JamieFraser.

[foxtiger]

I am frightened of some dogs (they have to appear to be behaving aggressively) and I think I would be less frightened of a dog approaching me if it was wearing a muzzle. OK, it might indicate that the dog would bite if it could, but it can't. I'm not frightened of dogs that might want to bite me, I'm frightened of dogs that look like they might actually bite me.

[JamieFrasersSassenach]

Everyone is different in their feelings about and responses to dogs. Personally I find a muzzled dog far less intimidating than an unmuzzled dog - purely because the muzzled dog can't bite me.......

[justmakemeacuppa]

so Your dog nips and you muzzle him. Sounds like your pretty responsible. Comes back when called. I see the problem being the snowflake in the park tbh

[Ellyess]

Doggydoggydoggy. Over the years I have had so many stupid reactions by people about dogs that I'm not surprised really. It seems to bring out the "high moral ground - I am going to make a fuss" in some people.

I have little dogs now I am disabled. When I was able to take them out, a man let his German Shepherd attack my Miniature Poodle. My dog ran to me and jumped into my arms whereby his huge dog continued to jump up at me and try and bite my dog. It was terrifying. The owner of the GS? He just stood by and laughed. He thought it hilarious that a disabled woman (my disability scooter was parked nearby) had a "stupid Poodle".

So I don't expect people in England to be sensible, decent, good, kind, law-abiding or anything desirable where dogs are concerned.

Currently my dog that accompanies me is a very small "bitsa" many breeds. I muzzle her when she comes out in case she gets excited. She has never nipped anyone. However, many people have tried to feed her "treats". The muzzle is to deter the treat-givers.

[bpirockin]

Note to self: use the Preview message option!

[bpirockin]

I think it's just a reality of owning a dog that some will always get a reaction from people, be it because of the breed/size/ or a muzzle. I had a Doberman years ago, who was as soft as butter, and regularly got attacked by other dogs she would just crouch down on the ground until they stopped/were taken off her. It used to really upset me that some people would cross the road to avoid her simply because of her breed .
I am a dog lover, but imagine if I were out with a young child I would not want a muzzled dog close by. If a dog has the propensity to bite, albeit another dog, I would not want my child caught in the middle. Not out of fear of any physical harm to the child, but because I've encountered many adults with phobias because of such encounters as a child. As a dog owner, one who was turned on really nastily by another when our dogs were playing - really, playing but snarling and barking as they do. The wife, who was there, suffered from anxiety, and was really aggressive towards me as a result. I can honestly say that the dogs were both absolutely fine, but I was traumatised by the experience, being verbally attacked and indeed threatened by a large unknown man, and couldn't face walking the dog in the same place for quite some time, even though she had done nothing wrong. I vowed from that day that I would cal my dog back immediately if it went towards another person or dog that we were not familiar with. It was simply too upsetting.

Protect yourself as well as your dog, because rational or not the Law states that if a person is fearful around your dog, action can be taken against you, whatever the reality o the situation. It's unlikely that it would, but why risk it?
I can't tell you how gutted I was that Christmas it happened, with my poor dog who'd never hurt a fly, and it's something I will never forget.

[Aridane]

(not that I'm suggesting the dog is a scary nipping cannibal)

[Aridane]

Yes, a muzzle is hugely reassuring. Just like the one on Hannibal Lecter

[Shitmewithyourrhythmstick]

I dunno how well trained the dog is, but the OP could frankly use a bit of work in that department.

[Laiste]

Why bother to post if you think MN is ''hysterical''? Throwing terms like hysterical around is what people do when they don't like what they're hearing and want to refuse it's true.

Think about this:
MN is quite simply 'The Public'. You must know that. You chose to post here.

Here you're getting an honest snapshot of what the general public are thinking about you and your dog when you're out with it off the lead. You don't like it - that's understandable. But it's your choice to have a dog and other people's choice to feel the way they feel about it.

Remember you did start the thread cross about the way someone looked at you ...

Now your your argument has degenerated into ''Mumsnet'' is hysterical.

Bottom line is you're going to have the majority of people looking at your dog off the lead with it's muzzle on hoping to god it doesn't come anywhere near them and being glad when you're out of sight. Arguing here won't change that. As long as they don't look at you funny while they're thinking that then you wont have to know i guess. Status quo hasn't changed really.

[GottaGoGottaGo]

The woman was walking on the footpath in front of us, grass fields either side, dog was running on the grass.

So, as soon as you saw the woman with the buggy, why didn't you recall your dog immediately so she didn't get the chance to run past? Since she is so well trained, she would have returned before she got anywhere near to the woman and this situation would never have occurred in the first place.

And from your original post:
so my dog did what most dogs will do in response and looked at her and went to approach.

You keep saying she didn't approach, but if she went to approach that's the same thing. You clearly think your dog is well trained, and she may be, but your training needs some work to recognise a situation before you cause distress to someone else. In the meantime please keep your dog on the lead!

[malificent7]

Human rights before dog rights imo.

[malificent7]

I used to be petricied of dogs muzxle or not . Op your dog migjt not be scary to YOU but to anyone rlse she might be. If my dog went near a buggy it would be a big fat No, reprimand and back on the lead.
Yabvu.

[Lweji]

As you quoted:

The only stipulations of the law are that the dog has be leashed near a main road (she is), that the dog must be under verbal control (she is) and the dog must not be acting in a manner that would give someone reasonable concern that she is going to harm them (she doesn’t)

I think you've shot yourself on the foot there.
It's not for you to decide whether your dog gives another person reason for concern.
This woman was clearly concerned. Who defines what's reasonable? You?
You've had many people say here why they might have been concerned too, so maybe that's a better measure of reasonable, even if you don't think so.
That's why people keep posting, even if it's not been spelled out yet.
Despite reading from people who'd have been concerned, or explained why this woman was concerned, you still insist that how you handle your dog around people is reasonable.

[Shitmewithyourrhythmstick]

If I were you OP, I wouldn't be throwing stones in my hysterical glass house. The entire premise of your thread is fucking batshit overreaction.

[Lweji]

I'm a strong believer in projection. People tend to accuse others of what they do themselves.

[AssassinatedBeauty]

It is daft to refer to people posting here as "hysterical". What happens (everywhere on the Internet) is that people don't read the whole of a long thread and just post in response to the opening post/first page. Also, as with the rest of the Internet, people have their own ax to grind and want to put forward their own feelings whether relevant to the discussion or not. Some just enjoy an argument.

You're picking up on the few people who have stronger opinions or unjustified ones and deciding that's what everyone is saying to you. The majority have actually explained to you what their perception is without criticising you.

[Lweji]

OP, you've been told by dog owners that they put a lead around people.
That it's best to.
Just because the law is lax in that respect and you think you follow it by the letter, it doesn't mean that you are being reasonable in letting a loose dog (even muzzled) in the vicinity of babies in buggies, no matter how good they are.

Laws change because bad accidents happen and this law could change easily.

If we want to live together, it's always best to respect everyone. And that could include you calling or leashing your dog it doesn't go anywhere near a buggy.
It's the decent thing to do, even if the law isn't specific on that point.

[SuspiciouslyMinded]

OP, muzzle or not - the point is that you obviously love your dog, and you’re upset that your dog’s behaviour was misunderstood. But you can’t expect a random stranger to share your love for your dog and be interested in its psychology.

The woman felt threatened, tried to avoid the dog, and gave you some angry looks. She didn’t yell, she didn’t tell you off or called the police. If her reaction upsets you, you need to grow tougher skin. There are people who are scared of dogs, dislike them or avoid them for cultural reasons, no matter how lovable a dog might be.

[Topseyt]

Some people are missing the point, possibly deliberately.

A muzzle is meant to provide protection. That is exactly what it does, both to the muzzled dog and to those around. That is why muzzled dogs can be allowed freedoms that they would otherwise lose, and can be off lead.

OP, you have the measure of the hysterical world of MN now. It won't change and the bullshit will continue no matter what you say or do.

You are not being unreasonable. You are being a responsible dog owner. Take no notice of those implying otherwise.

[BeatriceBee]

I have started putting a muzzle on my dog because she is very nervous and consequently she sometimes nips the ankles of other dogs to warn them off. I am hoping that, now that I can allow her a bit more freedom, she can socialise more with other dogs and maybe she will stop doing it. I haven't noticed people shying away from her, but she is only a small dog and doesn't look at all menacing. Not wanting her to get a reputation, I am considering telling anyone who asks the question, that I muzzle her to stop her picking up rubbish, which actually she does have a tendency to do, so it isn't entirely a fib. The way I see it, she can't cause any damage now, so no-one should feel they have to avoid her.

[Doggydoggydoggy]

Except that isn’t quite how the thread has gone is it?

Poster repeatedly admits they were over sensitive and unreasonable and repeatedly admits that they understood why the woman felt that way.
Which was the whole point of the thread...

The hysterical world of mumsnet is not satisfied that the poster acknowledges they were being unreasonable and instead chooses to latch onto the fact that the dog is off leash despite the fact that there is no law in the UK stating dogs must be on lead.

The hysterical world of mumsnet believes that a dog that is mean with other dogs is automatically dangerous with people despite there being absolutely no evidence to suggest a link at all and the dog in question exhibiting no signs of human aggressive behaviour, ever, in her whole entire life.

The hysterical world of mumsnet believes that because she needs a muzzle she must automatically lose the right to freedom because the muzzle looks scary despite the fact the dog doesn’t approach people or dogs and therefore poses no risk, comes back when called and therefore poses no risk, is always recalled by their owner if anyone looks nervous so poses no risk and wears a muzzle so cannot nip so poses no risk?!

The only stipulations of the law are that the dog has be leashed near a main road (she is), that the dog must be under verbal control (she is) and the dog must not be acting in a manner that would give someone reasonable concern that she is going to harm them (she doesn’t)

[BlueBinDay]

I am used to people following up glares with verbal and/or physical aggression for very very minor things

I'm quite afraid of strange dogs and would pull away and might even glare. However, because I'm scared of your dog I would not physically attack you because you have your dog with you which will then have a bloody good reason to bite me because it would no doubt protect you from me.

I wouldn't attack you anyway, but you get my point.