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.

I love dogs but I used to hate when dogs came near the pram as the child is really really vulnerable as you can't even react quickly and they're the same level with the dog.

DS has always been a bit weary of dogs but had got a lot better recently as he was able to interact with a few great dogs (and owners) until we got trapped between two sets of dogs being aggressive (towards each other TBF) so now he's downright scared and I have to heavily moderate any interaction. So inevitably, I'm more guarded as we've had some very unpleasant experiences and like hell am I relying on the judgement of the dog owner.

Personally as a dog owner, I would much rather somebody muzzle their dog and it come near me that people not muzzle their dogs because they refuse to accept they are reactive in any way, and then them lunge at me or my dog. This happens a lot.

Although recently a woman was encouraging her dog which was muzzled to play amongst my dog and a couple of his off lead friends. That was strange.

No I don’t jessy
I have repeatedly said I understand why she would think she is vicious (because of the muzzle)
But that I find that viewpoint hurtful because she isn’t.

I am not judging her or blaming her as posters seem to think I am.
Simply saying that I find the reaction upsetting.
Personally.
That is all.
It is not a personal attack on the woman.

And she WAS aggressive!
It was very clearly a very angry glare and I found it threatening, hence why I didn’t have the confidence to apologise that my dog frightened her but that the muzzle was for dog nipping, she poses no harm to you.

fairy my dog ignores others!
As I have repeatedly said and will return immediately when asked.
She is very well trained.
And didn’t approach, as I have said.
Passing is not the same as approaching.

walking instead of pulling nonsense off google maybe you should talk to people who actually own the breed?!

It is clear to me that nothing anyone says will convince you that my dog isn’t dangerous around people. Which is a shame. But I am not going to keep trying to convince you otherwise.

I am in no way a dog lover. I'd assume a muzzled dog was muzzled because it's aggressive. I don't want anyone's dog near me anyway.

I have a rabbit though, if someone didn't like him and gave me an angry look for letting him near her it wouldn't upset me. Firstly I should've kept him near me and secondly it's just a look and I'm not oversensitive about other people not loving my pets being near them.

Maybe the mother with the child in the buggy had read this story about a border collie.

"Family's border collie leaps into car and mauls baby, 7 months, who nearly loses a leg."

"The 'freak' attack..."

"The dog's usually so good. He must have just had a moment of madness"

"an expert witness for Dangerous Dogs Act prosecutions said, Some border collies have got a predatory instinct which means you have got to be careful with them "

But it doesn't matter in the slightest what a stranger might have thought about your dog. It's a big overreaction to find it upsetting, when it's entirely reasonable for some people to dislike dogs, no reflection on you and your dog.

A glare is really not aggressive. She didn't say anything to you, she didn't swear at you or shout at you.

Being upset that someone thought you’re dog was aggressive is very clearly trumped by being scared that a dog that wears a muzzle (which says ‘I bite’) and is coming towards your defenceless baby.

You are not prepared to open your mind to any idea that her looks at you and your dog. were borne out of anything but aggression (rather than eg anger or upset caused by fear), so you cannot be offended if she is taking a closed minded approach to you and your dog.

Describing someone as unequivocally ‘aggressive’ who did no more than look at you is quite a stretch.

It was very clearly a very angry glare

Dear god.

Was it shooting lighting or something?

You keep finding her unreasonable for fiding your dog upsetting (despite protestations), but you're upset over an angry look?

I don't say it here, usually, but definitely get a grip.

Oh ffs walking 😂
Are we really going to play that game?!

Where we pull all the articles about jack russels, collies, chihuahuas, poodles, collies, spaniels, labradors etc etc that have injured or killed people?

All dogs have predatory instinct!
Particularly terriers, herding breeds and hounds.
Hundreds of breeds.
It rather goes with the territory when you have a predatory animal like a dog!

FYI my dog is not young.
I have three young children.
She is nothing but kind and gentle and tolerant with them and every child she has ever met.
My dog regularly goes to my eldest’s school and participates in pet care days.
She has never shown any aggression to anyone.

Statistically, the dog breeds that are most popular consistently cause the most bites.
Labradors and spaniels are consistently big offenders (popular)
As are Dachshunds (popular).

Just ridiculous.

Just ridiculous.

I'd say this just about sums up your feelings towards this woman, OP.

The way she was looking at me made me feel uncomfortable and threatened.

None of you ever had someone glare at you then follow through with verbal aggression?
No?
Just me then.

I have experienced that more than once and anticipated it again today.

I am pleased none of you have obviously never come across such behaviour.

OP, none of us remain in any doubt that your dog is sweetness and light and shits rainbows and popping candy.

All of that is totally irrelevant to how other people may perceive your dog.

Put your dog on a lead fgs

fairymy dog ignores others!
As I have repeatedly said and will return immediately when asked.
She is very well trained.
And didn’t approach, as I have said.
Passing is not the same as approaching

So you muzzle her because....What?

Because she has nipped dogs that have approached her.
I did say that multiple times.

Last time a dog passed my child pushchair it bit her! She was nearly asleep no food or being noisey etc so yeah keep your dogs away from people and their children

As pointed out before, OP, this woman probably felt the same about your dog as you do about her look.
Sigh!

Now she's probably on NM telling the huns there how upset she is that someone has a thread running on MN about how she got upset by her angry look as she is usually so peaceful and harmless.

None of you ever had someone glare at you then follow through with verbal aggression?

Of course. But I don’t decide the look is unquestionably ‘aggressive’ until and unless it’s been followed through by aggression.

It might put me off talking to them, as a precaution and out of respect for a person not inviting social interaction. But I won’t assume an aggressive motive, there are many other things it could be.

Just like I don’t assume all dogs running up to my child are intending to jump up on him until and unless they actually jump up. I might move my child as a precaution, but I won’t assume the dog is out of control until I have evidence of that. It might be, or it might not.

How do you not see the double standard here?

No.
I would if the dog was doing an obvious aggressive gesture.

Glaring is an obvious aggressive gesture.

Anyway, I really don’t think there is anything else I can add to this thread.

I have repeatedly stated I don’t blame the woman, not personally attacking her or anything.

I have said I interpreted the glares as intimidating and aggressive.

I have stated the dog has good recall and is not human aggressive and doesn’t generally approach dogs but has nipped so wears a muzzle and I feel it safe for her to be off lead.

Border collies are no more dangerous than any other breed.

There isn’t really anything else I can add

Because she has nipped dogs that have approached her.
I did say that multiple times

There you go.. Your dog needs to be leashed around other dogs and people. If you can't be arsed to train it to be sociable nobody has to accept it. Why do you think humans know your dog is muzzled because 'it nips other dogs'?

Train it or leash it!

It works both ways though. I was walking with my youngest when he was a preschooler and a man with his off lead dog (I forget what but one of those traditionally known aggressive looking ones) was walking toward us. Now the man didn’t know but my son loved dogs and would bound up to them and all over them if I didn’t stop him in time. We were working on the ‘ask nicely first’.

So I grabbed my sons hand to walk past. The man threw his hands up in the air, muttering and laughing ‘for god sake’ and shook his head as we went past. Clearly he assumed I thought the dog was dangerous and I was dragging my son away. I could have done without that tosser that day.

I’ve had dogs jump in the pram on top of my kids, walked in countless piles of dog shit, howled at and nipped at the school gates and been harassed by the ‘oh he’s only being friendly’ brigade too many times to mention.

To be honest op - it’s your choice to have a bloody dog, people get fed up, deal with it.

Why did you post in AIBU op, you clearly have no interest in other peoples feelings?
Its blatantly obvious that not everyone feels as safe around your (any) dog as you do but you just don't give a fuck.

Read through the thread.

You are being totally unreasonable.