To think all dogs should be muzzled in public?

[ToughTalker]

By law.

Many things have been banned as dangerous where less people have been injured and killed.

Obviously we can’t ban dogs but it should be law to have them muzzled outside of your own property to reduce the injuries and deaths they cause.

Yeah, here they tell you to feed them frozen peas.

Also, it should be common knowledge not to take food away from an animal you don't know (the bread from the dog).

People read a daily mail article now it’s ban dogs, muzzle dogs, blah blah
dog attacks are rare! 9 people mauled in 2022.

Where are we going to find the police to issue these FPNs? My concern about this would be bringing in a law that's unenforceable. Like penalties for dogs pooping (shit all over the streets - is anyone ever fined?) & littering.

I would like to know where some people live that they can’t go about their daily business without being jumped at or mauled by dogs. We looked after my DB’s lab over Christmas. Every day we took him for a walk in a large woodland park where there were always loads of other dogs off lead. At no point was I personally bothered by these dogs, they all had other things on their minds. The lab loves fuss, but he doesn’t jump up at or bother other people at all. I go to dog friendly coffee shops a lot and never have I seen a dog in one that wasn’t quietly minding its own business!

I remember once a poster insisting that every time she walked in her local park she was knocked to the ground by a dog. I challenged this and she doubled down and was insistent this had happened a few times a week.

I mean - it's obvious bollocks but some posters get extremely carried away.

Is it OK to feed bread to ducks?
DON'T: Feed ducks bread or junk food. Foods like bread and crackers have no nutritional value to ducks and can cause malnutrition and painful deformities if consumed too much. DO: Feed ducks cracked corn, oats, rice, birdseed, frozen peas, chopped lettuce, or sliced grapes

I let my dogs off the lead without a muzzle as well, always have, always will. In 25 years of personally owning dogs they've never shown any interest in randomly attacking human beings. They go on a lead in towns, around livestock and when instructed (at events). Get over yourself.

Fixed penalty notices can be issued by others, the police is just an example.

Besides, you would target somewhere obvious to collect. Dog walkers are people of habit. They go to the same places in cities, where the issue of control is a real problem. Often they go every day. That is the same profile as someone who regularly uses their car each day.

The number of dogs in the UK 20 years ago was 6 million. Today, it is 13 million. In the last two years you have a lot of poorly socialised animals and suddenly a lot of busy owners.

Dogs in cities are an issue. People keep them in small flats, do not walk them themselves or give them to dog walkers. What is the point? Dogs love to run, they are working animals and they should be in the country. Urban dogs are often poorly trained, antisocial and owned by status driven idiots. I have never had an issue with dogs in country, but cannot say the same in a city. Their owners are usually deluded as to the quality of life they give the dog.

Will you go out of your way to make things slightly nicer for those who have chosen to own a dog, just because you have chosen not to own a dog because you don't like it? Didn't think so. As long as you're happy doesn't matter what anyone else wants or finds important. How selfish.

As a considerate dog owner who picks up every poop, holds the dogs back on their lead every time we pass someone for their comfort and generally chooses to walk them in unpopulated areas, if I'm going to be punished anyway, I will lose sympathy and good will, yes.

And yes, I know what damage dogs can do after a family member of mine required surgery after a dog attack.

But it’s your choice to get a dog. Yours. Not mine. Your choice. You cannot choose to get a dog - a totally unnecessary thing to do - and then blithely allow that choice to have a detrimental affect on peoples lives. If you want
a dog, get a garden. Exercise it off the lead in that. If you can’t afford a big enough garden, don’t get a dog.

I have a huge fully fenced garden my dogs have never escaped from and couldn't escape from. I am a good dog owner. As I said, I removed all poop, I hold them back on a lead if passing someone for the comfort of the person passing, I don't allow them to bark to drive the neighbours mad, they have excellent care and don't bother anyone when I am out.

I also hate problem dog owners who don't keep their dogs under control, don't pick up poop and who should be fined for not following rules like leashing. One such dog owner put my family member in hospital for surgery. I reported it and the animal and owner was dealt with.

There is no reason for my dogs to wear a muzzle. If they are forced to wear a muzzle, thus punishing me in spite of my efforts to do everything right, they can start going off lead. Then yes, they will run all over the place, but that should be fine since they can't bite, right? I'll feel okay about them running up to people if they are muzzled as that should be all the reassurance and comfort they need.

I guess what I'm trying to say, more briefly:

I have my dogs leashed and hold them back close to me when passing people knowing that not everyone is comfortable with dogs. I figure this helps people feel safe. They can see my dog is contained by me and can't get near them.

If they have a muzzle, they can be reassured that they can't bite them so should feel safe, so no leash required as they can feel safe through that instead of leashing then.

It’s not just biting though is it. It’s harassing, jumping on people when they may be frail or have had recent surgery or on their way to a special event and not want to be slobbered on. Then there’s those who’s lives are blighted by the incessant barking of neighbours dogs. I’m fine with dogs not being muzzled as long as they are always on a very short lead in public places.

No-one will be on their way to a special event of have had recent surgery where I walk my dogs. If they are, they've got bigger concerns than my dogs. lol.

My dogs are on a long lead but always pulled back to a short lead when I see people approaching. I hear you about barking dogs. Can dogs in muzzles slobber on people? I've no idea. If the law says I need to muzzle my dogs I'll do it, but I will then let my dogs off leash if it's legal for the reasons stated. They're not interested in jumping on people anyway. They only do it if people encourage it which actually pisses me off. Not something I want my dogs to learn.

Meanwhile, I do everything I can to make sure my dogs don't make other people uncomfortable. If I am going to have to muzzle them anyway, I'll revise how I do that since a new comfort measure has been introduced for other people.

What really needs to happen is more ranger policing of dog walking areas and stiff fines for those causing problems. I bet that will see a change. I hate what I see people getting away with with their dogs.

Yes. Muzzle dogs and ban those idiotic extending leads.

The prevalence of dog bites is shockingly high. This study shows as many as 25% of people may be bitten in their lifetime with half of those injuries from unfamiliar dogs. jech.bmj.com/content/72/4/331

For me, all dogs should be chipped at birth, registered owner should be held responsible for all actions. Registration charges to fund admin and policing.

I would have a one strike system. If your dog bites anyone off muzzle in public then it would be registered in the database as a requirement to be muzzled in public and owner fined xxxx.

If it was found to be off muzzle again in public at any point owner fined xxxx.

If it was found to be off muzzle again in public and injured someone then it would be impounded, owner prosecuted as if they had caused the injury themselves (I guess in the case of death that would probably be manslaughter).

This would hopefully link requirement for muzzling to proven dangerous behaviour.

I think there is a lot of focus on death by dog, but there are a huge amount of dog bite injuries a year (obviously don't generate the same level of attention) which are just as important.

We already have microchipping and it’s not policed when it can be but only ethical breeders chip or rescues, in fact rescues don’t routinely check chips either which pisses me off.

we get dogs and cats dumped here and I always check the chips and let the police know. We house for a day whilst we sort out a rescue for them.

the place I stay used to be the councils rescue but hasn’t been for over 20 years now but still doesn’t stop folks for dumping and running to this day.

police and rescues are stretched to the limits so muzzling will be very very far down the list.

the ones that get penalised for bad dogs Is the good owners not the bad cos they don’t and never will give a shit.

Rather than muzzles for all, a proper licensing system should be in force, tied to microchips, with owners paying to cover the costs of administering the scheme.

This. Plus more active patrolling of dogs in public with fines as appropriate.

Apart from the fact thatvita really unhealthy for pond bird to be fed bread, its hardly a horror story if a dog picks club on the ground.

We don't have enough police to patrol and look after humans, let alone have dogs being spot checked too.

Doesn't have to be police. They have better things to do. Rangers or specially appointed people are the people for this kind of job.

So they can't catch a ball or be able to open their mouths to pant after a run ? This isn't handmaid's tale

Don't be ridiculous