Aggressive/Reactive dogs

[Stellaris22]

I own a friendly/sociable dog with good recall. I put her on a lead when I see an on lead dog and ask permission before interaction.

I understand it isn’t easy owning a reactive dog. If you know your dog will bite why isn’t it muzzled? XL bullies are muzzled for safety reasons. Responsibility works both ways. I don’t let my dog approach on lead dogs. Please protect other dogs from your dog you know will bite.

Why should a scared, reactive on-lead dog be made even more vulnerable by a muzzle just because other people can’t control their dogs?

I once got into an argument with a dog walker who allowed his off lead dog to run up to my on lead, highly anxious rescue. It wouldn't leave her alone and had no recall - the owner couldn't get his dog back. After a few warning barks from my dog, the off lead dog wouldn't back down and my dog snapped at it. Cue the owner shouting at me about my dog being "out of control", "dangerous" and "needing muzzling". My dog was walking perfectly calmly and was fully under my control - none of this would have happened were it not for the other dog/owner behaving irresponsibly.

By your logic OP, I'm the one at fault here, which I strenuously disagree with. My dog is perfectly behaved on walks, never approaches dogs or people and has excellent recall. The only time we ever have issues is when the "it's ok, he's friendly" brigade allow their dogs to get in her space. To clarify, a key reason she is reactive to dogs is because she has been attacked previously by a much bigger off lead dog (again, she was on lead), which is the first time she reacted with aggression (self defence) towards another dog. So no, I will not be muzzling her to mitigate other people's failures to train their dogs correctly.

Totally agree.

Also, if everyone with dogs who don’t like being harassed by “friendly” dogs started muzzling then then the “don’t worry, he’s friendly” brigade will only get worse as they’ll feel safer letting their dogs torment nervous dogs.

My dog minds his own business unless he is approached, which he doesn't like and will react to it in which case he will go on a lead. He is a dog that needs a lot of exercise, so being on a lead all of the time is not an option. He is absolutely fine unless he is approached and i will always call him back if there is a dog approaching, but some just bound up to him and jump on him without any intervention by the owner. He has even had dogs run up to him and just try and bite him, once a pack of three pomerenians! The owner didnt even attempt to call her dogs or run over! Owners just think their dogs are being 'friendly', probably because it is convenient, but my dog wont see it that way.

My dog doesn't bite, she does however have lead anxiety and also protection mode if my children are with me. She's a rescue and was never socialised. We spent years doing dog training with her and although better we won't let her off in busy places. She's actually fine with other dogs if she has the space to suss it out and she's a sight hound so is quick.

Her body language is clear if she is not happy, if dogs don't get it she will growl, if they still persist she will bark etc. She's on a lead most of the time I put her on the opposite side to approaching dogs. She's only off lead in wide open spaces.

She doesn't need a muzzle. Responsible dog owners pay attention when walking their dogs.

Not all reactive dogs are dogs that bite. Some dogs are reactive out of fear and they are getting in first as they think they will be attacked. I tend to take my two dogs to an enclosed area that is specifically for dogs. There is a real mix of dogs and people that frequent this area. I will let my two off lead if all other dogs are also off lead. If I see a dog is on lead then I will try and keep my dogs away from that dog until I have spoken to the owner. Some owners have their dog on lead, not because they are reactive towards other dogs, but because their dog is excitable and may become too boisterous.

My dog will warn other dogs when they're too in her face or she'll stand up for herself if they're dominant or aggressive. She will ignore other dogs unless they get in her face and harass her.

But unfortunately I've been told she's aggressive when she's defended herself from a dog intent on being dominant or starting a fight because so many dog owners have no clue about behaviour and body language and just think their dog is being friendly when it's being anything but.

No chance I'm muzzling her so that she loses her method of defending herself when she's harassed by other dogs who's owners can't keep control of them and have no clue that their dog isn't actually being friendly, but rude, dominant or aggressive. You let your dog approach others at all, and in those ways without mitigating it then that's on you, don't expect my dog to just take it or me to muzzle her so that you can pay even less attention to the dog you chose to get but can't be arsed engaging with or learning about.

My 40kg Malamute is reactive. I don't muzzle him so he can protect himself against non controlled dogs.

So sick of the it's OK he is friendly brigade allowing ot poorly trying to control their unleashed dog snapping at mine. I restrain him, my husband will allow him to defend himself, which he does well.

@Stellaris22 Why have you posted? You don't seem to be interested in anyone's opinion and just keep repeating the same draconian lecture. For the record, I wouldn't want my very well-behaved dog anywhere near yours, because by your admission, yours is often off lead. Personally I don't think any dog should be off lead in public.

No. The onus is on owners to keep their dogs under control - if my dog is on a lead and your dog hassles my on lead dog and gets bitten you are the one with the out of control dog.

Keep it on a lead.

Every dog has the potential to bite, are you saying every dog should be muzzled?

Keep your dog under control and away from my on lead dog (who has never bitten) and there is no issue.

Very few people will be out in public walking a dog ‘known to bite’ without a muzzle

Reactive does not mean ‘known to bite’. It much more often means a dog that will bark or lunge if another dog is too close. That is a display to get the other dog to go away. A lot of dogs feel vulnerable on lead and will react like this of scared

My dog could be described as reactive in certain situations. He dislikes un-neutered male dogs and will bark and lunge at them. However he is friendly with the vast majority of dogs. He has never bitten anyone or anything even in a situation where he was bitten himself so I think it extremely unlikely that he would. I don’t see the need at all to walk him with a muzzle. I am careful about where I let him off lead and I always put him back on if we meet another dog on lead. If we meet another dog off lead I will usually call to the owner to check if they are OK for the dogs to meet or I will call him back if they do. If they don’t then I assume they are happy with a meeting and largely I know most of the dogs and owners in our local area.

Two reasons I tend not to recommend it to clients.

1 - It is significantly harder to reinforce your dog for seeing other dogs - necessary to alter the emotional response that is behind the reactivity - if it is difficult to get a reward to the dog. Now muzzles can be adapted, but it still takes a lot longer and speed is of the essence, you need the reward to be delivered within 2 seconds. If the dog won't take food as a reward but prefers tugging a toy, catching a ball (Which with a ball on a rope can be done on a short lead still) then the muzzle means no reward possible.

2 - It actually can mean people are MORE likely to let their dog run up close to the other dog, because they know that dog can't do any harm. At the same time, it also tends to cause owners to put their dog in situations the dog can't handle, because they have that false sense of security the muzzle offers. Yes, the muzzled dog can't bite, but the muzzled dog practices unwanted behaviour, stress levels go up, fearful situations are repeated... the problem gets worse.

In some situations its necessary - if you can't get out of your house without the risk of encountering people/dogs, whatever the dog reacts to, then you may need to muzzle til you get where you're going.

If the dog has a bite history, then obviously it is necessary - reactive does not = bites.

In some situations you can easily reinforce with squeezey cheese, people in that particular area stay away from muzzled dogs rather than let dogs run up to them... so it might be more appropriate.

For my clients (I obviously cannot speak for all owners) - by the time they are walking their reactive dog where other people may be walking theirs, that dog has gone through a ton of training and is already well on the way to being 'fixed'. We'll have worked in quieter environments, built value in seeing stooge dogs and disengaging and looking at the owner for reinforcement and further instruction, gradually worked up to walking in the places the owner would prefer to walk.

However it will still only take one muppet to let their 'it's ok hes friendly' dog come barrelling over to within a foot or two, to upset the apple cart and set that dog and owner back a long way.

If your dog does not automatically check in with you on seeing another dog - on or off lead - don't have your dog off lead! It is not enough to recall your dog after they've already got within a few feet of a leashed dog and upset it, they need to stay a decent distance away - 10ft would be good, 20ft would be much better.

You may think you'll never end up with a reactive dog, but unless you are extremely lucky there is a good chance you will. So much depends on other people being responsible, on top of you doing the training and being responsible yourself.

ETA, Pissflaps, I can't edit out the quote.

Owners just think their dogs are being 'friendly', probably because it is convenient, but my dog wont see it that way.

This. I have dogs approach mine where it is clear that interaction with my dog is not going to go well. It might go well with different mixes. Mine can interact nicely and play and so on with some dogs but not all. Their dog is no different although numbers/percentages may vary. But rather than acknowledge that and act accordingly, it's far easier to shout over, "it's ok, he's friendly" than recall the dog who often doesn't have any in any case.
I dream of having a big, interesting garden with dogs who are better off not being walked so we can all live the rest of our lives in peace.