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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Do I need to muzzle my dog?? What are the laws on this?? HELP PLEASE!

29 replies

WTFwasthat · 04/02/2014 21:41

I have an 18 mo lab cross. He's gorgeous, friendly, non aggressive, great around our cats and children. Never been aggressive blah blah blah…..BUT when I take him to the park if there is anyone there marking out white lines for a sports pitch, mowing a lawn, hoovering up leaves etc. he goes nuts! In a "wow! this is great - let's play!" type way. Not in an aggressive "I'm going to kill you," way. The problem is that he has twice gone charging over the the white-line man and starting barking his head off and nudging the white-line man to get him to move the paint machine thing. Now obviously white line man objects to a dog coming haring across the field and barking at him to play and he has reported my pup to the dog warden for biting him. My dog DID NOT bite the white line man - he nudged and pulled/nipped at his clothes to get him to move the white-line marker thing so he could play. This has happened twice in the last 3 months or so but it is completely ruining my dog walking experience (all my doggy walking friends congregate there) and I have taken mutt elsewhere to get his exercise. A muzzle has been suggested in case the white line marker man is there but I really really don't want my dog muzzled as this is literally the ONLY thing he gets excited over! Please wise m-netters advise me. The dog warden advised the white line man to report my dog to the police and I feel gutted :-((((

OP posts:

mousmous · 04/02/2014 21:44

why oh why do you not have the dog on the lead?
especially if you know about this totally unacceptable behaviour.

the law says the dog should be under control. if you can't do it off lead, dog must be on lead.

Wolfiefan · 04/02/2014 21:47

Why don't you check it is safe before letting your dog off? You must have your dog under control. If a dog nipped my clothes (um skin is under clothes you know!) then is report it. Serious training issues here.

Oakmaiden · 04/02/2014 21:48

My dog DID NOT bite the white line man - he nudged and pulled/nipped at his clothes to get him to move the white-line marker thing so he could play.

Seriously? Keep your bloody dog under control, and there will be no problem.

TheWomanTheyCallJayne · 04/02/2014 21:50

He doesn't need a muzzle. He needs a lead and training

SnakeyMcBadass · 04/02/2014 21:50

You need a long line until you can guarantee your dog will come when called no matter the exciting thing occurring. I know it's a PITA, but until your recall is rock solid you need him on a lead of in an enclosed space where he can't bother anyone. Otherwise you could end up in real trouble, especially if the linesman reports you again. The bloke's entitled to do his job without being leapt on, and mouthing/nipping could be very frightening to most people. Sorry, but I really think you have to take responsibility and keep him under control. A muzzle won't stop him charging up to someone and scaring them.

Cherriesarered · 04/02/2014 21:51

The man has a right to work safely! You should muzzle your dog and keep it on a lead until you have trained it properly!

Littlefish · 04/02/2014 21:53

Put him on a lead. It's only the white line man, so far. However, your dog's attention could easily be drawn by someone or something else and without a lead, or much, much better training, he will continue to be out of control.

SoftSheen · 04/02/2014 21:54

Rather than muzzle your dog, perhaps you should (1) Train it to recall and (2) Teach it that it is unacceptable to nip people, clothes or otherwise. Until you have achieved this, you need to keep your dog on a lead in public places.

I like dogs and am generally tolerant of them, but I would be pretty annoyed (mostly with the owner) with a dog 'charging over', 'barking his head off' and then 'pulling/nipping' at my clothes.

Whoknowswhocares · 04/02/2014 22:03

You need a trainer to help you learn how to teach your dog some manners, not a muzzle. You need to keep him on a lead at all times until you can achieve a reliable recall.
And for the record, I too would consider your dog to have bitten if it was nipping at the clothes of a complete stranger, whatever his motives!
'He only wants to play' is a tired excuse trotted out by so many people to excuse their badly behaved and under trained dog from making a damn nuisance of itself.

tabulahrasa · 04/02/2014 22:19

You need to train him as everyone else has pointed out...a muzzle won't stop him running over and hitting him with the muzzle while trying to play, which hurts when my dog does it.

thedogwakesuptoodamnearly · 04/02/2014 22:46

A dog with a muzzle on belted over and attacked my dog. He probably only wanted to play....

Original poster

WTFwasthat · 04/02/2014 22:46

Ok, so what is recommended here is a long lead and more recall training? My dog has great recall until there is a white line man doing his thing. He honestly comes back from wherever and whatever he is doing unless he sees a mower etc. it is obviously his achilles and I needed help not berating. I came here honestly seeking advice so please be gentle. I have stopped going to the park where the lines get drawn so as not to upset the marker man further and wanted advice on how to conquer the problem . I have spent hours on recall with him and he is so good at it but the first time this happened (around 3 months ago) I had no idea it was going to happen!!! Then when it happened two weeks ago again - for just the 2nd time - I didn't know the park man was going to be there or I would have had him on the lead.

OP posts:

Original poster

WTFwasthat · 04/02/2014 22:52

thedogwakesuptoodamnearly - my dog had never attacked anyone or any other dog. He barked twice at the white line man in 3 months. This is why I stopped visiting MN - there are so many people prepared to offer help and advice which is always greatly appreciated and why I came here again, then there are people like you. Judgemental keyboard warriors. i asked for advice - not putting down.

OP posts:

noddingoff · 04/02/2014 22:54

What have you been doing for the past 18 months?! He's a grown adult dog. Get thee to weekly training classes (work your way up the Kennel Club Good Citizen scheme) and as everyone else said, don't let him off lead if there are any potential "targets" in the park until his recall is rock solid. he's a lab - He's bred to retrieve- and therefore to recall. Once the weekly training is underway maybe get the trainer to do some individual sessions with you where he learns to ignore lamnmowers, leaf blowers etc. How does he react to the hoover?

Original poster

WTFwasthat · 04/02/2014 23:01

noddingoff - thank you, good advice. He barks at the lawn mower and my hoover (though not the hoover so much) His recall is really good unless there is a bloody machine in the park! I can call him back form squirrel chasing, other dogs, picnics, anything basically except this one thing. Training lessons are a great idea.

OP posts:

Whoknowswhocares · 04/02/2014 23:02

It really makes no difference whether YOU think he attacked the white line man or not. HE perceived that your dog did, and he has been backed by the dog warden, who has advised the police be involved.
Therefore your only course of action is to prevent your dog from being tempted in this way again. Which means a lead.
You should proof your recall under heavy distraction on a longline and seek the advice of a trainer (that will help you anyway in looking good to the powers that be if a complaint is made) but tbh you need to accept that for some bizarre reason this is one area your dog may always be tempted to follow his instinct rather than your commands and aim for prevention, not cure

Original poster

WTFwasthat · 04/02/2014 23:03

i will get a long lead tomorrow - thank you

OP posts:

Whoknowswhocares · 04/02/2014 23:06

Point of safety...... A longline is used with a harness, not a collar, in order to prevent neck injuries.
Apologies if that's teaching you to suck eggs!

nuttymutty1 · 05/02/2014 07:49

Actually the other poster are wrong. You do not need recall training you need to counter condition your dog to the line marking machine.

You need to change your dogs emotional state when he sees the machine. At the moment it may be one of of fear or excitement. (lunging and charging can be a fear response).

Start with your own hoover and lawn mower and then work up to the line machine. He must not ever be allowed to charge up to it as this will just become practised behaviour

ender · 05/02/2014 08:31

It only takes one person to complain to dog warden that dog not under control. Friends dog, lovely friendly BC, used to sometimes run up to random people, bark and try to get them to play. People were OK about it for a while then someone got fed up and reported to dog warden.
He visited and said it had to stay on lead all the time. A year later dog getting overweight, still on lead and owner wishing she'd kept it under control and trained it properly when she had the chance.

daisydotandgertie · 05/02/2014 08:38

What nutty said. ^^

Work on conditioning him to the triggers. Recall, muzzle or a long line will make no difference at all to preventing the reaction which caused the problem in the first place. Book some specific training lessons if necessary.

Original poster

WTFwasthat · 05/02/2014 10:34

thank you all - it is going not going to be a quick fix by the sounds of it.

OP posts:

PeanutPatty · 05/02/2014 13:16

Nothing with dogs is ever a quick fix but put the work, training and effort in and you will be rewarded ten times.

Onesleeptillwembley · 05/02/2014 13:18

Fucking hell OP. please don't ever have kids.

nuttymutty1 · 05/02/2014 13:54

Actually counter conditioning can be remarkably quick - especially with a food loving lab. Do't despair give it a go or ask a professional to help. You can both work through this

Not sure what the reference to kids is ?

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