Why don't owners of reactive dogs use muzzles?

[hennaoj]

Absolutely fed up of having to dodge other dogs that will react negatively to mine. Today my poor dog was was inches away from being attacked by a Newfoundland, it was on leash, no muzzle and dragged it's owner over to my collie. The owner didn't even apologize. I've seen it before, it's know to be reactive and it's normally walked away from other dogs but for some bizarre reason they decided to walk it through a narrow pathway where many dogs get walked.
Every day I come across people walking reactive dogs but they never have muzzles on and some owners don't even bother to shorten their leads. Some idiots even have them off lead in the local nature reserves, which isn't so bad if my dog is off lead and can get away from them. He generally ignores them, thankfully but I'm scared one day he will get attacked.

Reactive doesn't always mean aggressive.

No clue, I’ve only ever had the opposite tbh... dogs making a beeline for a dog I’m clearly trying to avoid meeting dogs with.

My dog’s reactive so he is always on a lead if there is any chance there will be another dog and I warn other dog owners to please not let their dogs approach. I’ve never used a muzzle in the past as we always walk in quiet areas and I think if he’s on a lead then he is under control (he can’t run over and attack a dog) and it is the responsibility of other owners to make sure their dogs don’t approach on lead dogs for their own safety. People let their dogs off lead at their own risk and should be able to call their dogs away from on lead dogs. I think owners of off lead dogs are to blame if their dog has poor recall and gets injured in anyway-hit by a car falls down a hole, bitten by an on lead dog. It also seems like you’re not legally to blame if your on lead dog bites an off lead dog. Unfortunately due to lockdown we are seeing more off lead dogs recently walking in previously quiet places and we have been approached more often than before (dogs running over into my dogs face from up to 200m away and trying to sniff him despite him clearly growling snapping and warning them away) so I am considering muzzling him every time we go out even though the rescue centre and our behaviourist never recommended it. I have been positively muzzle training him gradually but he is still not keen so it does seem a bit unfair that he should have to be inconvenienced by wearing a muzzle (even a humane cage one) but I would hate another dog to get bitten (I think this is unlikely as hasn’t happened but he is terrified so it is a risk). I just wish other people would not let their dogs run up to us when we are clearly trying to avoid them and it wouldn’t be an issue!

I should have added before. Mine was also on lead and I had placed myself between the other dog and owner and my dog while I was walking past. I've known the other dog to be aggressive/defensive from previous encounters (the owner normally crosses the road, but this wasn't an option this time). Is there anything else I could have done in this situation?

I do use a muzzle, not because of aggression, but due to DD having a very high prey drive and going after deer. I worry about it a lot because if a muzzle wearing dog is faced with an aggressive dog without one, it has no way of defending itself.
I think if your dog is aggressive the best option is to keep it on the lead. Other people's dogs should not be approaching ideally. Obviously mistakes happen, but where I see a dog on a lead, I put mine on too.

I mean Ddog not DD!

Mine isn't aggressive, he ignores other dogs who are. I'm worried he will get attacked though. He stays on the lead on roads and where it isn't suitable to let him off lead (narrow footpaths). He will defend himself if necessary, he did when a neighbor's dog came hurtling around a corner on a flexi lead and went for him.

I've one that reacts in fear so may look aggressive but is actually fine meeting most and has various sized doggy friends so I don't muzzle, it also makes training bit more difficult to give reward. I muzzle trained as see it as useful life skill & wanted dog happy/relaxed to wearing one, but actually getting a muzzle that fits a dog securely & comfortable so can pant fully etc isn't always easy if odd shaped.

I don't walk in busy areas though because I'm avoiding all the 'friendly' dogs making a beeline and convincing him other dogs are indeed scary, after all progress made.

One of my dogs is reactive but not aggressive. She isn't muzzled because I'm as sure as I can be that she would never attack or bite another dog. In every other respect she's a great dog, but she learnt the behaviour from another dog we previously had. I did think about it, but her nose is short and wide so it's hard to get one to fit. Also the main problem she has is with dogs bounding up to her and scaring her, prompting what sounds like an aggressive reaction. I don't see why I should muzzle my dog because other people can't control theirs

• A lot of dogs find them very distressing, even with training.
• They can cause other people to completely freak out and overreact, especially if the dog is off lead.
• A large percentage of reactive dogs are that way because they’ve been attacked themselves.

If it happens again and the dog is muzzled they have absolutely no defence whatsoever.

• The muzzle only stops bites, muzzled dogs will still punch forward and in smaller dogs that can easily fracture ribs so although they stop bites they don’t stop injuries
• As a PP said, sometimes an ‘aggressive’ dog isn’t really, they might give a growl or lip curl but it doesn’t go any further

Mine is lead reactive after being bitten by off lead dogs several times as a puppy. He gets frightened so he barks but that's all. I'm buggered if I'm going to muzzle him, in case he needs to defend himself against another off lead dog with shit all recall and a twatty owner.

I have a small friendly dog who will naturally be drawn to other dogs. I find it quite easy to.oick up on the owners behaviour if the dog is reactive. You see the concern in their face and they tend to steer their dog away. I know to pull mine away at this point before he gets closer to the other dogs.

Saying that there have been a number of occasions when the owner has said that their dog is normally reactive to any dog but somehow has been fine with mine.

It works both ways. I have a reactive dog. He's not reactive to dogs unless they jump at me the same if people get too close to me. I have a muzzle he wears it. He's always on leash or a longline. I get fed up off dog owners who let their dogs off leash that think its acceptable for their " friendly " dog to come bounding over to him. I get the total idiots shouting "Its OK he's friendly " I have to shout mines not so get your dog under control. These so called professional dog walkers are the worst. There are a few that bring them for a walk where I live walking 7 dogs at once. The council can't do anything as apparently there is no licencing for dog walkers. I pity the owners of these dogs.

Reactive doesn’t mean they will but, it’s fear based and often the dogs will be worse on lead because they feel vulnerable. Not justifying what happened to you at all though.

I have a reactive rescue and keep well away from other dogs unless they know us and the dogs are allowed to interact.

As ever with dog owners it goes both ways, the number of times that dogs have been allowed to run up to mine while he is on leaf, I then get shouted at my the owner trundling half a mile behind.

So many typos sorry. Reactive doesn’t mean they will bite.

The issue here isn't the lack of a muzzle, but that an owner being "dragged" by their dog isn't in control of the dog.