When you see a dog with a muzzle on...

Ingrid · Post by **Ingrid** » Sun Dec 19, 1999 3:48 am

What's the first thing you would tend to think? That the dog can't control his dog? That the owner is careful and responsible? That the owner is torturing his dog??? Just curious to hear your opinion...

Ingrid

Erin F · Post by **Erin F** » Sun Dec 19, 1999 11:36 pm

The first thing I think is that the owner is afraid of the dog. Realistically, I know there are dogs that have to be muzzled, at least during the period in which their dominance is being dealt with. I knew a woman whose tiny little poddle cross was ripping up her hands so bad everytime she reached down to leash it, she finally had to decide to either muzzle the dog or have it put down. So this "slavering beast" had this tiny, thimble-sized little muzzle. Cute, but sad. But for the most part, I try not to judge, because I don't know the situation that owner is in with that particular dog, and if they're muzzling as an alternative to serious injury to themselves or others, then certainly that's the responsible thing to do.

Ingrid · Post by **Ingrid** » Mon Dec 20, 1999 3:48 am

Poor woman! I couldn't imagine a dog hurting its owner! Wonder why would that dog be so agressive...

Ingrid

Erin F · Post by **Erin F** » Mon Dec 20, 1999 11:40 am

Well, I can give you a couple of hints, because I was in the same obedience class with this poor woman: When the trainer asked her what time she got the dog up to take out in the mornings, she said, "oh, we never wake him up. He doesn't like that. We wait until he gets up himself, about ten." You can probably extrapolate from there whether or not they allowed the dog on the furniture, etc. It was probably just in the dog's temperment to be dominant, and they let him develop that aspect of his nature unchecked until he wasn't fit to live with. At one point the trainer took them aside and said that she wasn't sure they would ever get the dog to settle down, because I'm serious it would just go into a barking, biting frenzy everytime they put a leash on it. It was an adult so having it's dominant status challenged was just driving it batty. They were told that there was a possibility they might have to put it down (it was biting before they went to the obedience class; that was why they came there). But it did get somewhat better toward the end of the classes, although it was never eager to obey during the time I saw it, and would still attempt to threaten it's owner by growling, going stiff, etc.

BBRoundtable