@aydenjohnson4678

2 weeks ago

Thank you for sharing this. I see too many people calling muzzles torture devices. They aren’t when used properly, like anything we use in this world. One of my pups wears a muzzle anytime he is out of the house, not because he is a bad dog, far from it. But because I have horrible neighbors that see the kids and other dogs in my family playing with him and think he’s friendly. Even after I specifically spoke to them about his protection based aggression towards people and dogs, particularly large men, of which the worst neighbor is, the others have been amazing and respectful if sad they can’t play with the giant puppy.

For this man, I told him we were working on training (I had just taken him in and was waiting for the trainer to be free) and explained his issues. I then told him, begged him really, to please let me know when he and his pup wanted to go outside if I was out there with him and we would immediately go inside so as not to keep either of them from enjoying their yards. He replied “well you’re people” as if that would make my dog less likely to attack him. I simply said I’m his people. I also asked him to not peek out if my mother was out there with him as Grandma is a hairpin trigger for him, and when she is outside with him it’s usually to pee and go right back in. (Less than five minutes) For some context, my pups is a 120lb German Shepherd-Bullmastiff cross. He is solid muscle and my mother, despite how much he loves her, is not physically strong enough to stop him. (Since going through training, he is much better, but to be safe Grandma doesn’t walk him)

So what does this asshat do? Waits for my mother to be outside with him and sends his dog after a squirrel laughing as my mother got yanked off her feet and forced to let go of the leash. He immediately stopped laughing when my dog went through the fence, taking the whole panel with him and went after his dog. Thankfully I pulled up home at that exact moment and was able to recall him before any blood was drawn. I got my pup inside, checked out his dog for injuries, and helped my mother up and got her ice for her bruised knees and sprained wrists. He yelled at me saying I shouldn’t own a dog if I can’t control him and that he should be put down because he is dangerous. I snapped, told him he was reckless, idiotic and the reason his dog was in harms way in the first place. He knew damn well how aggressive my dog could be, especially with Grandma around, and despite knowing that decided to egg his dog on and put him, my mother and himself in a dangerous position. He threatened to call the cops so I told him to do it. That I have the security footage of me going up to him and explaining everything and the footage of him deliberately sending his dog out when he saw my mother was alone. I did everything I could short of chaining my dog up and never letting him outside. My mother, bless her, felt the muzzle was cruel so she didn’t put it on. She now knows better.

For those who think my dog should be euthanized, piss off. I have gone through grueling hours of training, medical consults, and have gotten my pup the help he needed. Yes he is still a bite risk, yes he wears a muzzle for anything outside of the house, but it isn’t a punishment. It is a protection for him. I have 7 dogs and he is the only one I trust unsupervised around the children. The kids are dog savvy, but still kids, and I have watched one of them accidentally yank on his face hard and he did nothing. They could stab him and he would kiss them.

Muzzle training is fantastic and a great way to get your dog to understand the muzzle isn’t punishment, isn’t going to hurt. It removes the anxiety from the muzzle. A lot of times muzzles are used in high stress situations which makes the dogs (and owners) associate them with bad things. By using them randomly, giving high value treats or praise, the connotation is removed and they become a part of the background. Just like collars.

Thank you for sharing this. May people respect your and your dog’s boundaries. 🥰

397 |