Life with a dog agressive dog...

krlyr

He's not mine, but he's a cross - GSD x Akita. Here he is without the muzzle

Molly41

Mara69 wrote: »

Why only one? You have clearly said that your dogs (plural) will snap. So why is only one muzzled?

Because only one has any teeth of significance. My very old dog has lost a lot of teeth :eek:

gettingready - hope you feel better soon.

elliesmemory1

Im sorry you are stressed and I understand that, but Zara will be picking up on it which will not help.

Yes I understand you have said you will get a muzzle when you can afford it.

Sadly even if you think the law is stupid it is the law and thats it which means if any one even thinks your dog may attack you may be in trouble.

I know what its like to have a large dog who is capable of going for others, my last dog was like this which is why she wore a muzzle, She also had hip dysplasia and spondolosis in her spine.

Im not saying Zaras lameness is conected to the surgery, it may or not be. people have offered you a lot of good advice ie vet check and tests, a muzzle etc etc.

The only other things I can suggest apart from a behaviourist are a dap diffuser or a herbal calmer which may help her relax a little but is unlikely to solve the problem.

The fact that she does not react to other dogs when with your dog walker points to the fact that she is picking up on your stress. How about walking her with your dog walker a couple of times to see how she reacts then.

The more uptight you get about it the worse it will get so try to relax.
I know you say she loves playing ball but sadly if its a choice between being able to play ball and being able to walk without you worrying she will go for another dog I know what I would do.
I feel this thread is just going round in circles and I dont think anyone is having a go at you just trying to give you advise I have had my say and will leave it there Good luck

gettingready

Thanks everyone - spoke to her vet at Goddards today, her blood results are back and normal. Still waiting for the Thyroid ones. I will want a printout of those when I see him again in about 10 days time.

Zara is on Metacam, still limping/dragging her leg but he said to give it 2 weeks.

Spoke to the vet at FR too, same advice as they say it is very unlikely to be connected to the op as we are well past 15 weeks now.

I have got several hospital appointments coming up and working full time and juggling those without loosing a job over so much absence is hard enough so really do not need more worry.

As I work - can not go out with dog walker.

I need her (and myself) to be better/feel better before we can deal with this issue from a right angle. She is only 6 years old and was fine before so hopefully we can get back there.

Thanks again.

Dogs on the beach photos - great.. wish I could take Zara to a beach, ever only been once - I do not drive/have no access to a car.. sigh...

zaksmum

I can understand getting ready's reluctance to use a muzzle though.

I'd hate to muzzle my dogs.

Hope you're ok, getting ready. You must be SO stressed out by all this.

krlyr

zaksmum wrote: »

I can understand getting ready's reluctance to use a muzzle though.

I'd hate to muzzle my dogs.

Hope you're ok, getting ready. You must be SO stressed out by all this.

I used to be, too, which is why I think it's a good idea to forget about what others think and look at the benefit it poses you and your dog. I used to be sensitive about it, I had my share of abuse hurled at me with my last dog (who turned out to have bad hip dysplasia too which explained a lot - but was also full of behavioural issues which didn't help) but with Casper, I just do what benefits us. I mean, I look young, and I find jogging bottoms and hoodies comfortable, so I imagine I'm already pre-judged by many for having "hard" dog breeds, so a muzzle is the cherry on the cake for getting people to avoid me - but that is exactly what helps me and Casper enjoy our walks! I wouldn't expect to go to a busy park and have free run of the place, but I can go to several quieter public parks or nature reserves/moors/etc., take Casper's muzzle, and have the reassurance that most of the people we meet will take note and avoid approaching us because of it.
And as a result, I'm more relaxed on walks, so Casper's more relaxed, so we enjoy ourselves a lot more - which it sounds like GR is in desperate need of (I've been there, know how stressful it can be!). I certainly find Casper a lot easier and a lot less stressful to manage that my previous dog, but to be honest he was probably more reactive to more dogs and at a greater distance than Prue was - she tended to only react when really close to a dog, yet it just seemed a lot more stressful because I would be worrying about how I looked and what others thought of me.
At the end of the day, Casper doesn't mind the muzzle. He can still do lots of things while wearing it, and he barely acknowledges it's there. So whether it benefits or not (which I definately feel it does in our case), there's no harm in using it. It's not like I've welded it on - I can take it off in places I know are definately safe, as could GR, to play a game of fetch. I can carry it on me and only use it on narrow footpaths or busy places. Even just 'wearing' it on my belt loop seemed to help with people seeing it and giving us space. If it's introduced probably so that the dog doesn't care (and many dogs, when trained to accept it properly, will actually push their noses into it like they may climb into a harness willingly, knowing it signifies walkies) then there's no downside other than public perception - and at the end of the day, who cares what others think if you're looking out for your dog?

zaksmum

Krlyr, you make some very valid points, but I'd still feel like I was failing my dogs in some way by muzzling them.

I suppose I'm very lucky that my dogs are not aggressive to other dogs or people though.

krlyr

I guess the experience can change your mind - I remember someone shouting at me that "that dog should be muzzled!" about my first dog and I thought it was such a horrible thing to shout at someone at the time, especially as she didn't even know me or my dog - she'd witnessed a fraction of her life, when her (offlead!) dog approached us down a narrow footpath - my dog kicked off a bit but nothing happened, I managed to pass by fine, it was just a bit of noise. But then I actually bumped into her, without her dog, and it turned out she had a GSD phobia and was just acting out her fear - and it made me stop and think about how these reactive moments look to other people. That's when I started carrying a muzzle with me and it became an effective way to get the space we needed, people didn't seem so bothered if she did react because they could see she was muzzled so they weren't at risk, and it just became a little more pleasant.
When I got Casper and found out about his reactivity, I didn't hesitate at all to go and get a muzzle and I probably over-used it initially just to play safe, but it meant I spent a lot less time worrying, and there was no risk of me misjudging a situation and ending up with a dog who'd bitten someone else's dog (or worse, bitten the owner in the crossfire). Now that I've got a better understanding of his behaviour, his triggers, I've seen how he acts when pushed right to his limits and so on, I don't see the muzzle as being quite so necessary but it is still a helpful tool in certain situations.

I would see it more as a failing if my pride meant I didn't make use of non-harmful (because a muzzle isn't cruel or painful) tool that made my dog's life easier, more relaxing and provided more freedom on where we could walk and what activities we could do (e.g. letting him out on a longline in public places)

gettingready

I guess it is a much easier decision if a dog is agressive towards people. Zara is not - she loves all people and she loves them making fuss of her. Lots of people stop and want to pet her and she is more than happy to be stroked. Wearing a muzzle - the same people would be scared of her.

krlyr

Neither of mine were/are aggressive towards people though - quite the opposite, great with people, especially kids. But it's still intimidating for someone to see a 35/40kg GSD lunging at their dog without a muzzle on.