Woof! Bark! And also Whiiiiiiiiiine.

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D2 Jun 2018 8:39am, 1 Jun 2018 10,705 posts	0 D2 Really? Not sure if I want to try that, I may find someone else to do some research
BaronessBL Jun 2018 11:52am, 1 Jun 2018 7,227 posts	0 BaronessBL Our fourth walk this morning in the new muzzle (she hasn't been out without it since it arrived so it becomes 'normal') Yesterday afternoon she probably wore it for an hour although it was only a very gentle walk which didn't require any panting for any time. She bashed my legs with it a little less this morning and was quite happy to charge into the office at the local garage and straight to the desk drawer where she knows the dog treats are kept (she was invited by one of the mechanics but you would think she is never fed!) Bizarrely when wearing it she seems far more reactive to other dogs and much more likely to try to engage with people (tail wagging and wanting a fuss although now anyone who doesn't already know her thinks she is rushing over to attack them). Still I suppose from the point of view of keeping Wanda safe it is better to have a muzzled dog with no manners than an unmuzzled well-trained and largely well-behaved one. At least if she reacts to dogs and behaves badly in the muzzle she'll reinforce the stereotype
BaronessBL Jun 2018 11:54am, 1 Jun 2018 7,229 posts	0 BaronessBL I don't know what combination of punctuation caused that first in my above post but it wasn't intended!
Helegant Jun 2018 12:11pm, 1 Jun 2018 5,516 posts	0 Helegant Baroness, is the reactivity like having a dog on a lead meeting one not on the lead, where the on-lead dog is usually more nervous?
BaronessBL Jun 2018 12:41pm, 1 Jun 2018 7,230 posts	0 BaronessBL yes Wanda is always more nervous on the lead than off the lead but has been a lot better recently on the lead - however when muzzled and on lead she will lunge at other dogs - which in the last year or so (since our reactive dog class) she was doing much much less of, and our current trainer says when she has seen Wanda lunge at a dog all her body language is saying 'play with me' rather than 'I would like to kill you'. However for those (humans) less finely tuned to canine body language I expect a Staffie lunging to say play with me probably often translates to I'm going to rip your children limb from limb. I hope to let her play off the lead but muzzled with a few of her canine friends at some point soon - it will be a good test of who Wanda's real friends are in fact!
D2 Jun 2018 1:12pm, 1 Jun 2018 10,706 posts	0 D2 its such a hard and fine line for you to tread BBL, you are doing so well though Wanda is very lucky to have owners who take so much trouble. If only other owners were as conscientious
FergusG Jun 2018 2:14pm, 1 Jun 2018 2,536 posts	0 FergusG Maybe she needs one of these to boost her confidence google.com
BaronessBL Jun 2018 4:17pm, 1 Jun 2018 7,231 posts	0 BaronessBL I have seen those before and part of me wants to get one if only for her to wear it when walking past the homes of the most avid anti-Wanda neighbours! But I think she would suffer the same inability to pant properly as she has with all of the others we have tried except the current one. If the rain holds off I'm thinking of going for a short 15 minute run with her this evening to see how she gets on with it as it would be good to be able to take her to parkrun again but with 300-400 people (and their kids and dogs) at our local one I wouldn't contemplate taking her unmuzzled anyway.
Helegant Jun 2018 4:23pm, 1 Jun 2018 5,517 posts	0 Helegant I like it. We were barked at by four dogs (spaniel, labrador doodle dog etc) today, which were inside a house. Irish Boy said they were dangerous and would attack us. I said I thought they were barking in recognition that we were there, but if let out would probably come and say hello. IB asked how I could tell and I said it was about body language, and that the way we react matter because dogs read or body language too. (The children are fine with Jet but I've been working on their initial reactions to other people's dogs, trying to stop the 'hands' by the younger children) IB said he wished someone had told him about body language before he was chased by a Doberman last year. I can't say I blame him for running away, but it's left him feeling uneasy about bigger dogs. Some more confidence building is needed.
D2 Jun 2018 4:45pm, 1 Jun 2018 10,707 posts	0 D2 that's great, Indi defo needs one of those!!