Why Not Muzzle Dogs?

Ban them – no questions- but then I think that may be harsh. An alternative may be mandatory muzzles when in public.

I dislike the breed intensely because of the attack that happened to my beautiful good-natured border collie when he was a 6 month old puppy.

This “lovely, good- natured” Pit bull “ Diablo” (yes his name was Diablo) had previously got into some tussels with other dogs at the park. Others approached the ladies walking the dog and suggested that they might want to muzzle him since he seemed aggressive. The ladies were adamant that he was a good-natured dog who was just playing and would never hurt another dog.

One morning my dog and me were at the park, he was playing with several other dogs I was about 10 feet away talking to other owners when out of nowhere came Diablo through the pack of dogs and launched onto my dog. I could not get him off my dog, thankfully there were two larger gentleman and after 5 minutes they were able to get this “lovely – good natured” Pit bull off my dog. I had to rush my dog to emergency for stitches in his neck. The ladies had stood there yelling at me to “fix” my dog, which he was, but that was not the point - they did not have control of their dog- the attack was unwarranted! Note also there was a little girl playing with the group of dogs who was beside my dog when Diablo attacked, he could have easily latched on to her and not my dog.

I am wary now, if I see a PIT bull in a park we do not go in and if we are at the park and a PIT bull arrives, we leave. It has affected my dog - he can not play in groups of dogs anymore, he panics, he is okay one on one, sometimes with two but never more. Before the attack he used to love to play and wrestle with other dogs, now it takes a long time before he trusts another dog.

This may have been avoided if those ladies had just muzzled their dog. The dog still gets to play with other dogs and people but the danger is removed. I do not think “Diablo” was mistreated or had bad owners. I think that the breed is unpredictable and unprovoked attacks can happen.

S.N.