A Muzzled Labrador? Interview with local dog owner, Rachel, on her Labrador, Mars.
Like many of us, I enjoy scrolling through Instagram. I’ve been following mars_foxredlab for a while. Rachel, Mars’ owner, fantastic photographer and devoted dog owner, captures some beautiful shots of her labrador.
But it was the below photo in particular recently caught my eye:
“A muzzled labrador I hear you ask! Well... yes! And no it’s not for snacking during walks... it’s for a reactive lab.” - Rachel, March 26th 2021
As a dog walker with a strong focus on “Safe Dog Walking”, I wanted to know more about Rachel’s and Mars’ situation. I was interested to learn about their experience using a muzzle and why they use one. Rachel kindly agreed to answer my questions and has allowed me to share her experiences with you.
Tell us a little about Mars
“Mars is a Labrador Retriever in Dorset, born in July 2019. We have had her since 9 weeks old. She LOVES balls, games of tug food, agility and running in fields. However Mars is a fear reactive. She dislikes any and all dogs, strangers, children, moving objects.”
What do you think is the root of Mars’ reactiveness?
“As someone who has had her dog from 9 weeks, I find a lot of judgement comes from within the reactive dog community. Especially from owners of rescue dogs which is the “usual” situation for a reactive dog to come from.
Mars has had a lot of physical issues as a younger dog which now are not obvious at all (arthritis). She started limping in Jan 2020. We took her to the vets who ordered bed rest and tablets. She didnt get any better so they ordered an xray. The results came back as possible elbow dysplasia. However the vet sent us home for more bed rest and meds and didn’t come up with a “care” plan.
So when she started limping again a couple months later, we took her to a different vet, who ordered more xrays and determined it was arthritis.
He came up with a plan to get her back on the road to being a “normal” puppy again.
Unfortunately at this point she had been on at least two months of bed rest. During this time she had to go without regular walks/ socialisation due to her pain.
However in hindsight, the walks she did go on before diagnosis, on lead or off lead, she would almost always meet a bouncy off lead dog. Once bed rest was over and on the right medication and care plan, she was no longer in paid and was able to start walks again. However she began reacting to dogs. And of course it just spiralled from there. She is no longer in pain, but because she now learned dogs=pain from a young age, it just spiralled into something much more intense that is hard to reverse.”
At what point did you decide to muzzle train Mars? How did you go about it?
“I decided to muzzle her in July 2020 (when she was around 1 year old). I was definitely not apprehensive to muzzle her however my family didn’t like the idea of it in the beginning.
We approached muzzle training by directing her into the muzzle and treating her. We kept the sessions short and sweet. We then introduced the cue “nose in” and started doing longer durations of her nose in. We then used peanut butter on the inside so we could start strapping the back up while she licked the peanut butter off. Quickly she realised muzzle = food and then she began wearing it for sessions outside.
We currently have the baskerville ultra muzzle as it was a cheap and cheerful option as she was growing for training. However soon I will be investing in a bigger and better wire basket muzzle.”
When do you tend to use the muzzle?
“We use a muzzle on any walk where we may encounter another dog, human, child etc who aren’t her trainers. However this is not often as we mostly rent fields to avoid stress for both her and me. In addition we crate Mars if a stranger needs to enter our home.”
Can you tell me how the public react to your dog wearing a muzzle?
“The public usually have a “good” reaction towards mars in a muzzle. At first, they assume it is to deter snacking, being a food loving lavrador. However when she starts barking and lunging and I ask them to move away people can become defensive and shocked at a Labrador who isn’t friendly.
Sadly, we often get comments about how muzzling is cruel and how she is too dangerous to be out walking. We even had one comment about how she should be put to sleep.
However on the flip we also get understanding people who have a chat with us about her and her “issues”.
I would like the public to be more understanding. I am happy to answer any questions they may have.”
Can you explain any methods you’ve used to help Mars cope in situations she finds difficult?
“We use a “positive reinforcement” training method. We have had the assistance of a trainer in the past and we now use “Absolute Dog” games. We are still working a lot on her training and the muzzle is a safety tool during training.”
What impact has Mars’ reactivity had on you as a dog owner?
“ I have to hold on to the good days, otherwise it really doesn't help my mental health. I don’t think people realise how having a reactive dog can impact your mental health in a negative way. That's why I will always tell people about the good days, and I will always focus on them.”
What are some of your favourite moments with Mars so far?
“The best walks usually entail me being proud of Mars for completely ignoring a dog, redirecting her emotions through our training tricks etc. I remember once out on a walk, we rounded a corner straight into a dog, she just walked straight past it, no fuss, no barking, no running away, just straight past. I did truly wonder if someone had replaced my dog with a lookalike that day! But it will stick in my mind forever now as one of our best walks.
Another one of my other favourite memories would actually have to be at our 'reactive rovers' training class (pawbypaw training). She was having a difficult night settling in class because she could hear other dogs barking. We started a drill where we came out from behind our barriers one by one, building it up until we could be out 2 at a time etc. I did not think this was going to go well. I prepared for the worst. To my surprise, as we built it up, Mars was happy to be out from behind her barrier at the same time as all 3 other dogs, utterly shocking, again this will probably stick in my mind for a very long time now.”
Would you say Mars is now living a happy and active life despite her previous health issues and reactiveness?
“Definately. We love walks in quiet areas. Our favourite is the woods. And we often rent fields so she can run and play without a worry.
We have even recently started agility training. We are still in very early stages of agility. We hope to eventually improve enough to compete. I do truly think she would enjoy competing. She likes proving her skills to everyone, especially me. So I think it would give her a lot of joy!”
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Rachel.
There are many reasons why a dog might be wearing a muzzle.
To prevent the dog from injesting potentially dangerous things.
For training preparations for things like vet visits.
As a precaution if the dog is reactive.
Respect that there is a reason why the owner has decided to muzzle their dog. They are working hard to make life better for their dog.
Avoid being judgmental. The owner is being responsible for taking necessary steps to keep everyone safe whilst still ensuring their dog gets an active and normal life.
Do give plenty of space and don’t stare at the dog in case they are working on reactivity to humans.
If your dog wears a muzzle…
Hold your head up high. Be proud that you’re keeping your dog safe. Raise awareness through your actions and challenge the stereotypes while you smile at the people glancing in your direction.
About Harbour Tails
Harbour Tails is a Safe Dog Walker for Hamworthy, Upton, Poole and surrounding areas. I use live GPS tracking devices on each dog for their safety, an un-Branded Van for their protection. I am an advocate of positive reinforcement techniques and training. DBS Checked & Insured. Rated ‘Excellent’ on TrustPilot, Google and Facebook.
Thank you for reading.