Dog Muzzle Issues

san19

Hi, does anyone know where i could walk my dog and let her go muzzle free for ten to fifteen minutes a day, my problem is i have a german sherpherd who by law has to have a muzzle on in a public place, i have her muzzle on everyday on an one hour walk and during that hour i take off her muzzle in a green area where she gets to explore the ground like a normal dog needs too. I have been stopped before by the dog warden while walking up a main road when i did not have a muzzle on and was told she needs to wear it at all times, my response was i taught she had to wear it only in public parks which i stopped using last year when the dog warden pulled me up over this, so ever since then we stay out of parks and her muzzle is on, but she needs to be able to explore the ground for ten minutes without this on, today in a small patch of green the dog warden pulls up and says muzzle on. so my question is if anyone out there knows of a place i can take her in the dublin 15 area that there's no chance of a dog warden pulling up beside me, could they let me know, she is never off leash and is totally under my control at all times. I feel so sorry for her, she would love to run after a ball and play like any other dog but she can't we are not asking much. Any suggestion welcomed.

are you serious

Go to the Millenium park over beside the shopping centre... or Hartstown park just in off the blakestown road(or the hartstown road)depending which is coser... or along the canal... or up the back fields at ongar where barnwell is...... or go up to Damastown industrial estate... there are endless places!!

where exactly are you and i'll suggest somewhere better/closer

san19

I won't go into the parks because he stopped me in the millennium park last year, too many dogs in hartstown park plus I'd be weary he would visit there too, I'm just across from millennium park, usually walk up ongar road where he has pulled me over there too.

are you serious

What... stopping you that much?? I havnt been there much with my two dogs at all because i'm in lucan now.

Have you ever heard of St Catherines Park, its between Clonsilla and Lucan if you go around the back way to Larachon. Its a huge park ive never once had my dogs on leash there, never anything said to me either...

san19

Ok thanks

tk123

Take a look here op as pointed out there's no specific legislation that defines what a muzzle is so you could possible try something like a dogmatic or halti?
Anyhoos is it the actual dog warden who's approaching you or park wardens? The dog warden's van has a fan on top and says dog warden on it, the other vans are just wardens who have no dog powers imo. We're lucky enough that all the wardens that come to our park are sound - with the exception of one of them who chooses his battles - ie tells an old man to leash an arthritic dog that can barely walk so is not going to cause anyone any trouble yet ignores the groups of kids drinking in the play ground in the evening (they sit around the mushroom table lol! :pac:)

san19

The first time I was stopped was in a park on leash with a halti on her he asked me a hundred questions with a bad attitude, his van had dog warden on it, I said halti is like a muzzle and he said no it's not, since then he is just in a white van, unmarked, but always the same guy, not a bit nice. He definitely followed me off the main road today like I said he must have seen that she had it on and taught he'd catch me out, which he did, bet that made him feel smug, but really it's so unfair that u can't let her explore the ground for ten minutes while some irresponsible dog owners let their dogs roam the streets and there not picked upon about it.

time lord

tk123 wrote: »

Take a look here op as pointed out there's no specific legislation that defines what a muzzle is so you could possible try something like a dogmatic or halti?
Anyhoos is it the actual dog warden who's approaching you or park wardens? The dog warden's van has a fan on top and says dog warden on it, the other vans are just wardens who have no dog powers imo. We're lucky enough that all the wardens that come to our park are sound - with the exception of one of them who chooses his battles - ie tells an old man to leash an arthritic dog that can barely walk so is not going to cause anyone any trouble yet ignores the groups of kids drinking in the play ground in the evening (they sit around the mushroom table lol! :pac:)

A halti wont satisfy the legislation. The dog must be "securely muzzled" and a halti or its like won't meet this requirement.
Don't shoot the messenger:eek:

san19

No I agree a halti or dogmatic which to me is the same, is not a muzzle, my annoyance is the law should be changed to allow a dog the freedom to be a dog for fifteen minutes out of their walk time, we are harming nobody by doing this, is there any point in reporting this warden as I feel I'm being targeted unfairly.

time lord

san19 wrote: »

No I agree a halti or dogmatic which to me is the same, is not a muzzle, my annoyance is the law should be changed to allow a dog the freedom to be a dog for fifteen minutes out of their walk time, we are harming nobody by doing this, is there any point in reporting this warden as I feel I'm being targeted unfairly.

Just to be devils advocate you cant complain with much hope of success as you are breaking the law. Your and my opinion count for very little in isolation on this matter, in the short term at least you can't be given a fixed penalty for this offence.
Definately a need for dog run free areas and big ones too:). Its not usually a zero tolerence issue so I would take a different route so as the issue will not escalate with the warden.

san19

I will do that thanks

are you serious

A definition of a muzzle is not In black and white, a halti would suffice, if you get stopped simply politely ask the warden wether it be a park or dog warden to give you the legal definition of a muzzle, he/she will not be able to therefore your halti will cover you

Whispered

Guys - please please be careful when you're suggesting places to walk an RB unmuzzled. It is not beyond the realms of possibilities that someone will see it and notify a warden.

I'm sorry and I hope not to annoy anybody with saying it, but I thought better safe than sorry.

OP, do you drive?

are you serious

Op I'm just reading back up again, why is it you don't want to go to a park where there are going to be other dogs?

san19

Because I prefare to take a long walk without distractions and let her explore a quiet green area, in the parks there are dogs off leash who will run up to her, another reason is she has to be muzzled so can't explore without her muzzle going into dog poo, and we get looks from people whos perception is oh god a muzzled dog she vicious. I don't drive so its local places that I have to go

Whispered

Pity about your lack of transport. I have 2 RB's myself and we drive out to the wilds to allow them some offlead time, time to swim etc.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help, I'm not from your area.

Best of luck with finding somewhere, I agree with you totally, they need time and space to do doggy things.

are you serious

Fair enough so, I would only recommend Damastown for a walk, it's just at the back of Mulhuddart village, nowhere else are you going to get very few dogs and no warden