Somebody thought our headcollar was a muzzle

[honeybadger]

Normal day at the park, I unclip Jack's face from his Gentle Leader and his lead so he can go and play with this guy's dog at the park, and while we are watching them he says, "so, do you always make him wear a muzzle?"



Don't understand how someone can mistake this for a muzzle, especially a dog owner... I mean, Jack's mouth was hanging wide open while it was on him... must be the most ineffective muzzle ever.

(If he thought it was a muzzle why did he seem so chill when I asked if our dogs could play off leash?)

Makes me worry people see me walking him and assume he bites or something. Do a lot of people think headcollars are muzzles?



Oh well, at least he looks cute in it.

[Bookwormbiker]

I also use one and now I'm wondering if people are thinking the same thing. I've used mine for our hikes in the state park and now that I think of it, I can remember several instances where another person that's approaching with a dog has asked me if he's "friendly". However, nobody has ever asked about the head collar.

[patm]

I'm going to say that "yes", most people probably first think "muzzle" when they see a halter type thing for a dog. Even most dog owners, because they aren't familiar with them. The best thing that you can do is use any appropriate experience for education and not get annoyed because people don't know what it is and go to the thing that they are somewhat familiar with. Most people have probably never seen a real muzzle either for that matter, but they are still more familiar with the idea of one.

[bett]

not all dog owners know what a gentle leader looks like.
and not all dog owners have a brain.

[Paddysmom]

I probably would have thought "muzzle", too, if it were my first time seeing the leader.

[MicksMom]

The first time I saw a head halter in person, my initial thought was muzzle (almost 20 years ago- right after they first came out). When the dog got closer, tho, I realized what it was.

[Samson]

They do look like a strap to keep the mouth closed to the untrained eye !

[Mark_J]

We use the Holt version and have been asked many times if it's a muzzle or if it was ok to pet the dog. Once they hear what it really is and how dogs that tend to pull stop doing so with that collar they want one for their dogs!

[momofalab]

I forgot all about the promise collar. I use to use one with my Lab Mix. Would get the muzzle comment all the time....I use to tell people if he wanted to bite you, he still could with this collar. I might have to dig out the collar and see if it will work on my strong willed blonde.

[Baloo317]

I forgot all about the promise collar. I use to use one with my Lab Mix. Would get the muzzle comment all the time....I use to tell people if he wanted to bite you, he still could with this collar. I might have to dig out the collar and see if it will work on my strong willed blonde.

That was the exact line I would use if Baloo was on the Halti, lol!

"Is that a muzzle!?"
"Nope, he could still easily bite you if he wanted to." *biggrin*!! LOL!