Michelle
Your post says that your dog has never shown aggressive behavior towards humans. Apparently live in a rural area, has Gator been exposed to many people? Seems to me that if Gator has truly never shown human aggression, your pooch may not have these tendencies and may never have them, but continued observation is necessary. The problem may rear it's ugly head if the other dog owner (or you ) try to break up any further fights. I wonder how many people with known dog aggressive dogs really know how to break the fight <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> . If both parties involved don't know the fundamentals, people get injured. If you "wheelbarrow" your dog away from the fight and the other owner does nothing, oh well you get the picture. Dogs should come with instruction manuals <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Michelle The way I see it You got your answer on the first three replies. How many same answer replies did you want/need?

My 1st reply was pointing out the fact that you said you were taking all precautions and you didn't or you wouldn't have had an incident.My second reply was to clarify one possible scenario that could have happened without an incident with or without a muzzle

Ain't nobody fighting we are discussing thats why it is called a discussion forum

A couple things I let go before, You were right very basic o/b You had to tell him to out several times and yank on his ear to boot. Yep theres a dog that minds well. You've had pit bulls your whole life and never bothered to find out what your chosen breed is about?So when you ask is gator dangerous or a potential man killer. How can anyone here know for sure without seeing your dog we can only go by what you say! So you are the only one who should know that answer. And you do! crate ,vet visits at the end of the day to avoid other dogs!! etc

The people on the bikes didn't come back maybe they was scared you'd have your dog finish theirs off or they themselves, Maybe they went blowing by ya cuz the lab wasn't theres and they was trying to get away from it maybe theres more to the story and you all know each other kinda hard not too in a town of 250 people.

"I wonder if everyone who says I need a muzzle Muzzles their dog(s)" Ya as a matter fact I do and I have two new ones in the mail on their way to me as of this writing. So there !! My GSD is the one with the issues. My terrier could care less about him.So they wear em for both their protection when out together. Notice I said terrier a habit for me now cuz once you say pit bull most people look at you like you just ripped an easter egg fart on a crowded elevator !Why because of incidences such as yours and and worst ones and especially media hype. A case in point . My aunt meets my terrier shes loving on him he's diggin on it and loving her back. Then she says "so what kinda dog is he?" I tell her, she immediatly pushes him away, an says get it away from me. So I lie to her tell her I was only joking he's really a boxer. She pets him again but very cautously and then split from the area.So why did she react like that when she didn't even know what an apbt looked like? Because of half trained dogs and media hype.

Fact is everyone who posted here is right because it is what they would do if gator was their dog.I don't post much so I apologize to everyone for getting lengthy here,But it really scorched my shorts when she diss'd everyone but for those who gave the answer she wanted to hear.

O'k I'm done someone can lock this one up now or yell at me

Rob
You had to tell him to out several times and yank on his ear to boot. Yep theres a dog that minds well I dont think most dogs are going to out on command while they are in the middle of a dog fight. Correct me if i am wrong but i have never seen or heard of it happening.

Michelle:

In regards to training and redirection, we WERE able to get Gypsy to ignore other dogs. There's actually an amusing story there...

We were in an advanced level class with another dog - Dobie bitch - who was dog aggressive. We (my husband and I), the other dog's owner, and the head trainer worked and worked and worked with these animals. The big test was the long down off-lead (AKC Ob. Exercise seen in the ring). Gypsy and the Dobie were next to each other (with several people ready to jump and intervene should there be a need). I was trying very hard not to let Gypsy feel how nervous I was about this!

We all gave the "stay" and walked away. Gypsy and the Dobie gave each other a look, then BOTH deliberately turned their heads as far away from the other as they could. It was for all the world as if they were saying to themselves "I will not look, I will not look, I will not look..."

4 minute stay. No issues.

Had the other dog run up to her and pounced, it would have been a different story, and I know that. However, we were at least able to get to the stage where if the other dog didn't make a scene, she WOULD ignore them rather than get all stressed and "bow up" as my husband would say. Made walking and the vet's office much calmer.

That might help a little, though it doesn't do much for the off-lead dog problem. A Walking stick is a good idea for a lot of reasons - although as a good Irish girl I'd have to recommend a good Irish Blackthorn Stick. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Don't leave home without it!

Paula

You are correct, It should have read why didn't you give a down command because you couldn't? I work a night shift and just got home and was tired as is evident from my spelling.(but I can't spell anyway LoL)I should have waited till after I slept to reply but then knowing me I probably wouldn't have. What's done is done. I was going to go into what she witnessed wasn't jack, compared to the battle my two can whip up but I didn't

Melissa is correct about what if the other dog was dog aggressive and it turned on her while she was picking her dog up and or hers was muzzled, thats where pepper spray would come in. Once again taking all precautions to keep your dog from biting, thats ones job as a dog owner and to protect their dog so it learns that it doesn't have to worry cuz you are in charge, specially with that breed. And what about that other dog it didn't fight it ran, so she is wrong again. Thats a bet she would lose cuz not all dogs will fight and back to that other dog did she just help create another dog aggressive fear biter? Because she didn't take all precautions.

OOps I said I was done and I am so anyone can pm me if they want.