I'm relocating my 4-year-old male Doberman from Kenya to Norway and want to set us both up for success under Norway's stricter dog regulations.
Background: He's lived in an apartment his whole life and is well-trained for that routine, calm indoors while I'm at work, as long as he gets morning and evening exercise. He's social with other dogs and confident but appropriate (paw-slaps over biting). Great with my friends and family.
The issues: He had protection training from 6 months to 2 years with a poor trainer, and has developed selective reactivity:
- Children (roughly 6–15 yrs): Very cautious, will bark/lunge/snap if they get too close. No pressured bites, but teeth scratches have happened... still unacceptable and scary for a kid/ anyone.
- Strangers in certain contexts: Reactive toward waiters approaching our table (stopped taking him to restaurants), people in confined spaces like stairwells (I now stop and wait for people to pass), and occasionally aggressive toward homeless/drunkards/ hawkers people on the street in Kenya likely feeding off my own tension. but is also oblivious to white expats running up to him. not being racist but i think he is classist (Im not, im born and lived in Kenya my whole life).
- Passing pedestrians: Generally fine if I manage the walk timing and keep him focused. If he gets stressed, I stop, sit him, redirect focus to me, and let people pass.
I never walk him off-leash unless we're completely away from people. In Kenya these incidents got managed informally, but in Norway a serious incident could mean being forced to put him down.
My questions:
- Muzzle recommendations: I want to muzzle him on all walks and runs. Basket muzzles seem like the right call, but are they comfortable enough for daily use? Any specific brands for a Doberman's long snout?
- Selective aggression: How have you worked through reactivity that's context-specific (children, confined spaces, unpredictable strangers)? Especially interested in hearing from people who've done structured behaviour modification.
- Relocating to a stricter country: Any general tips for transitioning a reactive dog to a country with tighter enforcement?
Thanks in advance.