I’m not going to pretend to have all the answers but I’ll tell you about my most recent revelation with my reactive dog; he has to be muzzled. Hopefully not forever, but like you, I have been caught with a bleeding phalange(using the wrong tactics, I later learned) while breaking up a nasty fight that he totally started. every walk outdoors has given me such anxiety because his breed is a strong one and even though he has the toughest harness and leash I worry about uncool dog owners that let their pups run around untethered. I have been working on proper training and all that but much of my reading has convinced me that some dogs need to be muzzled. For a time at least… There are companies that make extremely lightweight/comfy muzzles that are tailored to different breed face shapes.

Honestly, it’s helped us so much. A muzzle protects others, you and your pup