In Fuqing village, Sichuan province, where most young laborers have gone to the cities in search of a living, nearly every household has a watchdog, which has led to dozens of disputes over dog bites.

In the last three years, nearly half of the some 200 dogs have been muzzled, reducing the number of biting incidents by 80 percent.

Some people are concerned that the muzzles might lead to the dogs suffering health or mental health problems.

However, villagers claim the open-end design of the muzzles allows the dogs to eat and breathe properly.

(Chengdu Commercial Daily)