Awhile ago I saw a small dog hit by a car, whose occupant drove away as if nothing had happened. The little white dog lay on his side, stunned and bleeding. It was clear when I got close that the dog’s leg was broken and he needed to get to a veterinary clinic right away. When I moved my hand toward him he panicked and tried to bite me; a reasonable reaction given how painful being moved must have been. I had anticipated that might happen, so I had reached out him cautiously. At the first sign of an active set of teeth, I ran back to the car for something that would allow me to transport him safely. I had a leash and towel in the car, and so I attached the leash to his collar, and used the length of the leash to bind his mouth. We were in the middle of a busy street, so I moved him as gently but quickly as possible onto the towel and got him to medical care. (Where, I’m happy to say, he was re-united with his owner, treated and recovered beautifully.)
Let me preface the rest of what I’m about to say by noting that I am usually worthless in emergencies. When I walked outside of the McConnell Publishing office a few years ago and discovered flames shooting out of the wires going into the building, I ran inside to “save” my staff, arms waving, yelling “Fire! Fire!” Nothing particularly wrong with those words, but my staff could barely understand what I was saying because I was shouting like an idiot. They stood stunned, asking “What? What’s going on?” I could have said, in a calm voice, “Okay, there is a fire on the outside of our building asnd we need to get out right away,” but no, between the arm waving and the shouting my message was pretty much incomprehensible. I confess to such foolishness because on rare occasions I do seem to be able to cope in emergencies, but usually only because I am prepared for them.
Which is why I want to write about preparing for emergencies by 1) conditioning your dog(s) to accept a muzzle, and 2) keeping a muzzle and a leash in your car if you’re inclined to stop and help injured dogs. The fact is that any panicked dog can attempt to defend itself with his or her teeth. The last thing you need to deal with in an emergency is a dog attached to your own arm, or being unable to treat or transport a dog because it has become dangerous.
Before I begin to talk about conditioning dogs to accept a muzzle, a few comments about muzzles themselves.
- Closed muzzles, like the Miki muzzle in the photos below, are fine for brief periods, like medical emergencies, when the dog is relatively inactive. However, basket muzzles must be used if the dog is going to be active; any other choice can cause serious health problems by preventing the dog from panting and dissipating heat.
- Muzzles are no substitute for good handling, training and conditioning. No matter how much conditioning you do, muzzles take away a dog’s autonomy. I am not a fan of slapping a muzzle on a dog just because it saves someone time and energy. I’ve used muzzles for emergency medical procedures and in a few cases, in dog-dog aggression cases, but never would use them as a substitute for good training and conditioning. (If you haven’t seen them yet, please get a copy of Sophia Yin’s brilliant book or her videos about safe handling techniques.)
- Muzzles are not panaceas, because dogs with muzzles on can still cause injuries. A gazillion years ago, one of my first clients owned an American cocker spaniel who had bitten multiple times. The owner put a basket muzzle on the dog, and while I conducted my intake interview the dog lay under the table glaring and growling at me. Suddenly, the dog lifted his paw and flicked the muzzle off like you’d flick a fly off a book page. He charged under the table and would have bitten my me if I hadn’t been able protect myself with a bag sitting by my feet. Lesson learned: Basket muzzles aren’t safe unless they are attached over the dog’s forehead to the dog’s collar. In addition, if using a muzzle to protect one dog from another, don’t forget that a dog can be at least terrified, and at worst still badly injured, by a dog with a muzzle on. So, again, it’s worth it to repeat: Muzzles are not panaceas.
- Be sure the muzzle fits correctly. Don’t let a muzzle push up into your dog’s eyes, or be so tight that the dog feels as if its receiving a muzzle bite from a wolf. On the other hand, be sure it’s tight enough that the dog can’t cause damage. I had one client whose muzzled dog bit much of the lip off of a young woman who thrust her face into the dog’s. I know, I know. . . not her wisest choice, but still, no one deserves to be permanently disfigured for life for a bad decision. It was a lose/lose all around, for the young woman, the owner, and the dog. So, let’s be careful out there.
That said, muzzles that are used correctly can avoid a lot of heart ache. And usually, when you need them, you need them fast. That’s why I think it’s wise to condition dogs to accept a muzzle when you have time to turn it into a fun game. Here are some photos of me and Maggie indulging in Fun with Muzzles.
I started by letting Maggie take some treats from the inside of a muzzle about one size too large for her. (Not a necessary step, but a luxury for those of us with a range of muzzle sizes in the cabinet.) Then I held a treat, shown below, such that she’d have to put her muzzle through the muzzle to get the treat. (Muzzle through muzzle. . . an awkward phrase at best. I didn’t think ’til now about the strange title we have for the device that goes over a dog’s muzzle. It’s as if we called gloves “hands”.)
But I digress. I continued this until Maggie was jamming her nose through the muzzle to get the treat.
Look carefully at this photo and you’ll notice that I’m pulling down and back on the the strap on her right side, replicating the sense of pressure she’ll feel once the muzzle is attached. Maggie thought this was a great game, and didn’t hesitate to push against the muzzle to get the treat. Some dogs will be much slower at this, and that’s fine. Let them set the pace. Your goal is not to force a muzzle on the dog, it’s to condition the dog to feel good about putting his or her face into a muzzle.
Now it’s time to connect the straps at the back of Maggie’s head. It’s great if you have someone else that can do this while you feel the dog treats. In Maggie’s case that wasn’t necessary, she was focused on nothing but getting more treats. Note of caution: You’ll note that my face is directly over Maggie’s. Would I do this to a dog I didn’t know or who wasn’t familiar with me? For that matter, would I get my face this close to the face of a person I didn’t know? Of course not . . . But Maggie and I are pals, and just as Jim and I play smash face, our dogs are comfortable with this kind of close contact. Just always be thoughtful about the social relationship you have with a dog before you decide how close to put your face to theirs.
As soon as the straps were loosely attached I gave Maggie more treats. That was enough for one session. My next step is to put on a muzzle one size smaller and give her lots of treats while it’s attached. No need to keep the muzzle on for very long; your goal is to be able to muzzle a dog quickly and without resistance in an emergency. Maggie did so well that in one more session I’ll be confident that if I ever do have muzzle her, the muzzle itself won’t add to our collective trauma. Here’s hoping, that like insurance, we’ll never need to use it.
I’d love to hear if you’ve had your experiences with muzzles–good, bad or ugly, as long as we all can learn something. And if you have any stories that will make those of us who are lousy in emergencies feel any better, then jump right in!
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: It’s not a lot of fun outside right now. Beside the heat and humidity, there are clouds of mosquitoes that didn’t get the memo about the anesthetic they are supposed to inject while sucking your blood. One of the species of mosquitoes out at the present time (we have 56 species in Wisconsin) don’t bother to disguise their bites and it feels like getting stabbed with a hot, little needle. And there another species active whose bites aren’t noticed until they feel like someone put a blow torch to your skin. I’m working on my benevolence to all living things, but have to admit I am struggling. The first frost won’t come soon enough for me.
On the other hand, the rains that have encouraged the mosquitoes have led to the greenest August I can remember. Driving around south central Wisconsin is like swimming in a palette of lush greens, luminous sky blues, and pearly white clouds. There were no clouds on this day when we walked the BCs on a friend’s lovely piece of land not too far from our farm. We stayed out of the woods, trying to avoid the bugs, and in spite of the heat and humidity, a good time was had by all.
The color in the garden has shifted. The day lilies are almost done flowering, but the black-eyed susans and sunflowers are coming into their own:
The blooming Joe Pye Weed reminded me how many insects are a welcome addition. They flowers were buzzing with busy bees, and a Monarch stopped by to drink some nectar. What a gift.
LisaW says
No muzzling the muzzle stories but a story about a Lama swatting mosquitoes and DIY keystone cops.
Many years ago the Dalai Lama was in Vermont giving one of his amazing talks. It had been a very wet spring and summer. Bill Moyers was interviewing His Holiness and the swarms of mosquitoes were as thick as, well a cloud of mosquitoes. All of a sudden, the Dalai Lama swatted his arm. Bill Moyers was a bit taken aback. The Dalai Lama said, “I let them come once, I let them come twice, the third time … .”
The first house we bought was a gem waiting to be freed from its paneling and wall-to-wall carpet. I was taking off some aluminum siding on the back porch and thought I had one more row to go before I had to deal with the 220 outlet. Wrong! I ripped off the siding and a huge spark soon became a flame that ate up the paper behind the siding. I screamed, “Fire, Fire, Fire!” as I ran around the side of the house. My partner had been in the basement, and he came running upstairs. As we both rounded the corner of the house, we ran smack into each other and landed on the ground. We weren’t living there yet and so there was no phone. I ran to the store next door and was trying to sputter out something about fire and firemen and emergency. Luckily, they didn’t need to understand me to know to call the fire department. Thankfully, no one was hurt and nothing was really burned just a little charred.
jackied says
One of mine is muzzled (and leashed) every time we leave the house. He was profoundly unsocialised, has a bite history, plus I find it is the best deterrent for the ‘all dogs like me’ idiots – which reduces my dog’s stress as well as mine – and it also helps with some of the ‘my dog is friendly’ numpties.
Yes, we have worked extensively on his issues, but after 7 years have decided to accept the dog we have rather than try to ‘make’ him into the dog we’d like. It’s less stressful all round.
Erin James says
I have a two year old JRT who was a singleton pup and very touch intolerant. He would growl and snap at most handling and was a huge problem for any grooming-especially nail trimming. I found, on FB, a post about the Muzzle-Up Project and began to condition Rascal to the muzzle. My thought was it would make it easier when I took him for nail trims. The end result of all that counter conditioning has been a changed dog. Not just muzzling but husbandry all around. We’re till working on having him stand nicely in the deep sink for a bath but we’re making a lot of progress. No longer does he snap and growl when I touch his feet, or groom him. And, it all started with conditioning to muzzle. (And he’s still a slim, well conditioned JRT-have not been over feeding him with all those treats, I add that for the folks who don’t want to use food.)
Elizabeth says
Any suggestions for a dog that isn’t that bothered with food? Max is a german shephard cross and although he is very tolerant generally he doesn’t like his face and ears poked and prodded which has been needed a few times at the vets. He was muzzled ok the first couple of times by the vet as I don’t think he realised what was going on but I want to get him used to it so that we can put it on him without any fuss. However, unless he is the mood, food that he can tolerate is not very exciting (he is on a vet prescribed diet for tummy issues) so he often refuses treats and certainly won’t ‘work’ for them.
anne says
I am just entering into the world of muzzles, my standard poodle loves to swallow things, and up ’till now we have got away with it. But an ingested 1/3 rd of a hollow rubber ball was nearly her undoing, and resulted in an expensive and painful op. So it’s a cage muzzle from now on and I’m hoping she takes to it ok. So yes I wish I’d introduced it earlier , as the writing has been on the wall for a while, but better late than never. So thanks for the advice and I will try your method, but oddly enough she isn’t very food oriented, and it might be a bit dangerous to use a section of a ball, or a sock, her all time favourite !
Wendy says
To me, if you say muzzle training, you must at least have seen this video once (warning, bit of a fangirl).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FABgZTFvHo
I’ve “trained” mine by slapping on a muzzle and setting them off after a lure. Not the best way, but I was lucky.
Karie Sparks says
We have a 9 year old rottweiler who can be unpredictable and without warning to random strangers visiting as well to one of the other dogs in our home. She has to wear a basket muzzle whenever out with this other dog free roaming or when guests come over. Please know it’s not for lack of training and socializing. Our rottweiler is a trained and certified therapy dog (who is now retired). We started her training at 6 months of age and she was certified by the age of 18 months. She went (and still does) everywhere with us (lowes, car rides, grandma’s, the lake). However, as of about the age of 5, she would randomly have moments of quick aggression without warning. One of our dogs, whom she lived with for over a year she attacked without warning and without eye contact from behind. We sought out multiple trainers and still our other dog endured being stapled up 3 separate times trying to re-acclimate. After more than a year of trying to alter or control our rottweiler’s odd outbursts, we decided its for everyone’s safety to have her wear a baskerville muzzle unless she is eating, in her kennel at night or in the yard alone for a good game of fetch. She also gets a break from it while we take her on her 2 mile hikes with the pack since we have her controlled on leash. That all said, she does extremely well with it and understands her limitations and that she cannot bite with it on- thus conditioning her with good behavior among guests and other dogs.
Layne says
Muzzle training is certainly worthwhile for all dogs for just those emergency situations you describe. Having the dog accustomed to the muzzle before you might actually need to use it certainly would reduce the dog’s stress level. I’ll confess to having a spare leash or two, collars, first aid kit, blanket and a medium size “groomer’s” muzzle still stashed in my truck for emergency situations.
I never thought, like some of your readers, of using a muzzle to slow the approach of the “all dogs love me” or the “my dog is friendly” types. I’m going to think on that for a bit.
I volunteer dog walk at a local shelter where the city has all “pit bull type” dogs are required by law to wear a muzzle. The response I observe when meeting a member of the public while walking my shelter dog is dramatically different depending on whether or not the dog is muzzled. Even while walking the sweetest tempered pit bull type dog, the general public reaction of crossing the road to avoid a muzzled dog indicates to me that the muzzle automatically means the dog is a “bad dog”. I wonder how that impacts the dog’s adopt-ability. The pit bull types certainly stay longer in the shelter than the other dogs.
Steph says
Hi Trisha,
I started conditioning my dog to muzzle after a visit at the vet.My vet once wanted to muzzle my dog to give him a vaccine. I refused and said that he is not used to muzzles and that it would make his vet experience worse than it already is (We ended up me and the vet assistant holding him and feeding him treats – usually it is just me holding him). After that I started conditioning him with a basket muzzle and now we go to vet with the muzzle in case my dog again gets so upset that it is best he gets a muzzle. We had to pit it one once at the vet since, I did appreciate the vet being ok with me putting it on step by step (it took me a good 5 min.). My dog really doesn’t mind putting on the muzzle and keeping it on as long as there is a constant flow of treats.
Sophie says
Another good reason for muzzle training… I work as a vet nurse and apart from the obvious reason of wanting to retain my fingers I love a muzzle trained dog. A Basket Muzzle is a great alternative to an Elizabethan Collar for a dog with sutures or a wound that it won’t leave alone, it is much less bulky and generally less stressful for the dog. Especially if we have the dreaded combination of cage rest and sutures, can you imagine a Labrador in a crate wearing a bucket cone? Sadly a lot of owners are still put off by the way it looks and their perception of the tool. More positive articles like this please!
Katha Miller-Winder says
Like jackied I have a dog that wears a muzzle mostly to deter people. Finna was profoundly unsocialized and is MUCH happier if all strangers keep their distance. For some reason the majority of people seem to have absolutely no clue about what it means when she growls, barks, or lunges at them but when they see her wearing the most intimidating looking basket muzzle I could find they stay clear. Everyone is happier and safer as a result.
Taking the time to condition her to wearing a muzzle has kept her safer in her neighborhood and kept the vet and his staff safer. I have to brag a little bit though knowing how dangerous she could potentially be Finna’s earlier visits to the vet were muzzled and sedated. They prefer their own muzzle to the basket muzzle I use so typically I’d take her wearing her muzzle and switch to theirs before they take her in the back for any necessary procedures and exams. Finna is much more cooperative when she doesn’t think she needs to protect me and I trust our vet to handler her correctly. The last visit I’d forgotten to put her muzzle on her and she was behaving so well they forgot to bring me a muzzle for her. We’d agreed on the phone that she was sufficiently improved in her behavior that we’d try it without sedation so she made it through a vet visit without sedation and without muzzling and most importantly without incident! One more small step in the road to recovery as this profoundly unsocialized, profoundly suspicious and pessimistic dog becomes one that is manageable.
I put the muzzle on Ranger once just to make sure I could. He treated it like he does most strange things I do or ask him to do. He basically shrugged and said ‘oh, more human weirdness.’ and that was that. Booties, backpacks, muzzles, raincoats, etc., are all just more human weirdness to be tolerated and ignored.
Jann Becker says
One of my dogs (retriever mix, 75 lb, age 9) stops eating treats when he is stressed out, like in the vet’s waiting room-riding in the car makes him a basket case, pun intended. He panics at the sight of a Thundershirt. I can’t get a Gentle Leader on him, let alone an emergency muzzle; he’s never bitten in fear but I wouldn’t put it past him. Anyone have suggestions?
Steph says
Hi Jann,
Seems to me your dog has not been conditioned to muzzles, gentle leaders, etc.
There is some awesome literature and videos from reputable trainers out there you can read/watch about how to do it.
Trisha’s step by step introduction above is great. As she said, it may take much longer with your dog.
My dog took a good week of daily conditioning until the muzzle came on. We even had to start with the muzzle just being next to me while I sit on the floor and my dog “investigating” it by himself. Then after he was comfortable with that thing I picket it up. I didn’t even bring it close to his face, just held it for some time and put it back on the floor. Repeated it for some time. Then put treats next to the muzzle so he had to get closer to pick it up. That was easy. Then I put treats in the muzzle while it was laying on the floor, me not touching it. Not too hard either. This was repeated a few times. He got so into the new treat dispenser that he barely noticed me touching/holding the muzzle on the floor. Then I picked it up and basically followed the steps Trisha described above. All of that happened over the course of a week. No need to rush these things. Se there are many steps you may need to take before “that thing” actually gets put on your pup. But don’t take it from me, consult a certified trainer or learn from reputable sources.
Good luck!
Erin R says
I work with shelter dogs and recently had one that was extremely restraint resistant. Growling and snapping for all handling esp. vaccines and as we later discovered quite resistant to chemicals (tranquilizer a) as well-took double the usual dose of pre-surgery sedation and was still standing, growling and snapping at attempts to muzzle!!
First time attempting to put a muzzle on him he lunged and growled at the sight of it. Fast forward to a few weeks of work on counter conditioning to the basket muzzle he would readily put his face in it for treats but you could not strap it on. As soon as it tightened on he would panic and tear it off with his front feet to the point of making his mouth bleed in the struggle. Very discouraging as he was always happy and ready to put his face back into the muzzle for treats even right after getting it off in a panic. In a shelter environment the time needed and other stress of just living there day to day make doing this type of work much harder for a dog like this who was clearly acting “aggressively” towards this restraint “device” in a panicked reactive way…
In all other day to day handling he was a perfect gentleman and never acted aggressively in any other way.
lin says
The late Pupper Dog needed to wear a basket muzzle for her Growly Dog class, so we conditioned her to it over several days. She licked out peanut butter from the bottom, and then we put it on for brief periods. When I fastened it behind her head, she tried to paw it off. I would have caved right there, but my husband said, “That’s enough,” and coaxed her to move with more treats and she forgot about it. The muzzle class turned out to be somewhat of a bust, since only one other dog came, and the two muzzled dogs proceeded to ignore each other (or maybe that was a good thing) but we continued to use the muzzle on Pupper at the vet.
Bert Dog is a much more mellow and social creature, but it’s a good idea to condition him in case.
Jann, is your retriever resistant to very slow conditioning? Like having you hold the muzzle in one hand and feed bacon in the other? Will he do a ‘touch the muzzle’ for bacon? Could you work up slowly to touching the muzzle to his nose, then longer touches, then laying muzzle alongside, etc.? Maybe when he’s comfortable touching, to lay the muzzle near or on his bed, so it just becomes part of the environment?
Margaret McLaughlin says
For those whose dogs aren’t interested in working for treats–if you do not free-feed (& if you do that may be the root of your problem) it’s worth seeing if the dog will work for dinner. There are a lot of kibbles in 1 cup of food, & hence a lot of training opportunities. I have conditioned several dog guide puppies to a Gentle Leader using just this method; it works well.
To the poster above whose dog could only eat wet food–how about a spoon? Seriously. The method favored by most of my dog club members to teach a dog to be happy about metal Utility articles involves wet cat food & a spoon; it’s quite funny to watch, & it works.
Antonia says
I purchased muzzles like the one pictured on Maggie for my doggy evac bag. All of my dogs are well behaved and love people but in the event we ever had to evacuate with them, I realized we might find ourselves in circumstances that might stress their usually good manners. A couple months ago my 1 year old Kangal landed in a serious patch of cacti when she was running at full speed. These were not your softer Cholla type cacti prickers, they were like tiny bayonets. She got clumps of them wedged between her metatarsal pad and digit pads. Living in the desert she is very accustomed to having me pull things out of her paws and doesn’t even turn to look at me, even when it hurts. These, however, were very painful and barbed at the end. I carry tweezers with me for paw care but every time I would attempt to pull out a clump, she would involuntarily pull back on her paw which would make the pads clamp down harder on the thorns. It was awful. She couldn’t walk with her paw like that and at 115lbs, there was no way I could lift her. She would cry every time I tried to remove the thorns despite normally being very stoic. I was at a loss until I remembered the muzzle and sent someone to get it out of the bag. We calmed down for a minute, had some special treats to get us used to the muzzle and then I put it on her and proceeded to remove the thorns. I think it would have taken a lot for her to bite me but my gut feeling was I didn’t want her to be pushed to a place where she might be in enough pain that she would think she needed to. With the muzzle on, she laid her head in my sisters lap and we were able to extract everything in a short period of time with minimal stress. Since this experience I have started training with all three of my dogs to be familiar enough with a muzzle that it will not add to their stress if they are injured and need some painful assistance. They are all large dogs that would take some serious maneuvering to lift if they were injured and with the closest vet some distance away, I think this is in their best interest.
Lacey Hood says
@Jann Becker: I’d start by looking for what DOESN’T scare your dog. Then work with all the not-scary elements you can find to help him. One of my most scared fosters was luckily a follower of other dogs, so if he watched another being happily fed treats from a muzzle, he could then accept the same.
Carol Clark says
I had a previous dog who would bite if cornered or stressed and I did preventative muzzle training just as you describe “just in case”. Then one day while I was moving the plastic mesh fencing round the hen run he charged into the wire and got well and truly tangled, panicked, and got totally tied up. Thank goodness for the muzzle training – I was able to put the muzzle on so I could untangle him safely. No injuries to either of us I’m glad to say! Definitely agree this is worthwhile for all dogs “just in case”.
By the way, if you haven’t got a range of muzzles a small plastic cone is a good substitute for initial training.
Love your garden!
MinnesotaMary says
I have a variety of muzzles in different sizes for use with foster dogs when needed. I tend to take in the fearful or aggressive ones and either category can bite.
I used a muzzle every day on my elder dog who recently passed away. He delighted in noshing on the lawn chocolate and a basket muzzle only limited the amount he could get in his mouth. If he found a soft pile he’d smoosh the muzzle into it and lick off the inside of the basket (gross, I know). He actually lost weight when I started putting the muzzle on him every time he went into the back yard. That stuff must be fairly high in calories!
I do want to echo your caution about securing the muzzle to the dog’s head by looping the strap through the collar on top of the head. I learned this lesson the hard way!
Chris says
Iam helping a friend get her pitbull used to a muzzle. The dog bit a small dog an to remain in her neighborhood must be muzzled off her property. Its been a month an slow going we can get her to take treat an leave it on but any movement towards walking an she paws it off. So exercise for the dog has been tough. Any suggestions
Nan says
Like Anne, I have a basket muzzle on my Lab every time we leave the house-because of his incredible focus at foraging for anything even remotely edible. It’s for his protection, not anyone else’s. But folks assume he’s vicious. It took a while for me to get over the embarrassment of walking him. I even posted on the neighborhood list serve that it was to keep him from the amazing supply of socks he turns up on the street.
Sandra says
I have a 13month old jackrussell I have put black mussel on him ashe bark at other dogs but he loves people but he so frendly don’t know why he barks at other dogs
Sue says
Many years ago, a dog was hit by a car on a busy street. I believe the hips were broken. What I used was panty hose as a quick muzzle. Just cut off the leg, and wrap it tightly enough around the muzzle to prevent opening the mouth, but not tight enough to restrict breathing. If the dog has a collar, attach the ends to it, but it works without having to tie it on. This allowed me to move the dog onto a plywood board (to minimize the movement) and put him in the back of a pickup for the trip to the vet.
Sadly, when the owner was found, he chose to euthanize the dog rather than treat. 🙁
Kate says
Hi everybody. I’ve come across this blog and I am delighted. So much information on things I need to work with my dogs. Especially the Belgian shepherd adopted 6 weeks ago as she has a lot of behavioral problems caused by living in a shelter for most of her life. I am currently train her to walk in a basket muzzle because she keeps chasing all animals on the walks and tries to nibble them (if this is the right word as English is not my mother tongue). She doesn’t like the muzzle and even though behaves really good when I put it on her, during the walk she tries to take it off with her paws. Is it my mistake in the training or just normal attempts to remove something which is not her choice? I try to correct her to leave it and keep walking or running, but she tries again after some time. Any ideas how to prevent her from fighting the muzzle on the walk?
Jen says
Both of my dogs have been quite nervous the vet. One is not too vocal, but snapped once at a vet (didn’t connect, and I’m not sure he had intent to do so, but still – this is the only time he has snapped at person). The other dog is quite vocal (barking a lot at anyone entering the small exam room), though I trust her implicitly.
I worked with the dogs, and the vet staff, but not much improved. And there’s only so much time I can ask of their staff.
I hope this isn’t a detrimental short-cut, but I now use a muzzle for both dogs, for brief periods at the vet: while having blood drawn, or during close physical exam (e.g., when someone will be leaning over them, feeling belly, etc). Otherwise, the muzzle is off while they’re at the vet. I’ve done my best to make the muzzle “neutral” to them. Before first use at the vet, they had the muzzle on (again, for very brief periods, just a min. or so) at home, while being fed lots of soft treats and peanut butter. They don’t seem to mind my putting the muzzle on, at the vet. It certainly makes the vet, nurse, or whoever’s handling them, much more relaxed, and by extension, I think that helps to keep my dogs more relaxed.
i realize this is taking away their autonomy, and it feels like a failure on my part. But I feel like it’s the best I can do at this point, and the most fair to everyone. And, I only do this because I think the muzzle doesn’t elevate their anxiety, because it’s closely tied to good treats in neutral settings.
Jen says
ps. I should add, at the vet, after the muzzle is taken off, the vet or nurse who just did the handling kindly gives them a dozen little pieces of steak (I bring the treats from home). Both dogs are happy to interact, take the treats gently, etc. So, I feel like it’s “no hard feelings” for using the muzzle. I hope that’s the case.
Jen says
Regarding mosquitos, do you have some bat-houses around your farm? Probably so, but on the off chance not, these should help a great deal. They’re available to buy, but also quite easy to make, if you or a friend are handy with basic woodwork. Not much more difficult to make than a birdhouse (though quite different in design).
Stephanie says
I have a year old chihuahua mix and recently added a 4 month old mini dachshund to our family. My chihuahua will constantly bite the dachshund all over, especially his ears, pulling and even dragging him by the ears. They seem to like to “play” together and aren’t too much different in size, but I was afraid the chihuahua would seriously hurt the doxie so I started to put a muzzle on him while they played out in the yard. It seemed to work until he got a small scratch on the side of his nose which I thought was from the doxie scratching but now realize it could be from the muzzle. After a few days, still using a muzzle, it’s gotten worse, skin gone and bigger although not so bad he may need to see a vet at this point. I cleaned it and put an antibiotic on it. It doesn’t seem to hurt or bother him but I’m worried. Will it heal, will the hair grow back? More importantly, how do I have them together without one or the other getting hurt? I’m going to put them out separately for now to do their business until his sore heals but I really don’t know what to do about the constant biting. It’s very frustrating! Also the doxie was pretty mellow at first but now he’s biting and being ferocious like his brother so now I have 2 naughty pups on my hands. They sleep together at night but are separated by a gate but I’d really like them to just be able to be together. I’m also very worried about the sore on my chihuahua and I know that when I continued to muzzle him after the scratch it got worse, but now what do I do?
Peggy Bowers says
Stephanie,
Please work with a positive trainer and learn to read your dogs body language. The pups sound like they are playing like normal pups. A muzzle for one dog during play should not be used. You may create a negative association between the Chihuahua toward the Dachshund.
Mb says
Does anyone have a basket type muzzle link that they would recommend? We are looking to purchase one for our Aussie who on occasion might benefit from having this as part of his vet visit. Thanks Mb
Martin L. Matassa Jr. says
This article showed big dogs and muzzles. I’m interested in a very small muzzle for a very small yorkie mix where to order on how to measure for one who to order from a choice would nice but at this point I’m no longer picky. It’s very hard to treat my little one because any
Time I get close or even the vet gets close to her face she will snap at your finger and by that I mean she will bite it and it will definitely hurt and in most cases draw blood the painful part last for quite sometime.
Marie says
We have a sweet but reactive English Shepherd. She’s 2 and we’ve taken her to different trainers and she’s now under the care of a Behavioral Vet and is taking anti-anxiety meds daily. She unfortunately has trouble regulating her emotions and impulsivity. Her behavior is not normal (most likely due to trauma before/during birth as most of her littermates were stillborn). Ninety percent of the time, she’s great and is super smart, but is fear aggressive/reactive the other 10%. We spend a lot time managing her behavior.
At her regular vet’s, she immediately hyper-aroused. We’ve been working to get a muzzle on her – and her regular vet now requires it – but no luck so far. She’s so touch sensitive. This is a major problem for us as she’s due for vaccines. For her last regular vet visit, 2 people to restrain her, one to distract her, and the Vet to give her a sedative.
One English Shepherd breeder/trainer told us that muzzles should be introduced during puppy classes and she was surprised/appalled that we hadn’t done that yet.