Why does a dog need a muzzle? Dialogs about dog muzzles.

It seems that there is the answer - to prevent biting. But. I figured out the rule a long time ago, after my 8 months old Collie and then 8 y.o. Shepherd Terra died. They had symptoms of poisoning. Which poison? I do not know. First of all, there really are people who throw over poison. Second, a dog is a very clever being, but sometimes it eats strange things and you even have no time to react. Now I have decided: "If you want your dog to be healthy and alive - put on a dog muzzle always". Though, if they ask why my dog is muzzled, I answer that it is for prevention of biting. And when do you put on a dog muzzle on your dog?

- If we review a dog muzzle as a protection from poison, unfortunately, it is not effective. Majority of present poisons are not obligatory for a dog to eat. It is enough to smell it and a dog gets a strong and mortal poisoning. But a dog muzzle will obviously protect a dog from eating of garbage, chicken bones, fish bones and heads and other "doggy delicacies".

- I always put on a dog muzzle, though my dog is not large. Not all people like dogs, many of them are scared, that walking a dog in public is disrespectful for the surrounding people and reveals dog owner's irresponsibility.

- I have my dog muzzled each time I go for a walk in the city. But not in the suburbs. A dog muzzle hardly saves a dog from poisoning, they manage to eat it through a muzzle as well. If you want a dog not to pick up from the ground, train it from the puppy age. Nowadays there are a lot of methods and means for breaking up of these dangerous habits.

Muzzles on my dogs are intended to prevent attacks of the surrounding people with indignation and complaints, that makes my dogs and myself nervous. It is difficult to explain to a majority of people that a dog muzzle will not protect from injures, if a large dog attacks. It is enough for a dog to jump and to hit with a snout a person and it will get serious injures. Especially if it wears a metal wire muzzle.

I use leather dog muzzles. I consider it more comfortable for dogs than other constructions. Leather dog muzzles are lightweight, do not tighten or rub dog snout. They are easy to fit on a dog snout and allow a dog to turn a tongue out. Of course, a dog is able to bite being muzzled with a leather dog muzzle, but not with an open snout, rather catches the soft surface. Bones are safe in this case. But as well as dog muzzles on my dogs are just "for a right view", it is enough. People, who do not understand much in dog breeding, do not know constructions of dog muzzles. It is the most important for them to see a muzzle on a dog, and it does not matter of which construction it is. There is a stereotype "a muzzled dog is not dangerous".

To make surrounding people safe one should train a dog, punish for unreasonable aggression to surrounding people. Here the lessons with a trainer are reasonable. There they will show a dog how and in which cases it can attack and also will teach a dog to react calmly to an ordinary person, even if one shouts and waves with his hands.

More serious dog muzzle is used for defense work. To be more exact, it is a closed leather dog muzzle. A trainer should be ready for jumps and strikes, to keep a dog in the right way and avoid injures. Closed dog muzzle does not allow a dog to tear a trainer's defense suit. Trainers really do not dog's to do it. I used to take such suits home to sew after my dog broke it.

- Dog muzzle is needed further not for prevention of poisoning, but for calm dog walking and transportation of a dog in public conveyances. Not only people with children, but also adult people are afraid of dogs and there is not reason to create excess worries for them and problems for yourself. In the order to prevent a dog picking up from the ground it should be trained. Of course, it is not easy, but then you will have much less problems and a dog will not eat some strange things and garbage. It will prevent a dog from problems with its intestines. Any of my dog does not pick up from the ground and never eats from stranger's hands. Dog muzzle is needed also for vet visiting. Not every dog will allow to make an injection and make an examination, measure temperature, make a bandage in a calm way. It will be unpleasant for both you and the vet if a dog bites him.

- I was very afraid of puppy poisoning in a walk. That time someone was really poisoning dogs. That's why we decided to manage it by training, to make a dog never pick up anything or take food from someone's hands. But we have a dog muzzle. In the puppy age we purchased a leather substitute dog muzzle, because the natural leather one was chewed. We have a dog muzzle as an accessory for a dog and for calming of people around, but it it will become aggressive a dog muzzle will not stop it. We have also a net muzzle and a wire muzzle for special cases (dog coupling, transporting by public conveyances), it is rarely used. Baggie does not like it and growls when sees it. Once it even hide it under a bed. We had also a covered leather dog muzzle, but Baggie had short breath in it. We declined it at once. I carry a dog muzzle always in a pack. A dog is calm and does not pick up, and  am not afraid for it. I can wear a muzzle on my dog when suddenly we meet mummies with children.

- I have never had problems with my Kurzhaar as for picking up from the ground and it never made people around worried or afraid - it had too kind eyes :). But when I had a Dalmatian, I viewed the situation in a different way. First of all, she picked up from the ground everything she saw, as a vacuum-cleaner. Second, we often went by public transport, and the third, she had a definite feature, that made scared everyone who knew her. She could smile so "broad" with glad, that it looked like a real frightening grin and it really scared the people around. That's why I decided to buy a dog muzzle for her. I can tell, it helped only in one case - people around was calm. But it still picked up from the ground and the muzzle was not an obstacle.

Wire Dog Muzzle of Individual Shape for All Dog Breeds, Bestseller

- I always put a muzzle on my dog when we go outside the apartment. All the neighbors are afraid the frightening view of a shepherd. We go by accelerator, so, when we go in or out, there may be adult people and children too. A child does not expect that there is a dog inside the accelerator and runs into the open doors. A dog will not bite, but can frighten a kid. And then I have troubles with parents of a kid. I am afraid of strange dog as well, though I have a dog too. That's why I understand people around afraid of my dog. I also put on a muzzle on a dog when it has a bandage to prevent it from tearing it off. Once we went from a dacha and a neighbor asked to pick him up. But when he saw a dog on the back sit it denied to go. I had to calm him down and put on a muzzle on a dog and put it further back. I just wantеd to help an old person. But it is interesting, that the breeder, which sold me the dog a year ago, straight came up to a dog, though it was barking at him. He has bred so many dogs that he definitely knows their psychology. A dog stopped barking, obviously, recognizing his leadership. Of course, a dog muzzle is needed for defense from dog teeth. And veterinarians demand to put on a muzzle. We go out muzzled, go along the street also with a muzzle on, and when we go to an area without people, then a dog is free from a muzzle.

- I agree, I also consider a dog muzzle to be an indispensable accessory for a dog. It does not only protects from surrounding people, but also your dog from food poisoning, plus it is needed for transportation of a dog. Yes, it is a good invention for a dog.

- Very because of the being afraid that my dog may be poisoned with something outside, I wear a muzzle! I muzzled even a little puppy. But he still have been poisoned, after picking up some spoiled piece of chicken(((. Cure was long and nervous! That's why it is a fast deal - to wear a muzzle - but very useful! Do not neglect it!

- Not every dog, regarding their anatomic features, are able to be muzzled. Our English Bulldog has a flat snout, that's why we do not use this accessory. Talking about prevention of poisoning, I consider a muzzle to be effective. But our pet managed to bring poison even on its legs and then licked it, after that we had hardly saved him.

- Nowadays there are muzzles for Bulldogs and dogs with flat snout as well. They are designed according to the special flat snout form. And the choice of such muzzles is quite rich, as for material, form, design and shape. The one thing I would not advice, is to wear a muzzle in summer, when it is too hot outside. Or, if there is a need, it should be free enough and not prevent dog healthy breath.

- I would say, that a dog muzzle is a social norm. People are afraid of dogs. there is no other way to calm them down. As for the death of two of your pets, of course, they could pick up something. But frequently the symptoms of poisoning are the result of body intoxication. There is obviously some process, further of all it is an inflammation. Dogs cannot bear it for a long time. The pain barrier it too high. And we see the disease in the final stage when in fact we are unable to help. And it seems for us as an inflammation.

- But they are afraid of muzzled dog as well! (((

How do you treat this claim of a passer-by to a muzzled dog: "If you put a muzzle on a dog - it means that it is aggressive and not obedient. How can I be sure, that it will not put a muzzle off and eat me?" ((((

Some people will not calm down even if you walk you dog in a cage on wheels. Moreover, they would begin to print angry articles about walking of dangerous dogs in cages, who will probably set themselves free sometime and .... (((

- Both of my dogs are trained to wear a muzzle, but we do not wear them constantly. I always take muzzles with me when we go to a vet, as well as some vets demand to put it on a dog. I also always put a muzzle on a dog in public conveyances.

- When i had a female Black Terrier, and we lived in apartment, we went walking with a muzzled dog, came up to a lonely place at the river bank, where a dog was set free. She put a muzzle on without problems, but if there was a need (as she considered it), Terrier put a muzzle off with a single move with the help of any object, even my leg. One move- and a muzzle hanged over her snout. Do not think, that I put a muzzle loose on her snout. It fitted very close on a dog snout and head and did not shake while walking. Thus, the muzzle was just a vision and a need for calming down of the passers-by.

- I never put it on. I know it is wrong, but I think it is too late to train a dog of 4.5 y.o. to a muzzle. I have not thought of it when it appeared. I have trained it at a dog training school for the reason of self-safety and safety for the surroundings. There are no problems with a dog, and never have been. But still I have bought a dog muzzle. My Santa has a short snout, that's why I've had no great choice and bought a rag muzzle. I've put it on when we have gone to a market, to buy products. She puts it off in 3 seconds, however tight I fit it. She has no habit to pick up outside, though once we have hardly saved her. i consider a dog muzzle to be a necessary thing. A dog should be trained to it from an early age. By the way, it have been very useful while coupling, a dog have been very aggressive and even have been biting.

- First of all dog muzzle should be worn for calming down of passers-by, and to prevent your dog from picking up.

- I walk my dog, BUT without a muzzle. Because, it I put in on, people around (especially children, teenagers) try to come close to a dog, almost step on it, or tease, put their hands to touch a dog. Once when we went by trolley-bus I almost fell with horror. We stood in the back area. We came closer to the door to come out. A man sat by the side. And the man put a finger into a dog wire muzzle. Of course it made a move "clutch". The man managed to put its finger off, and cried: "It can bite even muzzled!" Even I can bite if you will put fingers to my mouth. Here of course people began to roar at him. Now we walk without a muzzle. People around know us well.

- I have a leather dog muzzle, but I use it only for training and transporting in public. It happens rarely, that's why it is almost unused. Though my Doberman dog is 74 cm high in withers, it is quite calm and socialized, that's why it goes unmuzzled even to vet and dog shows. As for the picking up from the ground, as it have been mentioned before, sometimes it is enough even to smell for a dog to be poisoned. That's why this problem is decided with training with rent for a couple of days an electric-shock collar.