![]() ![]() ![]() When your dog must be handled or examined by your veterinarian for an unexpected condition, or treated at home for an injury, and there’s a good likelihood she will bite during the procedure, she will need to be muzzled for everyone’s safety. This, of course, will be easier and less stressful for everyone during an already stressful event if you have taken the time to convince her that a muzzle is wonderful. If your dog is injured and must be moved or handled it is strongly advised to muzzle her. Here are some appropriate times when a muzzle could or should be used:Įmergencies. Photo by Aditi Joshi When It IS A Good Time to Use the Muzzle Let’s muzzle him and show him we can take his bowl away from him because he needs to learn that humans are the boss.” NO, NOT EVER! Let’s muzzle him and take him along.” NO! Rocky doesn’t get to go to the dog park. “My friend wants to take her dog to the dog park, and she wants us to come with her, but Rocky, who loves my friend’s dog, might bite the other dogs at the park.Let’s muzzle her so the kids can have fun with her and she can’t bite them.” NO! Instead, either use scrupulous management to keep her and the kids safe from each other while the young’uns are visiting, send her to a friend’s house for the day, or perhaps board her for a longer grandkid-visit. “Oh gee, the grandkids are coming over and Muffy might bite them.It is not ever appropriate to muzzle your dog so you can put her over-threshold in an avoidable situation. Let’s start with the situations when it is definitely not appropriate to muzzle your dog. Duh! But there are a few certain circumstances where it is appropriate to use a muzzle and many others where it is definitely not. ![]() The “why” seems obvious: You use a muzzle to prevent your dog from biting someone – human or other animal. My answer is almost always, “Good idea!” In each case, however, we have a serious discussion about the reason why the client’s wants to use a muzzle, when and how the dog’s aggressive behavior presents, and – this is the clincher – whether the client is willing and able to take the time to condition her dog to love the muzzle before starting to use it. Often, they will ask me if their dogs should wear a muzzle. A significant percentage of my clients come to see me because they have dogs with aggressive behaviors. ![]()
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