Anonymous said to handsomedogs: on the topic of muzzles – i work at a pet store where people bring their dogs in all the time, and before working here, i didnt like the thought of muzzles, but after seeing and talking to so many owners who muzzle their dogs, its really just to protect the dog and everyone around. there was one dog who came in to take a bath and needed to be muzzled because if he wasnt, he got aggressive near water.
Right, so that would be an example of fear aggression. The dog isn’t “aggressive” and probably is super nice in any other situation, but his trigger is water, and the only way a dog knows how to deal with being cornered into a fearful situation is to use scary noises and teeth to make it stop. The muzzle is allowing a safe way for the dog to have a positive experience with water.
rosejorts said to handsomedogs:
Thank you for your opinion on muzzles! One of my dogs was severely abused by her first owners and was very aggressive towards strangers, particularly men. With a lot of patience and some professional help (and eventually some medication) we made her more comfortable and less fearful. But there’s a culture in my neighborhood of kids running up to touch dogs without asking, and she will lunge at anyone who touches her head without warning. We have to muzzle her on walks just in case that happens.
You’re welcome! A good example of working on the problem, but taking precaution in public.
Anonymous said to handsomedogs: Also, muzzles are quite important for greyhounds when they’re playing. If a running Greyhound crashes into another dog (and bites them playfully), both dogs can get seriously injured. In some dog parks sight hounds even have to wear muzzles!
Yes, and greyhounds have super thin skin that can tear easily. They are commonly seen wearing muzzles while racing or lure coursing as well because when they run – they like to nip! But the same goes for just running and playing with others, they typically have a high prey drive and like to chase. Honestly, how stress free would a dog park be if everyone was wearing muzzles?!