Imagine walking peacefully along the street when a person comes with a dog walking beside him. All of a sudden the dog comes charging towards you & bits you. The dog owner apologizes & says, “Oh sorry, actually he gets uncomfortable around people”.
This is a very distressing situation & a dog owner should overtake responsibility for his dog. Here is when muzzles come to play. A muzzle is a device placed to cover the mouth & nose of an animal to keep them from biting. There is a lot of science regarding when to muzzle a dog.
In this article, we are going to know are muzzles bad for dogs or are necessary to install.
Misconceptions & Real Use
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Our concept of the muzzle is nurtured by the media & the nature of how the device looks. An average individual pictures a growling angry dog who wears a muzzle. But the truth is rather different.
Some dog owners think that their dog is very friendly & it never bites anyone. However, most canine experts agree that at one point or another in a dog’s lifetime, there is always a situation when an owner needs to install a muzzle. This might be for the safety of the dog or of other people.
A muzzle becomes a necessity if your dog gets injured. The reason is that the chance that the dog will bite increases drastically when it gets injured. It can bite the owner as well when he/she is treating the wounds or transporting the dog.
The dog gets nervous in case of injuries as it tends to think that the other person is going to inflict harm to it. This has no relation with how friendly your dog is because the basic instincts & behaviors are universally applied across all species.
Some countries & states mandate the use of muzzles on dogs to protect the public against any hostile reaction of a dog. It makes the other person feel safe as he/she knows that the dog is unable to bite. So the answer to are dog muzzles bad is simply no.
When to Use a Dog Muzzle
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Believe it or not, some dogs are naturally aggressive & fierce. They have a history of biting & have bitten another dog or a person in the past. A dog who doesn’t have any biting history, but there is a risk of biting which can be deduced by its behavior with other people. A muzzle can be used in either case to protect the people & the dog.
It is important to learn that muzzles are not a permanent tool to keep your dog from biting, it is just a tool to train your dog not to bite. The dog owner must nurture the mindset & change the dog’s behavior regarding biting. The muzzle helps a great deal to achieve that goal.
An injured or nervous dog is most likely to bite as discussed earlier. In this case, a muzzle should be used as the priority regardless of the friendly nature of the dog as it can become hostile whenever it wants.
Some dogs get nervous & anxious only under specific situations. These may be classified as a trip to somewhere your dog has never been to, or a regular checkup visit to your vet.
If there is any condition that enhances & fuels the idea that a dog might bite, a muzzle should be used. Again, this is only a temporary solution, & your dog should be trained such that it does not require a muzzle in the long run.
Furthermore, if a dog is uncomfortable in grooming sessions such as trimming nails or bathing, a muzzle should be used until the dog becomes familiar with the process of grooming. Apart from this, some dogs are naturally aggressive breeds as mentioned earlier. If your dog lies under such category which is mostly stated by the state & province you live in, it is best to install a muzzle.
The science of when to muzzle a dog should be known by you if you own a dog.
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How to Use a Dog Muzzle
Dog muzzles are easily available in any pet store. Your priority should be to get a comfortable muzzle for your dog to prevent them from getting hurt by it. When fitting it, make sure that it is not too loose or too tight.
A technique to know whether the muzzle is fitted properly, try to put a finger between the strap of the muzzle & the dog’s head. The finger should fit if the muzzle is properly installed.
A muzzle too loose will serve no purpose as your dog will be able to get it off. Similarly, if it’s too tight, it might affect the dog’s breathing, eating, or drinking. It may also irritate & hurt the skin if it’s too tightly fitted.
There are various sizes available of dog muzzles according to your dog. Be sure to take the measurements first before ordering a muzzle online. Customized ones are also available which might interest your fluffy friend & make it want to put the muzzle on.
The things to make sure are that your dog should be able to eat & drink freely, breathe & pant without any problem, & the skin does not get hurt by the muzzle.
Training Your Dog to Wear a Muzzle
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Give your dog a treat if he accepts to wear a muzzle. Associate wearing muzzle with good things rather than forcing it to wear it. Try different activities with your dog & make it want to put on the muzzle. It is a steady process & takes some time.
Conclusion
We hope that we answered your question of are muzzles bad for dogs. Feel free to comment down below your views regarding when to muzzle a dog & any recommendations for this article.
