# Muzzle recommendations



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I need one just to visit a vet specialist who insists all large dogs be muzzled for exams. I’m looking for a basket muzzle that will fit comfortably. He won’t wear it long or often. They let me borrow one of theirs and he couldn’t open his eyes, even though it fit his nose.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Here's what I have: https://www.companyofanimals.us/products/muzzles 
But you can find them at chewy.com as well. 

Two quick tips, though I doubt that you need them. Measure carefully, keeping in mind that some sizing charts seem to be off. Second, check the return policy before purchase in case the muzzle doesn't fit properly. Second, train/practice, at home (lots of treats!), before you need to use it at the vets.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Does Chewy have a good return policy? I haven’t had to return anything to them.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

A good muzzle - comfortable has good instructions for measurement - http://leerburg.com/wirebasketmuzzles.htm


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Thank you both. I need to make a decision. Are wire muzzles better than plastic? I wish I could walk into a store and try them out in person but no one sells them locally.


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## RoseW (Feb 18, 2016)

In addition to the baskerville linked above, I also have this one https://www.fordogtrainers.com/leat...ilation-basket-leather-dog-muzzle-p-3662.html and this one https://www.fordogtrainers.com/dog-...-of-hard-leather-for-working-dogs-p-2717.html and have been happy with all 3.


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## bantam7 (Jul 6, 2019)

LuvShepherds said:


> Does Chewy have a good return policy? I haven’t had to return anything to them.


They do, 365 days and they pay return shipping. Amazon sells them as well, though I hate to support Bezos. Baskervilles are by far my favorite muzzles; they allow the most mouth use (panting, treat taking, water, whiskers) while still being secure, and boiling allows for a more "custom" fit. You may need to file down or pad the edge that meets the nose on some dogs, but for 1 vet appt it should be fine without.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

I love Baskerville muzzles. They are tough, easy to put on. They have a nose strap if needed. They are easy for the dog to take treats or drink through. They seem to be comfortable. I own 3.

Measure carefully.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

LuvShepherds said:


> Does Chewy have a good return policy? I haven’t had to return anything to them.


Yes; I can't say enough good things about Chewy. On the rare occasion when something didn't fit properly or didn't work, Chewy sent a FREE replacement _immediately _and suggested that I donate the first item to a rescue or shelter. Everyone that I've recommended to them has come back raving too.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

LuvShepherds said:


> Thank you both. I need to make a decision. Are wire muzzles better than plastic? I wish I could walk into a store and try them out in person but no one sells them locally.


I honestly don't know, maybe someone else will chime in here. I had to go to a wire muzzle for my last male who was a dedicated consumer of rocks --- after he managed to destroy the plastic one I'd gotten. I'd defer to others more experienced, but, if you're using the muzzle only for the odd vet visit, the plastic may work just fine. After an "unfortunate incident" with the GSD phobic secondary vet, I now use a plastic muzzle with Rachel for blood draws/injections. She's fine with anything else. 

And I forbade the phobic vet from ever touching her...


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

This is very helpful. I’m a compulsive measurer because of my hobbies, so I usually measure many times. 

Aly, mine is vet phobic, which we got over by using a fear free vet and visiting weekly for a long time for treats and a weight check. He now loves the vet and thinks the visit is a play date. We are using a specialist and she is not very warm or eager to accommodate. The staff are nice, but in general, I felt like they had a lot to cram into an hour visit. So, when the tech took a step toward him, he reacted. He didn’t bite but he gave out a loud warning bark, which is very unusual for him and which they called a “bite.” It was not, although I understand it could possibly escalate into one. He wasn’t even within a foot of her. He is usually too social. So, they said muzzled all the time. It’s fine, he was less stressed when I put their muzzle on him, let them do a complete body exam, and ended up making friends with the tech to the point I took the muzzle off when we left so she could give him a treat. I don’t ever let strangers feed him, except at a vet office. That was useful when he was hospitalized for four days and they had to feed him. But back on subject, the muzzle worked so well to calm him I am planning to use it again even if they don’t ask.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

@LuvShepherds, the secondary vet is GSD phobic; the primary vet (who owns the practice) is simply wonderful. Dunno if there's a fear free vet nearby, but if the primary relocated (or I did), I'd find one. In addition to good clinical skills, the primary knows how to read and respond to reactive dogs which Rachel was when I got her. She's adored him from her first appt, so I'm not anxious to change at the moment. 

I'd brought Rachel in during an emergent situation (possible bloat which, thankfully, turned out to be just a bad case of gas). Primary vet was booked solid, so we saw the secondary vet who was clearly nervous. (Should have paid closer attention to that, but I didn't; my bad.) While checking her abdomen, he evidently pressed too hard or something and Rachel objected by swinging her head around. No teeth, not even a curled lip _and _I blocked the move, but it scared him witless. So he took her in "the back" where they put a muzzle on her (without asking) and it took 2 add'l techs trying to hold her still for a blood draw. The commotion (Rachel's freely expresses her opinions even when muzzled) pulled me and the head vet into the back. I.was.furious. 

After an, uh, intensely whispered discussion, we agreed that the head vet would take over which he did. Got the blood, x-rays and sent us home with fluids and something to ease her belly. Later, a private but frank discussion with the head vet resulted in the agreement that (a) nobody takes my dog "in back" without me, (b) I do all the restraint which only entails my hand on her shoulder blades as she'll stand like a rock for me, and (c) muzzling, which _only _I do, and only during blood draws/injections. That note is in her chart now. Sorry for the dither; I'm still pissed about that episode and it was over a year ago. 

Back on Topic. I think we sometimes projectively anthropomorphize stuff like crates (jail) and muzzles (Hannibal Lector). But it really depends on how we introduce things and train them for it. You've clearly done a good job if he's relaxing in the muzzle. Rachel dances with excitement when I pull out her muzzle because it means a car ride, treats, visits with one of her favorite people and a stop for chicken nuggets on the way home.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

LuvShepherds said:


> Does Chewy have a good return policy? I haven’t had to return anything to them.


I bought an ecollar (Sportdog) from them after talking to them on the phone. (Wasn't sure which model to get) 1 year return policy, no questions asked, even if used. And sure enough a year later, I called Chewy up for a return/exchange and it was easily done on the phone.

I would suggest that you keep the box/packaging, the paperwork (if there are any), etc.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

@Aly, my dog loves his vet now. We see the younger vet in the fear free office. The owner there is worried about bites. But that isn’t the problem here. The vet office that requires muzzles is a specialist and the only one available for allergies. The good news is that it’s temporary. We will see them a lot for a short period of time, then go back to our regular vet who doesn’t require or need muzzles. I think what set him off is that they knocked on the closed door. He is trained to bark an alert at knocking. So he barked. Then he saw someone he didn’t know and was already in an alert mode. It was situational.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

tc68 said:


> I bought an ecollar (Sportdog) from them after talking to them on the phone. (Wasn't sure which model to get) 1 year return policy, no questions asked, even if used. And sure enough a year later, I called Chewy up for a return/exchange and it was easily done on the phone.
> 
> I would suggest that you keep the box/packaging, the paperwork (if there are any), etc.


I will. I usually do.


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## Verna2197 (Feb 25, 2008)

wow never have heard of a vet requesting large dogs to wear muzzles. Is this a common thing?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Yes, it seems to be. It depends on the breed. They told me large dogs so I wouldn’t feel like they were picking on my breed. If they worry it's a bite risk, they need to protect themselves. I had a biter and he was always tranq’d and muzzled at the vets office. He never bit anyone but he muzzle punched their oldest vet and cut his hand on the muzzle. I can’t use that muzzle because it’s too big for my dog.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Verna2197 said:


> wow never have heard of a vet requesting large dogs to wear muzzles. Is this a common thing?


Seems to be increasingly common, especially for largish working breeds and breed look-a-likes with bad reputations --- deserved or not. While I understand their concern (I don't like getting bitten myself), what I object to is the automatic presumption that a nervous vet and/or tech knows how to read, identify and appropriately respond to anxious vs. aggressive dogs. IME it's 50-50 whether they do. If they did, ALL chis would be muzzled :wink2:. That said, I now think that it's good for _all _dogs to be trained to accept a properly fitted basket muzzle. It can't hurt and may facilitate emergency treatment.


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## 4K9Mom (Jun 19, 2019)

Likely the vet — or someone on his staff— is afraid of large dogs. I was just chatting about this with my vet. I prefer a vet have large dogs muzzled (or Breeds they’re afraid of) than handle them roughly. I’d muzzle the dog myself before he go into the clinic. I don’t want staff uncomfortable with my dog trying to muzzle him.

That said. If at all possible, I’d be searching for a new vet. It’s not the muzzle per se: anxious staff make an anxious dog.

I used to put a cloth muzzle on my big (not tall but big) GSD when going to a new clinic (like emergency or specialist). I’d explain to the tech that took him back that he was extremely well trained, his commands and that he loved to be surrounded by clinic staff that gave him lots of attention, but I understood if someone was afraid of him; thus the muzzle. I had a Leerburg basket muzzle that I gave them if he needed to be muzzled a long while. 

He always came out unmuzzled. I was always told he was “a perfect gentleman” and that they wished all patients were so well behaved. 

But as a GSD owner, I don’t assume my GSDs are treated the same as my 20 lb, 13 inch beagles. Best to make staff — and my dog— comfortable up front. 

My puppy is already doing muzzle training.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

This is the one my vet uses
https://www.jefferspet.com/products/plastic-dog-muzzles

They do NOT like the cloth muzzles that hold their mouths shut. They can't pant and they can still bite. You'll need to determine the correct size for him.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Funny that they are worried about the big dogs. Probably because they can do more damage. My vet has been bitten by more small dogs than big.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

It is always good to train your dog to be muzzled as mentioned but also it is important to find a vet who is comfortable with the breed makes a big difference. It sounds like someone had a bad experience and are being safe which they have their right but I always felt vets who were comfortable around German shepherds at the vets was a lot more pleasant.


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## Jchrest (Jun 5, 2019)

When we switched vets, I did tell them Lyka has some fear aggression towards males, and that trying to clip her nails is like trying to catch the moon, and she’s always had to be sedated and muzzled for it. They thanked me for letting them know of her issues. Apparently most people don’t let the vet office know if they have an aggressive dog in certain situations because they are afraid the vet will refuse service, and the vet or vet techs get to find out during the appointment when the dog lunges or bites them. Maybe that’s why more vets are asking owners to muzzle all large breeds. A vets hands are so very important for the work they do, and I can see why a large dog biting their hands could be a risk to their profession. Severed nerves are no joke. 

Little dogs do bite more, but not hard enough with those tiny teeth to do anything other than an annoyance bite. 

They were able to to handle Lyka no problem, with no muzzle. They did muzzle her as a precaution during the nail trim, but said she did great and wouldn’t need a muzzle the time. She didn’t flinch or snap at anyone.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> This is the one my vet uses
> https://www.jefferspet.com/products/plastic-dog-muzzles
> 
> They do NOT like the cloth muzzles that hold their mouths shut. They can't pant and they can still bite. You'll need to determine the correct size for him.


I don't like those muzzles either, Jax. I believe they make an anxious/reactive dog feel claustrophobic and greatly increase the likelihood of disruptive behavior. And, yes, the dog can still bite with one of those things on. Bad, very bad idea in my book.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Jchrest said:


> ... Apparently most people don’t let the vet office know if they have an aggressive dog in certain situations because they are afraid the vet will refuse service, and the vet or vet techs get to find out during the appointment when the dog lunges or bites them. Maybe that’s why more vets are asking owners to muzzle all large breeds...


I don't know if it's whether owners don't _tell_ the vet, or the owners don't _know _that they have an aggressive dog, or that the vet/techs _come _to the scenario with their anxieties intact, all of the above or something else entirely. What I have been struck by is how.very.many vets/techs apparently don't know how to approach a strange dog (anxious or not), much less how to read and appropriately respond to one that is anxious/reactive. 

It's not all large breeds, by the way. I _never _had a vet/tech request or use a muzzle on any of my wolfhounds (you don't get much bigger than that), even though I had one that was a certified spook. I really think it has to do with the reputation of certain breeds (deserved or not) and the savviness of the vets and staff. 

That anxiety isn't limited to small animal practices either. I once (!) briefly used a vet to do a lameness check on a horse that I was half-leasing. (Vet was owner recommended). Every time the horse shifted his weight (bit of a wiggle worm), the vet would go pale, step back and then start over. We never got to a full flexion test. I stopped the visit after 20 minutes, thanked and paid him, and promptly called a different vet. We were getting nowhere very slowly with the first one.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Aly said:


> I don't know if it's whether owners don't _tell_ the vet, or the owners don't _know _that they have an aggressive dog,
> 
> .


They don't know. Some are just truly oblivious. MOST are truly oblivious. I've been charged by so many dogs in the waiting room and the people just do not get it.

Or sometimes it's a situation you don't expect. Seger got himself all worked up one time when the vet was examining Jax. I never expected him to be protective of her. Then compound that by the vet being close to me while he was examining Seger because I was holding him. When I released him (I still had his leash) he lunged and put my vet against the wall. Neither one of us ever expected that behavior from him. But he's great with the WOMEN vet techs. Looking back, I should have seen it coming but I didn't. And I"m experienced and not oblivious. Yeah...he gets a muzzle coming thru the door.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

It's funny; I don't muzzle Rachel until it's time for blood draws or injections during the exam. Otherwise, she's unmuzzled with the primary vet and behaves like a champ. We followed a training routine for weeks after our "unfortunate incident." We would walk to the vet (it's about 1.5 miles; takes some of the edge off), arriving when they opened and just sit in the waiting room for 15, then 30, then 40 minutes. Each time she sat quietly for 1, 2, then 3+ minutes, she got a treat. No interactions with the staff! Then, we'd walk home. Now, we arrive 20-30 minutes early and sit in the far reaches of the waiting room, following the same procedure until it's time for our appt. It works and I'm chuffed by how well she now responds to vet procedures --- even offered her leg for her annual Lyme followup last week. But she's still an edgy girl, at heart, so muzzle it is for anything that might be problematic.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Seger is great until the vet gets to close to me or if they do something to hurt him. That I knew and had under control. I never expected him to get all twisted over the vet touching Jax and my husband had the leash during her exam. When I told him to "shut that down" about Seger he just gave a light pop and told him No. In retrospect, I should have seen it coming but neither the vet nor I expected that behavior from him. The only good part was that I still had his leash and had him under control so he never reached the vet. Funny thing is a woman vet hurt him while examining him for a chiro treatment and all he did was run away and watch her warily so there definitely seems to be a male aspect to it. He doesn't have to be muzzled for the female vet techs to draw blood, or really do anything to him.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Yeah, dogs can certainly surprise us. :grin2:


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

But...back to the muzzle question - the plastic basket muzzle is fine. Inexpensive, comfortable and safe. Pretty sure Seger wears a Size 9.

https://www.amazon.com/Company-Anim...muzzle+size+9&qid=1566841466&s=gateway&sr=8-2


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

If measuring for a Baskerville muzzle, don't forget to add the 1/4" - 1/2" of extra space at the front in the measurement! I made the mistake of measuring just the eyes-nose distance, and when he had the muzzle on, his nose was pressed right against the front (looked uncomfortable). I had to exchange it for one size up!


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I have two Italian basket muzzles I got for a previous dog. One is brand new and the other was worn maybe ten times. I tried one on my dog at 1 year and it was huge. So I got it out to test the size and figure out what size he needs and found he has grown into them. They fit perfectly! So I have two new muzzles and don’t need to buy one after all. I had to create a new home in the strap for my other dog, and it looks like that one will also work for this dog.


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