Let Me Show You Why They Give Us Those Muzzles

[Guest Capslock]

I have to confess I don't even own a muzzle and never have. I've had four greyhounds over 13 years now, and while, like everyone, I've had stitches incidents, none would have been prevented with a muzzle. My dogs go to dog parks every day with a bunch of other dogs, and since they are fenced, they run off leash. Obviously I would never throw a dog fresh off the track out to the pack of city dogs (lots and lots of pit bulls), and I work hard on teaching them proper etiquette in meeting new dogs and socializing before they get that trust. Having read these stories, though, and also from seeing their behavior when other greyhounds come to the park, I can totally see using muzzles when there are a big pack of greyhounds, as they do tend to rev each other up. No matter how crowded the dog park is, if another greyhound appears at the gate, my dogs know about it in an instant. But honestly I can't imagine muzzling them every time they went out. Incidentally, we see other greyhounds all the time at the park, and I've never seen one muzzled.

 

But every grey is different, and if there's any question in your mind, you probably should take all the advice here and use the muzzle!

 

 

[Guest Noombie]

Thanks for posting this. I hope all recover well (physically and emotionally). We have one Grey and I recently introduced him to two Golden Retrievers, which are also rescues. We did this slowly and with leashes but eventually all 3 were running around the yard with no muzzles. I shudder to think what could have happened.

 

Is there ever a safe time in an outdoor area when one shouldn't muzzle?

[Guest md7nd]

depends on who you ask and who replies...I've read that some dont muzzle a grey when walking for self defense reasons, others have said, they always muzzle. I dont think theres ever a safe time, but since we only have Nina for now, we dont muzzle her unless there are other dogs nearby/with. For just potty breaks, ect, no, we dont.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Is there ever a safe time in an outdoor area when one shouldn't muzzle?

If the fenced potty area is very small and the dogs can't get up to a running/playing speed, or the dogs are elderly and/or don't interact, you might be able to get away with not muzzling. But IMO, whenever there are 1 or more dogs loose together with a Greyhound, all should be muzzled. Greyhound skin is just too thin. You might get away with it 99 times, but if you end up at the e-vet that 100th time, you only have yourself to blame.

 

It is annoying at first, but it quickly becomes second nature to slip their muzzles over their heads. My Greys stand at the door and wait for theirs to be put on. They know they aren't going outside until muzzles are on.

 

I don't muzzle my non-Greys when they go out together because they have thick skin and even if they nip in play no one gets hurt. The pit bulls actually like to drag each other around by the scruff...

 

[Beautybabe]

Our three are always muzzled when left alone in the house. They expect to be muzzled and it's no big deal. We also muzzle when all three are outside. I'm a big fan of muzzling.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Bump for the newbies.

 

[Guest RavenRacersMom]

I really have to watch Bernie at the park. I always grab him and hold him when anybody comes in just until the excitement wares off. He tends to get really competitive when he runs, snapping and bumping and growling. People tell me to let him go and run and I have to explain to them, I know how he is...and I have to do anything I can to prevent him from getting hurt.

[Guest JohnnysMommy]

So far we use the muzzle when in the yard for more than just a quick potty break, when taking him around other dogs, when he's going to be home alone and at night. I also do occasionally when I know I'm going to be distracted and not watching him because he likes to randomly eat things off the floor. If the muzzle is on it's a little harder for him, and it gives me a minute to realize what's going on.

[cleptogrey]

i muzzle my exracer, emily, who has nipped my pup, felix, 2xs, we were lucky- only a total of18 staples. his scars are symmetrical. anyone who visits is well aware that the vampire dog MUST wear her muzzle, the problem is visitors seem to leave the muzzle in her reach when they take it off. she has eaten 4 of them.

 

i always muzzle both when my visitor corgie comes by. she is just too small and we have experienced emily trying to snatch a skiperkee on a diagonal recal at obedience. even though felix and the corgie are best friend, i will not leave any room for error!

 

it's good to have some support and hear the stories of other incidents. i initially thought that i had the only vampire dog, no one in this area has had similar experiences.

 

[jetcitywoman]

Hi, I'm a new Grey mommy, we got Capri last Saturday. She's wonderful and my husband and I are very happy with her. This topic is very interesting and I'd like to ask a question. We did get a turnout muzzle with Capri, and we used it for walks for the first few days. We noticed that it was intimidating the neighbors. My husband stopped using it first. I kept it on, until a neighbor commented that "that's the first greyhound I've ever seen with a muzzle". Ack. Well, clearly she doesn't know Greys as much as she thinks. But anyway, I'm worried about it. I haven't seen anybody here address the issues of how people percieve the muzzle. The people we've come across when Capri was wearing hers was that she was a bad dog or dangerous. How have you all handled such fears?

 

I thought of writing an essay explaining it for our HOA newsletter. But of course, the other issue I have is convincing my husband that the muzzle really is needed!

[Guest Hokiebuck]

Hi, I'm a new Grey mommy, we got Capri last Saturday. She's wonderful and my husband and I are very happy with her. This topic is very interesting and I'd like to ask a question. We did get a turnout muzzle with Capri, and we used it for walks for the first few days. We noticed that it was intimidating the neighbors. My husband stopped using it first. I kept it on, until a neighbor commented that "that's the first greyhound I've ever seen with a muzzle". Ack. Well, clearly she doesn't know Greys as much as she thinks. But anyway, I'm worried about it. I haven't seen anybody here address the issues of how people percieve the muzzle. The people we've come across when Capri was wearing hers was that she was a bad dog or dangerous. How have you all handled such fears?

 

I thought of writing an essay explaining it for our HOA newsletter. But of course, the other issue I have is convincing my husband that the muzzle really is needed!

 

 

I am not quite sure I understand this. Are you using a muzzle during leashed walks? If so you probably don't need to. Just be vigilant when meeting other dogs, and for squirrels/cats that may dart in front of you. Leash corrections and a firm (but not loud) "no" or "leave it" should suffice if they get to interested in something. Am I missing something?

[Guest NewGreyOwner]

We had our first grey for 5 months now. At first we did not use the muzzle at all. He's an only dog, so we didn't need it in the house. We have never used it on walks around the neighborhood, but he is kept on a short leash when meeting with other dogs and has been fine. At the dog park, however, we muzzle him ALL the time. We've had folks ask us if he was mean or fierce because he's wearing a muzzle. We just explain that when he is running around with other dogs that he can nip at the other dogs. Most people seem to understand and don't think twice about it. Some say "oh, poor dog, he has to wear that thing", but we don't mind. We had an incident early on when he went after a small dog and had it by the neck. It was very traumatic, and it was our fault for assuming he'd be fine with all dogs (yep, we're newbies). The other dog was okay, but ever since we've muzzled him when he's running around loose in the park. We generally don't go in if we notice that there are only small dogs in there. We like to bring him to the park at "off" times (early in the morning) when there is usually no one there. We've been fortunate that he has met several other dogs his own size that he plays and runs well with. Good luck with your new grey and I wouldn't worry what others say or think about the muzzle. We wish more folks would muzzle some of their non-greys.

 

[jetcitywoman]

Hi, I'm a new Grey mommy, we got Capri last Saturday. She's wonderful and my husband and I are very happy with her. This topic is very interesting and I'd like to ask a question. We did get a turnout muzzle with Capri, and we used it for walks for the first few days. We noticed that it was intimidating the neighbors. My husband stopped using it first. I kept it on, until a neighbor commented that "that's the first greyhound I've ever seen with a muzzle". Ack. Well, clearly she doesn't know Greys as much as she thinks. But anyway, I'm worried about it. I haven't seen anybody here address the issues of how people percieve the muzzle. The people we've come across when Capri was wearing hers was that she was a bad dog or dangerous. How have you all handled such fears?

 

I thought of writing an essay explaining it for our HOA newsletter. But of course, the other issue I have is convincing my husband that the muzzle really is needed!

 

 

I am not quite sure I understand this. Are you using a muzzle during leashed walks? If so you probably don't need to. Just be vigilant when meeting other dogs, and for squirrels/cats that may dart in front of you. Leash corrections and a firm (but not loud) "no" or "leave it" should suffice if they get to interested in something. Am I missing something?

 

Oh, no I'm the one missing something. Yes, we were using the muzzle on leashed walks. It's good to hear we don't need it then, only when the dog is loose. Thanks for the clarification!

[Guest Capslock]

I think it should be said again here that some of us never have muzzled our dogs, and never will (and it is the largest poll answer category in this thread). It's all about the individual dog! Some need it, some need it sometimes, some never do. You just have to know your dog and how it reacts in various situations. While I think that caution is always advisable, I think it's probably a mistake to isolate your greyhounds for no good reason, and a greyhound that is well socialized and meets new dogs all the time does not necessarily need a muzzle at all. There are quite a few greyhounds in San Francisco where I live, and I see them at the dog park all the time, and I've never seen a muzzle. I've had four greys and never used one, but they're all been zero to low prey drive and happy-go-lucky dogs. I'm not advising either way, but rather just saying that each dog is different.

Edited April 3, 2009 by Capslock

[Guest gennygrey]

I have owned several greys in the past and currently own 2. I have never used my muzzles. My dogs have always been happy go lucky.

[Guest LindsaySF]

At the dog park, however, we muzzle him ALL the time. We've had folks ask us if he was mean or fierce because he's wearing a muzzle. We just explain that when he is running around with other dogs that he can nip at the other dogs.

Please please don't muzzle your Greyhound if the other dogs he is running with are not muzzled. What if another dog nips at him? (Even in play?) He will be injured (paper-thin Greyhound skin) and he won't even be able to defend himself.

 

 

I think it should be said again here that some of us never have muzzled our dogs, and never will (and it is the largest poll answer category in this thread). It's all about the individual dog!

That's what everyone says until they are posting in the H&M forum about their dog getting staples... "I never thought it would happen with MY dog".

 

 

I think it's probably a mistake to isolate your greyhounds for no good reason

Using a muzzle and avoiding dangerous situations does NOT mean "isolating your Greyhound". A dog can still be well-socialized and go lots of places with the owner taking proper precautions for its safety.

 

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

[Guest Hokiebuck]

I think it should be said again here that some of us never have muzzled our dogs, and never will (and it is the largest poll answer category in this thread). It's all about the individual dog! Some need it, some need it sometimes, some never do. You just have to know your dog and how it reacts in various situations. While I think that caution is always advisable, I think it's probably a mistake to isolate your greyhounds for no good reason, and a greyhound that is well socialized and meets new dogs all the time does not necessarily need a muzzle at all. There are quite a few greyhounds in San Francisco where I live, and I see them at the dog park all the time, and I've never seen a muzzle. I've had four greys and never used one, but they're all been zero to low prey drive and happy-go-lucky dogs. I'm not advising either way, but rather just saying that each dog is different.

 

 

I thought the same thing...I took my GH to the dog park for over 1.5 years unmuzzled...the park wasn't divided between small and large dog either. He had played with everything from Great Danes to JRTs and never laid a tooth on them. Then one day a Chiuahua came in, yelped because it was scared, and became a tasty treat to Cash in the blink of an eye. Now this dog is probably better trained than a majority of dogs, and it took 3 people to get him to release the dog. The dog actually was completely unharmed, no scratches or punctures. But the point is...we always say "For years my dog never got on the bed...or gave me a kiss, or whatever," and all of a sudden something clicks and now they are doing a cute behavior and we're happy about it. But what will be your reaction when after years of living with your dog, they bite or attack another dog. What I am trying to say is these are evolving/changing animals. They are like any other animal they respond to stimuli, and you just don't know how they'll react. Now training will significant reduce the chance for a bad behavior, but vigilance and REASONABLE precautions are always needed. Trust can be deadly.

Edited April 4, 2009 by Hokiebuck

[Guest Capslock]

There is nothing about the greyhound that makes it particularly dangerous at the dog park versus any other dog. For a dog that is demonstrably small-dog (and cat safe), going to the dog park shouldn't pose any more risk to the other animals than any other dog. A dog that isn't small-dog safe should never go to the dog park where small dogs might be present. We don't have "small dog" parks and "big dog" parks here - just dog parks. And since there are so many pit bulls and the like around here, people thankfully tend to bring socialized animals to the dog park. I started bringing my dogs there 12 years ago, and have been literally thousands of times. In that 12 years, I've had a couple scraps - usually a big unruly dog's fault, and never have my dogs hurt another. I've gone to the vet for stitches a few times, but nothing crazy and that's just the price of an active dog with thin skin. But that's just me - like I said, my dogs have had zero prey drive, and I understand that's not always the case.

 

Also, if they couldn't be trusted to not harm another dog, they shouldn't be at the dog park anyway!

 

I'm much more worried about some other crazed dog hurting my greys. But they love other dogs, and I'm not going to take their dog park experiences away. I'm all about vigilance and good judgment, and I've left dog parks many times because I don't like the crowd of dogs at the time. I just can't imagine that of all the dogs there, that mine should be the ones with a muzzle.

 

Also, Lindsay - how is a muzzle on my dog going to prevent it from getting cut? A muzzle only prevents my dog from hurting others, and the likelihood of that approaches zero in my case (and in many others too.)

[Anne]

In my yard my greyhounds are fine, my yard is small, only muzzles are for those who eat poop . When they used to go out running in a large area, they AWLAYS wore muzzles, no exceptions as did any other dogs greyhounds or not, they wore muzzles too. Greyhounds are taught to chase, they love to chase, they love to run and they are competative by nature AND by training.

I don't do dog parks due to the issue of poop everywhere and worm infested poop, unmuzzled dogs etc. Greyhounds are not the only dogs who can have issues with small dogs.

Muzzles are cheap and honestly I've never had a greyhound who objected to the muzzle for more than a minute or two. When I had fosters coming and going, all dogs wore muzzles in the house for the duration of the foster's stay, I had more than 45 fosters and none of them were bitten or bit my dogs, they wore muzzles.

I still have 2 dogs who have to be muzzled when I leave because they tend to get into stuff they shouldn't if they aren't muzzled. Also I have a 14 year old greyhound and and I worry about them attacking her if she should fall etc. (yep, I know that they can do severe damage with their feet if they wanted to, I pray that they never do)

Bottom line, better to be safe than sorry and also, I can't afford a lot of vet bills to repair injured dogs.

 

[Guest LindsaySF]

Also, Lindsay - how is a muzzle on my dog going to prevent it from getting cut? A muzzle only prevents my dog from hurting others

You don't just muzzle the Greyhound, you muzzle ALL the dogs that are running around with that Greyhound, no matter what breed they may be, to prevent nipping. That's why I said to NewGreyOwner not to muzzle his/her dog unless the other dogs are muzzled as well, Greyhound skin is too thin to risk it.

 

 

I've gone to the vet for stitches a few times, but nothing crazy and that's just the price of an active dog with thin skin.

Were these injuries the result of other dogs nipping, or them getting their skin snagged on something? If it's the former, muzzles could have prevented that. If it's the latter, well, stuff happens.

 

 

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

There is nothing about the greyhound that makes it particularly dangerous at the dog park versus any other dog. For a dog that is demonstrably small-dog (and cat safe), going to the dog park shouldn't pose any more risk to the other animals than any other dog.

 

I have to disagree with this statement

Even if a greyhound is small dog & cat safe in a home, in their own environment all bets are off in a different location.

Some just have a higher chase instinct in a more open setting. So if little fluffy goes zipping by and your normally small animal safe hound sees it the chances are much higher that hound is going to chase.

 

It's in their training, it's in their blood, it's what they were born and bred to do.

 

[Guest koolaidnconner]

Not only is it in their training and blood but when greyhounds get playing they do sometimes get rough. We have a greyhound group on Sundays where we put 4-5 dogs in at a time with muzzles and some can get pretty rough playing and we have had blood flying even with muzzles and these are dogs that you don;t hear a peep from at home. I would not ever send my dogs out to a dog park or play group with out thier muzzle, and I will be the first one to say that Kool Aid is the most layed back, quiet dog I have ever had, you can sometimes forget he is even in the house but get him in a play group with other dogs and he does not get viscious but he likes to play like boys love to play and sometimes that involves trying to nip, bark, use the paws and those nails can do some damage.

[BauersMom]

There is nothing about the greyhound that makes it particularly dangerous at the dog park versus any other dog. For a dog that is demonstrably small-dog (and cat safe), going to the dog park shouldn't pose any more risk to the other animals than any other dog.

 

I have to disagree with this statement

Even if a greyhound is small dog & cat safe in a home, in their own environment all bets are off in a different location.

Some just have a higher chase instinct in a more open setting. So if little fluffy goes zipping by and your normally small animal safe hound sees it the chances are much higher that hound is going to chase.

 

It's in their training, it's in their blood, it's what they were born and bred to do.

 

Not only that, but for some reason it seems that greyhounds are disproportionally the target of aggression. How many greys have been attacked by dogs out on leash? I don't have any proof, but it really seems like they end up at targets frequently.

[BauersMom]

Unfortunately, I have another addition to this list (one surrendered back to the group):

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest LindsaySF]

Oh no! What happened?