Muzzles During The Day While At Work?

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

My opinion is WHO CARES if the hound doesnt like to wear a muzzle. A muzzle is a safety device, no different than a seatbelt when you get into your car. As far as the collar issue, this is a hotly debated topic around these parts, I started a poll a while ago about this exact topic asking people that have actually had occurances of choking or other injuries, but cant seem to find it around here anywhere. You will find people on both sides of the collar issue. I myself feel that I would rather chance the martingale getting caught than to have the potential for one of my hounds to be outside the house without a collar on.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Greyt_dog_lover

[BatterseaBrindl]

Our three are muzzled when left alone.

It only takes a split second for an 'accident' to happen.

 

They also have the thin leather Dave Engraves tag collars.

 

We had a break-away collar once and we found it 'broke' too frequently.

If you need to grab your dog quickly and hold the collar you will probably end up with the collar in your hand and the dog long gone.

Ask me how I know...

 

A microchip will not help identify your dog if he is loose on the street, unless whoever catches him takes him somewhere the chip can be 'read'.

A dog who has his name/phone number on his collar will get home faster.

[Guest kkaiser104]

When I first brought Teddi home, he stayed in his crate with NO martingale and only a tag collar. After a few weeks of that, he graduated to staying alone in my room (no martingale). After I came home to shredded things the first day, he had to be muzzled for the next few weeks. Once I trusted him, he got to stay in the whole house with no muzzle. A lot of it will be a trust thing--you'll know what's right when you bring them home. Muzzles are the safest thing--at least at first.

 

Everyone on here has their own opinion about martingales, and I personally take Teddi's off when no one is home. If we are home, the martingale is on so we have the ability to grab him if someone comes in/he won't get off the couch/etc... He is a velcro boy and stays in the same room as me almost all of the time, and we don't have drawer pulls/straight handles/etc.. When I leave he stays in just his tag collar. I also found break away collars to be a little too "break-away"..

 

No matter what you decide, enjoy your new babies and be sure to take lots of pictures!!!

[Trihounds]

Our 4 do not wear muzzles inside but they don't have access to the yard, either. There is no issue inside for us, but they get going (thank you, Squirt) outside far too easily to even be left unsupervised for a turn out, nevermind all day. Their flat tag collars are on 24/7. Martingales stay attached to the leashes.

 

Sounds like you are looking at good times ahead! Congrats!

[seattlegreygirl]

Thank you guys! Ok, muzzles it is. I know they say it's not cruel, but it just doesn't sound like much fun to me. :-(

 

We make dogs wear collars all the time, and nobody thinks it's cruel. A muzzle is just the same, it's something we put on them to wear for their safety.

 

We do the same thing.

[Guest DMBFiredancer]

Great thread! We are adopting in December and plan on keeping our grey in the kitchen while we are away at work. Even if a dog is confined to one room, do you recommend a muzzle? I saw one post about someone's dog tearing things up in the bedroom - what do you guys think about the kitchen?

 

Thanks!

[GreyTzu]

Collars 24/7, muzzles for outside potty breaks. Yup, my dogs are abused. Quick, someone come and try to rescue them from me. :hehe

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Great thread! We are adopting in December and plan on keeping our grey in the kitchen while we are away at work. Even if a dog is confined to one room, do you recommend a muzzle? I saw one post about someone's dog tearing things up in the bedroom - what do you guys think about the kitchen?

 

If your dog is the only one, and doesn't have a habit of chewing or destroying things, then there isn't a need for a muzzle when it is left alone.

[MerlinsMum]

I started a poll a while ago about this exact topic asking people that have actually had occurances of choking or other injuries, but cant seem to find it around here anywhere.

 

Actually Roo, a dog whose human companion used to be on GreyTalk, died when he strangled himself to death on his martingale. It was absolutely awful. Since then, our dogs have always been "naked" in the house. I am not going to take the chance that the hounds will die a horrible, panic-striken and painful death. I used loose tag collars and they came off, so don't use them anymore. I kept them and use them if I have contractors working in the house, but otherwise, nothing. One of the tag collars even got caught in one of our air vents once, and panic ensued. I live in a relatively quiet neighborhood, and a safe one. I don't expect anyone to burst open the door and take my dogs On the other hand, I don't have a doggie-door. Maybe I would think differently if I used one.

 

As for muzzles - if it weren't for the fact that Sagan chews things, I honestly would love to them off while I'm at work. Since I muzzle Sagan I have to muzzle them both, but I don't like it. I do it for safety but only because I don't want Sagan to injest anything, not because I think they may fight. They are always muzzled when they're outside in the yard though, always. because play can get rough. If I had newly adopted hounds, though, I wold *definitely* muzzle, at the very least for a few months until they are settled in their new home.

Edited August 22, 2012 by MerlinsMum

[Guest dmgaudre]

I just wanted everyone to know that I did go ahead and buy the muzzles. They arrived the other day. I'm a little worried though because Al's foster mom told me that he hates the muzzle so much that he will bang his head against walls after she puts it on him. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it goes. I don't think I could stand to watch him go through that.

[PrairieProf]

They put on a big show of hating them but they do eventually suck it up and settle down. Wait'll they rub it vigorously on your thigh -- or your crotch! Remember they all wore them for turnout all the time at the track.

[Guest dmgaudre]

They put on a big show of hating them but they do eventually suck it up and settle down. Wait'll they rub it vigorously on your thigh -- or your crotch! Remember they all wore them for turnout all the time at the track.

Thank you for the encouragement! :-)

[Guest DMBFiredancer]

Also, pick up a couple of carabiners (they are a buck at Walmart) and attach their collar and leash for another safety measure.

 

 

I think people who crate don't leave collars on. The d-ring can get stuck on the wire of the crate.

Also, make sure you attach their tags to the side of their collar and not the d-ring.

 

My husband told me to be careful of the cheap carabiners - they can still break. He said to invest in good climbing ones from a place like REI.

Just passing it on....I put him in charge of buying this for when we adopt and he told me to make sure I shared that info.

[RedHead]

I have one grey and one non grey. When I work they are together all day loose in the house and I never muzzle them. I only muzzle when we go to run with the other greys or at my friend's house with cats. His muzzle has a soft piece on the nose and isn't tight anywhere so after some rubbing he usually falls asleep with it on. I leave a tag collar on but it is so loose because it sits at the bottom of his neck where it is thicker. It would slip off EASILY if it ever got caught.

[Fruitycake]

Monty has a buckle tag collar on 24/7 unless he's getting a bath. Doesn't wear a muzzle because he isn't a chewer and he doesn't have access to the outdoors with another grey. When he does get access to a big backyard, his "sister" (nongrey) doesn't participate in any running in frenetic zoomies so there's no chance of inadvertent mouthiness in play directed at him. If he did have a grey sister and did have access to the outdoors I'd have them both muzzled because he can do the air-snap in play and there's a chance of injury in that.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Fruitycake

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it goes. I don't think I could stand to watch him go through that.

 

Prairieprof is right, they're all show when it comes to trying to get them off, but they are great to have. If your grey ever needs stitches, the muzzle can be worn (with a guard in place) to prevent him.her from messing with the stitches, and is a lot more comfortable than a cone would be.

 

Here's a group of dogs all muzzled at playgroup, they're having a great time and nobody cares about the muzzle at all:

 

Edited August 23, 2012 by Jayne

[Guest LindsaySF]

My boys all rub their muzzles pathetically on me, the fence, etc. Only Honey doesn't seem to care, and she's a mix and probably never wore one before she came to me. Go figure. They put on a big show but they are just being babies. They wore muzzles at the track for every turn out and every race, they are used to them.

[Guest dmgaudre]

Thank you for the video Jayne. And thank you all for the encouragement!!! I know I'm being over sensitive. :-) They come home to live with us tomorrow. Wish me luck that first time I muzzle them! :-)

[HoundHeavenAZ]

Thank you for the video Jayne. And thank you all for the encouragement!!! I know I'm being over sensitive. :-) They come home to live with us tomorrow. Wish me luck that first time I muzzle them! :-)

Muzzling them will be the EASY part! It's when they both try to come in the bathroom to check on you that you'll have the MOST fun! Bye bye privacy!

Congrats, good luck and get your camera ready!

[Guest dmgaudre]

Thank you for the video Jayne. And thank you all for the encouragement!!! I know I'm being over sensitive. :-) They come home to live with us tomorrow. Wish me luck that first time I muzzle them! :-)

Muzzling them will be the EASY part! It's when they both try to come in the bathroom to check on you that you'll have the MOST fun! Bye bye privacy!

Congrats, good luck and get your camera ready!

 

LOL...that won't phase me at all...I have kids! I haven't gone to the bathroom by myself in YEARS!!!!

[Guest ghap]

Part of me agrees with this, the other half of me says let them be free of the muzle. Take a little time to see how they react together.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

ghap, really, so do you feel the same way about seatbelts in cars for kids (muzzle serves the same purpose)? A muzzle is a safety device, not punishment. They can eat, drink and even play with toys with a muzzle on.

[GreyTzu]

I think of a $10.00 muzzle as a saved $1000.00 Vet bill. It is no different than making a kid wear a helmet in a football game or jock strap in baseball. Greyhounds are used to them. My dogs wear their muzzles EVERY time they go outside for potty breaks or if two or more are in the van. We cannot afford Vet bills because of human stupidity. I know my herd. Do I think they will go after each other? No. But can they get over excited while romping in the yard? Yup. And it is highly unlikely that regardless of where they are in my yard if something happens, I WILL NOT be able to stop it before someone gets a boo-boo. I will use my $10.00 muzzle and my dogs can get over it.

[Guest LindsaySF]

What's that saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? I think that applies in cases like muzzling.

[Guest dmgaudre]

Ok, two days in a row I have come home to Al with no muzzle...I have no idea how this kid is getting it off, but he obviously doesn't like it. He's a collector and a bit of a chewer (lost a perfectly good brush today). Any suggestions on how to keep that muzzle on Mr. Houdini?!