Question About Muzzle Keepers

[jetcitywoman]

So I'm considering finding a leather worker who will make leather strap muzzle keepers for me. When I do a google search, I only find this kind of keeper:

 

 

To be clear (because in this picture the muzzle and the keeper are the same color) the keeper is just the white buckle collar with the loop on it attached to the muzzle strap.

 

What I had in mind was just a short leather strap with a buckle that can go around the muzzle strap and the dog's normal collar. Basically just the loop part of what you see in this picture. Do you guys think that design would be more versatile/useful than the kind pictured above? I think if I needed a keeper, I'd find that additional buckle collar to be a hassle. But that's me. Opinions?

 

 

 

[Remolacha]

I agree. Most of us keep some kind of tag collar on all the time, plus a martingale for walks, and for those of us who use Soresto collars, the last thing I’d want is another collar!

[greysmom]

The one flaw in the plan is that the lower collar does slide up and down the dog's neck, allowing the keeper part to have a lot of room to move as well - though this happens with the set up in the picture too. I actually never found the keeper to be a solution to my problem child getting her muzzle off. I'd look over and her muzzle would be dangling around her neck FROM THE KEEPER!!!

[GreyTzu]

How about just slipping a snap on the muzzle strap and snapping it to the D-ring of the collar?

[Neighsayer]

Use a cat collar for the strap.

[GeorgeofNE]

I don't know if your idea will work, but I know someone who will help you try!

 

https://boldleaddesigns.com/

 

Katrina of Bold Lead designs makes incredible leather products, is very nice, and will do custom work. She made George's special 9 foot long, 1/2 inch wide leather leash for me.

[jetcitywoman]

The one flaw in the plan is that the lower collar does slide up and down the dog's neck, allowing the keeper part to have a lot of room to move as well - though this happens with the set up in the picture too. I actually never found the keeper to be a solution to my problem child getting her muzzle off. I'd look over and her muzzle would be dangling around her neck FROM THE KEEPER!!!

 

Hey, I wondered about that too! I've never owned an escape artist but did once witness a little galgo take his muzzle off. It was impressive. But it did make me wonder if a dog who is that good at figuring it out might turn the muzzle AND keeper into a choking hazard! Maybe two keepers, one on the back of the neck and one from the chin strap to the collar at the throat? Or would that be worse?

I don't know if your idea will work, but I know someone who will help you try!

 

https://boldleaddesigns.com/

 

Katrina of Bold Lead designs makes incredible leather products, is very nice, and will do custom work. She made George's special 9 foot long, 1/2 inch wide leather leash for me.

 

Thank you, I will check them out and see if they do wholesale!

[greysmom]

I had Toni's muzzle as tight as I could get it and she could still breath. With a keeper, without, with various other strategies and straps and whatever else I could think to try - she was *always* able to get her muzzle off somehow if left alone to work on it for 5 minutes.

 

And she really was the one dog we've had who needed to wear one as she used her teeth freely on every living creature in the house, and she had horrible bite inhibition, AND she was a poop eater!

[kronckew]

I'd just use a piece of paracord knotted into a loop.

[jetcitywoman]

I had Toni's muzzle as tight as I could get it and she could still breath. With a keeper, without, with various other strategies and straps and whatever else I could think to try - she was *always* able to get her muzzle off somehow if left alone to work on it for 5 minutes.

 

And she really was the one dog we've had who needed to wear one as she used her teeth freely on every living creature in the house, and she had horrible bite inhibition, AND she was a poop eater!

Yikes, okay so she sounds like she's clearly in the "special" category. as in raccoon level intelligence.

 

I was just thinking that I could offer both the collar and loop style keeper but also just the little loop style keeper.

 

I'm playing with ideas for new products. Since the Irish muzzles are my best sellers, it seems to make sense to branch off from that with accessories for muzzles. Also here's a really out of the box idea.... muzzle charms? Like collar charms but smaller and less dangly, and they attach to the side of the muzzle, purely to look cute? Stupid idea or does it have possibilities?

[greysmom]

Toni was "special" in a lot of ways!

 

Mine would probably not like anything dangling and clunking against the side of the muzzle. And it could be an issue of they were playing - mine tend to "box" with their front feet and I would worry a claw or pad would get caught on something like that. Maybe it's just me.

 

You could always mock up some little loopy things with items from the craft store - they sell a lot of leather working supplies nowadays, but it wouldn't *have* to be leather just to try it out - and have some people demo them for a while.

[jetcitywoman]

Good point about the dangly things. Or worse than getting a claw caught... for those that play bitey face, getting a tooth caught! OW! So I'll nix that idea.

 

I looked at the Bold Lead Designs site and liked it very much. Also saw that they do sell wholesale! Yay! So I'm going to reach out to them. I'm also attending a pet products tradeshow in June where I'll find suppliers for more products.

[jetcitywoman]

I don't know if your idea will work, but I know someone who will help you try!

 

https://boldleaddesigns.com/

 

Katrina of Bold Lead designs makes incredible leather products, is very nice, and will do custom work. She made George's special 9 foot long, 1/2 inch wide leather leash for me.

 

Susan, I want to thank you very much for this suggestion! I reached out to them and we've been in a very nice email discussion designing a new product for me. They are SO easy to work with and are exactly what I was looking for! It's looking like we're going to have a very good business relationship!