What Are Dog Muzzles And Why Should I Use Them

Perhaps, the idea of seeing a dog's mouth caged up in a muzzle can be a bit disturbing for many dog owners. They think that they are doing some sort of cruelty to their furry friends. But little do they know, muzzles, when used in the right direction, can become one of the most beneficial and greatest tools a dog owner can have. So, in this article, we will tell you all about how to use a dog muzzle and when to use it. In the meantime, we will also recommend you the best muzzle to get for your canine friend. 

 

What is a Dog Muzzle?

 

Before going any further, you should know what a muzzle is and how it works. Basically, a muzzle is a mask for dogs placed on their snouts to prevent biting, licking the wound, barking, and much more.

 

However, you don't need to worry about your dog's breathing, discomfort, or panting because, with Mirapets Piggy Snout, your dog can easily breathe and drink without feeling any inch of pain. Most owners think that a muzzle would cause their furry friend pain, but after seeing the smooth, silicone composition of Piggy Snout, we can gladly say it's not true.

 

 

How to Correctly Measure Your Dog For Muzzle?

 

With standard dog muzzles like basket muzzle, or soft muzzle, you may need to take the conventional approach for measuring your dog.

 

• To find the correct muzzle length, start off by measuring from the dog's eye to all the way down to the tip of the nose. This will give you an accurate length for the muzzle.

 

• On the other hand, to find the proper circumference, you need to start measuring from one inch below the eye to all the way around the nose. 

 

• To ensure the muzzle is not tight and has some space in-between, you need to add length to each circumference measurement. For large dogs, it is about half to one inch. Whereas, for small dogs, the length should be one-fourth to half an inch.

 

Only after following these steps, you will be able to correctly measure your dog for a muzzle and thus would be able to determine the best dog muzzle according to its dimensions. 

 

But what if I told you, you could easily avoid all this hassle by opting for the Piggy Snout? The adjustable strap of Piggy Snout allows you to adjust this muzzle according to your dog's size easily, making it a proper fit. Thus, saving your time and effort.

 

 

How to Muzzle Train Your Dog?

 

The next important question that arises is How to get your dog accustomed to your newly bought muzzle? Muzzle training your dog can be challenging, provided the circumstances. For example, if you have decided to use the muzzle only when the need arises, making the muzzle wear would be difficult. On the other hand, if you introduce your dog with a muzzle under normal conditions, your dog would get accustomed to it more readily and easily.

 

Upon asking, Beth Nash, a renowned breed columnist, told how she muzzle trained her first Vizsla:

 

"Bartok (Vizsla) was frightened of the vet clinic due to a mixture of unstable temperament and a series of unfavorable events. We had no choice but to muzzle him for everyone's safety. The clinic staff gave their all to be gentle and patient, but Bart was seriously stressing out, and we wanted to help him."

 

Then she shared her golden rules with us:

 

• First, let your dog sniff the Piggy Snout, follow up with some treats.
• Press the dog's nose with the muzzle. Give treats. Repeat until your dog finds the muzzle attractive.
• Now place the treat inside the Piggy Snout so that your dog has to put its nose inside the muzzle to get to the treat.
• Place the muzzle onto its nose and remove immediately. Treat.
• Now, put the muzzle onto the snout, tighten the buckle and then remove hastily. Treat. Repeat a few times.
• Repeat the above step. However, this time, count to 5 and then remove the Piggy Snout. Treat
• Follow the above steps and gradually increase the time until your dog gets accustomed to the muzzle.

 

She also told us that if they had followed these steps before Bart (Vizsla) was full of fear, it would have usually taken them less than a day or perhaps a couple of minutes to get Bart accustomed to the muzzle. Now they are using these techniques to muzzle train dogs, even rescued dogs successfully. 

 

 

When Should You Use the Piggy Snout AKA Dog Muzzle?

 

There are many cases that administer the use of dog muzzles, and here are a few examples:

 

During a Crisis

We know that if a dog gets terrified, it is more likely to bite, and a muzzle will protect you in this case. Moreover, if your dog gets hurt and won't stop licking its wound, then you can also use Piggy Snout to assist you because we know that too much wound licking is bad.

 

 

To Prevent Biting

Considering your dog's past biting record, a muzzle would be an excellent choice to have. It will keep you all safe. Even if your dog doesn't have any past biting experience, but you think your dog is showing aggressive behavior and prone to bite another dog or person, you should immediately administer the use of Piggy Snout. Its soft and elastic material will protect your dog from any discomfort and pain.

 

 

To Avoid the Risk of Biting at a Vet or Hospital

It's a good idea to be prepared in advance and have a muzzle with you just in case your dog gets upset during a vet examination or becomes a stress machine under examination in a hospital. However, a dog muzzle is just a temporary solution and not a permanent one. What your main goal should be is to reform your dog's behavior from being aggressive to affectionate. You should always put aside 30 minutes from your day to dog training and playing. Only then your furry friend would be able to exhale all the pent-up frustration and behave like a good boy.

 

 During Traveling, Hiking, Camping

There's a good chance your dog may end up eating some tempting non-edible mushrooms or other poisonous things during traveling or camping. So, to make sure your dog stays safe from all those things that may wind up your dog to a hospital, always keep Piggy Snout in your backup and make him wear the muzzle unless your dog’s within your sight.

 

 When Making Your Dog Used to Grooming

Some dogs may love to take a bath, get themselves brushed, and trim their nails, but not all dogs love grooming, especially when they don't know the groomer. So, whether you are grooming your dog or some professional is grooming your dog, it is always good to get them to wear Piggy Snout.

 

 

When Not to Use a Muzzle?

 

Although we have been preaching about using a dog muzzle from the very start of the article, there are many scenarios in which you should never use a muzzle on your dog.

 

• It would be best if you never use Piggy Snout to subside your dog's behavioral issues like chewing, barking, etc. Because if we only talk about barking, there can be many other issues like boredom, separation anxiety, attention-seeking, infiltration, or sounding the alarm, etc., that may cause your dog to bark indefinitely.

 

• Never use our Piggy Snout to give punishments to your dog. So, what if your dog's been a bad boy the whole day? You shouldn't just use the muzzle to snatch its ability to eat. It's pure cruelty. Muzzling your dog without any reason will only make it more frightened. It would be wise if you try to understand why your dog behaved badly the whole day, instead of making the "muzzle" the answer to all your problems.

 

• Lastly, please don't make your dog do something he doesn't want by making it wear the muzzle. Instead, find some other and easy option to perform the desired task. For example, if your dog doesn't want to go to the vet, don't make the situation more stressful for your dog by making it wear a muzzle. This way, you will only make the situation worse.

 

 

How Long Can My Dog Wear Piggy Snout?

 

Our Piggy snout can be worn for an indefinite period. However, it doesn't mean that it should. The rule of thumb is that muzzles should only be worn for an hour or sometimes two. Any more than this could incite behavioral issues among dogs. Dogs may also think that they are being caged. 

 

Moreover, such muzzles that do not allow your dog to eat, or drink, if worn for a more extended period, your dog may overheat and, in the worst case, die.