To think this item is cruel

[Luciaagreen]

Just seen these. Aibu to think that is cruel?

Really really shocked that only two people have correctly identified the issue with these muzzles.

They work by holding the mouth closed. This stops the dog panting effectively, meaning it is dangerous for them to be used for more than a few minutes at a time, for example at the vets or groomers.

They are also pretty poor at their job, many dogs will still be able to bite whilst wearing these muzzles, but thats by the by really, they are fucking dangerous and sold to people without any explanation that exercising a dog or just leaving a dog in one of these for more than a few minutes could seriously compromise your dogs health.. or kill it.

I am also not keen on 'cutesy' muzzles, most muzzled dogs need people to stay the fuck away - cutesy muzzles that the owner thinks will make their dog safe, that passers by want to approach because 'ahahaha your dog looks silly' will put many dogs into situations they find highly stressful, which is likely to exacerbate the behaviour problem they already have.

Lots of muzzles are used to stop dogs eating things they shouldn't.

It's just at a muzzle I suppose, which is fine but I would assume anyone who would buy one of those is a moron .

@WiddlinDiddlin
Me too. We use a Baskerville basket design for our lurcher which allows him to drink and pant. Muzzles that hold the mouth closed to prevent biting should only be used for very short periods ie by the vet.

Yes these are cruel IMHO.

They don't look as if they'd be much good. I wouldn't trust them anyway. Will continue with a good old close fitting Mikki muzzle for now for as short a time as possible- Get history, do the easy bit if possible (listen to heart etc), muzzle on, do tricky bit, dog off table, muzzle off, discuss treatment plan with owners.

For walks and whatnot- Baskerville muzzle. Those ones don't look as if the dog would be able to pant properly.

Very cruel and dangerous. If a dog is to be muzzled outside then he needs a cage muzzle so he can breathe easily and not have his jaws clamped shut.

hard to tell from the pictures but I don’t know a lot about muzzles to be honest as I’ve never owned an aggressive dog before.

Why shocked? Many, many people are not dog people and wouldn’t know, by looking at the image OP provided, how these muzzles work. Not shocking!

Really really shocked that only two people have correctly identified the issue with these muzzles

But the vast majority of people don't know anything about muzzles. Unless you work with dogs, or own a dog who needs to wear one, why would you know anything about muzzles and what they should look or fit like?

@cinnamonfrenchtoast quite!

Yes a muzzle that keeps a dogs mouth forced shut is cruel and anyone using one should be banned from keeping animals for life.

They are cruel if used for more than a minute or two for a procedure as they don't allow panting.

Basket muzzles aren't cruel

Great minds

But if you own a dog you should know that they pant to regulate body temperature and anything that stops them doing that is dangerous.

If you (general you) don't own or ever look after a dog then I wouldn't expect you to know.

i don’t think they are a good idea because they look “funny”. It may attract attention that a nervous dog may not want to have.

if you have a standard muzzle people tend to keep away. A duck bill makes it look “cute” and draws attention to it.

But the comment I was responding to was about how "shocking" it is that so few people realise the dangers of this type of muzzle.

My point was that most people never have reason to use a muzzle and would have no idea about how they're supposed to fit. Even amongst dog owners, the need to muzzle is pretty rare and misunderstood.

@Mumtothreegirlies muzzles aren't just for aggressive dogs. They are also used for dogs who like to eat anything they find to prevent them harming themselves. Some dogs like sighthounds wear them so they don't injure wildlife and also sometimes they can nip when playing with other dogs, they do this to get them to chase then but obv the other dogs may not like it so some are muzzled.

Of course aggressive dogs too, but just in case you didn't know.

Every owner should know about muzzles, the basic types and the appropriate use. Because they matter in dog first aid and can be needed with GI issues

I thought correct use of muzzles was in the first lesson of every canine first aid course

I've heard that some dogs are wary of French bulldogs because of the shape of their faces/noses, and may attack them due to not being able to read them/ they're so unusual. Wouldn't these have the same effect? I wouldn't use them anyway, and I don't think they're cute or funny.

Your average dog owner will never have done a canine first aid course, though.

Yes they are cruel.
Muzzled dogs should not have their ability to pant taken away from them as this is their mechanism for cooling down. They also use licking and yawning as ways to communicate with other dogs. A well fitting muzzle would allow the dog to pant fully, with their mouth wide, they do do nothing other than restrict the risk of a bite. Muzzles in general are not cruel, this particular is a death sentence waiting to happen.

If you own a dog then it is shocking that the problem is not immediately obvious. Understanding how dogs regulate temperature is pretty basic. It's not something you would only need to know if you owned a dog that needed a muzzle.

That is a great shame

Online ones are readily available (and even included as a perk by some insurance companies, such as Many Pets)

They don't look very effective, if the silicon is soft, I reckon a dog could still bit, at the same time they don't look like a dog would be able to pant or drink, so I'd assume they are meant for shots at the vet?
Ddog has a muzzle when walking, not because she's aggressive, but because she quite literally eats shit, and was very, very Ill (almost died ill) after finding something to scavenge on one of our walks, the vet recommended muzzling her to ensure she didn't do it again. Her muzzle allows her to pant and drink, she has tried picking up deliquescing things, but because of the muzzle I can get in there and take it off her, but although she's normally good at dropping things on command, sometimes, the Labrador gut instinct overrides her training!