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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Why did putting a muzzle on our dog have such a calming effect on him at the vets?

18 replies

Speckledhen617 · 21/10/2020 08:54

Our dog is 13 months old. Lovely boy but he's fearful of quite a few things, the vets being one of them. We took him when he was 7 months old for an eye infection. He growled at the vet so they muzzled him. We took him again yesterday for his booster. As soon as we went in the room he looked scared and started to growl and snarl. I put the muzzle on and he instantly calmed down. He was still scared-tail down but he let her do a full examination and injection. No growls, lip curls, nothing. I'm just interested to know the psychology of it? Does anyone know why it stopped him? Many thanks.

OP posts:

ladybee28 · 21/10/2020 08:59

Does sound unusual, although I'm not a muzzle user. Are you sure it was calm and not a freeze response?

What kind of muzzle are you using?

PollyRoulson · 21/10/2020 09:00

It probably did not "calm" him down but shut him down. Have you seen the videos of dogs wearing buster collars and they just will not move. They sit or stand really still. Or for some dogs when you put a coat on them they will not move.

It is the same sort of thing - the dog becomes shut down and is not happy.

BiteyShark · 21/10/2020 09:07

Yes another one saying he probably shut down rather than calmed down.

fivedogstofeed · 21/10/2020 09:13

Agree with pps - he wasn't calm.
It would probably be a good idea to muzzle train him so he was more comfortable. There are good videos on Youtube - it's a slow process but it does remove a lot of the stress.

Gardenersworld · 21/10/2020 09:14

Our Ddog is the same. Muzzle him and he just completely freezes.

He is also the same if you put a raincoat or jumper on him. One xmas we put him in an elf jumper and he just sat there looking traumatised!

Brenna24 · 21/10/2020 09:14

I am in the 'shut down not calmed down' camp too. Have you done any muzzle training with him? If not I would suggest that you do so that the muzzle is not an extra stressor when he is already struggling. It isn't hard. Start of with giving him a treat while you hold the muzzle until he thinks the muzzle coming out is a good thing, then start putting the treats in the muzzle so that he can stick his nose in, pick the treat out and pull it back out. Then get him to stick his nose in the muzzle and feed him a treat through it. Only fasten the muzzle on once he is relaxed sticking his nose in the muzzle.

PalTheGent · 21/10/2020 09:16

Yep, shut down, not calmed down.

If a muzzle is likely to be a regular occurance at the vet (sounds ike it) then take some time to train him to be comfortable in a muzzle. That way, that is one less thing he needs to stress about when he is there.

MrsJunglelow · 21/10/2020 09:40

He’s shut down, very, very different to being calm.

Original poster

Speckledhen617 · 21/10/2020 10:03

Yes we're going to muzzle train him for next time, we've ordered one today.

OP posts:

PollyRoulson · 21/10/2020 13:31

shinynewapple2020 · 21/10/2020 14:45

This thread has made me curious about the effect that a Thunder Coat has on a dog . I have often said how brilliant that the Thunder Coat was that we got for our dog a few years ago when he was struggling being left at home . He would just curl up and sleep when we put it on him

Only use it occasionally now eg fireworks , travelling .

I'm worried now, are we seeing him 'shut down' rather than calmed ?

BiteyShark · 21/10/2020 14:49

shiny

When my dog shuts down he will just stop what he is doing. I can't get his attention with anything or get him to move. It's like he is frozen and deaf.

Original poster

Speckledhen617 · 21/10/2020 15:38

My dog wasn't 'frozen', he was munching on the cubes of cheese I'd taken with me. Would he have been able to do that if he was shut down?

OP posts:

SBTLove · 21/10/2020 15:40

Please only use a baskerville muzzle
not a cloth one.

ladybee28 · 21/10/2020 15:49

@Speckledhen617

My dog wasn't 'frozen', he was munching on the cubes of cheese I'd taken with me. Would he have been able to do that if he was shut down?

We can't answer that for you - your dog is your dog.

But if muzzling him makes him feel secure and calm, he's a very, very unusual dog.

And if he's food motivated enough to eat cheese while also in high submission-mode, that's what he is.

You asked what the psychology was behind it – and there is no psychological or physiological reason for a dog to feel calmer because it's muzzled.

So it's got to be something else.

And a young dog that hasn't been muzzle-trained, who's only ever been muzzled when in stressful situations... it's likely to be some level of freeze response, as far as a bunch of strangers on an internet forum can tell.

PollyRoulson · 21/10/2020 17:39

@shinynewapple2020

Only use it occasionally now eg fireworks , travelling .

I'm worried now, are we seeing him 'shut down' rather than calmed ?

Shiny your observatios are spot on. There has been a lot of recent academic research on thundercoats and wraps. They use to be used a lot by Tellington Touch practioners.

However they have concluded that many dogs are shut down by wearing them. Especially if they are only put on for occasions of stress eg fireworks. So you have a conditioned response to thunder coat going on there will be bad loud noises and stess is actually increased.

Cortisol levels in some dogs were increased with wearing thunder coats.

However earlier studies had shown the opposite but peer reviews were not too happy with how the tests were carried out on the dogs that appeared to be less stressed in thunder coats.

I personally no longer use them or recommend them. However for some dogs they will be effective if carefully conditioned but this quite time labourious and other methods of desensitization may be more effective.

PollyRoulson · 21/10/2020 17:45

@Speckledhen617

My dog wasn't 'frozen', he was munching on the cubes of cheese I'd taken with me. Would he have been able to do that if he was shut down?

This again depends on the dog. If the dog was calmly waiting, sitting and taking the treats it may indicate a happy dog.

If the dog was taking the treats quickly, and greedily then the dog can be showing signs of stress. You also mentioned that the tail was down etc so does sound like a stressed dog trying to distract themselves with food (something I do daily!)

However some dogs find it incredibly calming to have the top of their muzzle/nose stroked (some hate so go carefully!) If your dog likes it, it could be the pressure of the muzzle on their nose had a calming effect. However muzzles tend to be higher on the dogs face. Did you say what type of muzzle the vet used.

Also are you in the UK? I need a vet that will let me go in with my foster dog but they are not allowing me in due to covid. It might be worth travelling!

MrsJunglelow · 21/10/2020 17:57

However some dogs find it incredibly calming to have the top of their muzzle/nose stroked (some hate so go carefully!) If your dog likes it, it could be the pressure of the muzzle on their nose had a calming effect
Sounds like my dog, she loves having the top of her muzzle kissed and closes her eyes in happiness and pushes into you for more if you stop but she really despises wearing a muzzle!

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