[DJEtzel]

I feel that muzzle training your dog can prove to be invaluable. I'm training Frag on the muzzle right now because he is having some fear issues with the vet.

I'd rather get him comfortable with the muzzle and take him there in a muzzle than have the vet get bit because he wasn't or scare the crap out of him being muzzled at the vet.

 

[DJEtzel]

There is no circumstance where my dog would need to where one so I don't see any point. On the other hand, there are a vast number of dogs out there that should be familiar with wearing one as they think nothing of turning into Cujo at the vet or when asked to do something they don't want to do or when hurt.

You may think there isn't one now, but on the random day when your dog decides the vet is lunch, you may wish your dog was familiar with a muzzle.

After over a year of happy times with the vet, my GSD decided to randomly snap and growl at the vet. First time I had every heard him growl. There's a first time for everything.

 

[DJEtzel]

Why in the world would my dog ever think the vet was lunch? Don't be ridiculous.

Dogs don't just randomly snap and growl. The ones that people say have done this have been giving warning things were getting out of control for some time, but they were clueless.

The warning sign is a growl. For absolutely no reason, Frag did not like the vet on his last visit. She was doing nothing that he's uncomfortable with or strange and all, yet he started growling at her from across the room and snapped while she was checking his ears. He's been to the vet at least 20x in the past doing the same things and never had this reaction.

I know I wasn't clueless and everything was fine until he randomly started growling and wouldn't stop.

 

[DJEtzel]

Well, let's see. You let your dog get away with growling at the vet so he felt comfortable with snapping without provocation. That's your problem, not mine. Your dog should be muzzled then for the vet's safety.

I am not your average dog owner and this sort of nonsense is not possible with my dogs.

*sigh*

And people think I'M up on a high horse?

I'm not an average dog owner either. I've managed his issue and it's resolved, it only happened once, but it only takes once. My dog IS now muzzled for the vets safety and we haven't had another issue yet.

I would like to know what you would recommend for a growling dog? A correction to tell them they shouldn't growl and go straight to a bite? I did not "let" him get away with anything. Your post speaks high to your knowledge on the subject.

Your dogs are not impervious to failure, unfortunately.

Guh, I'm done.

 

[DJEtzel]

I'd much rather teach them to accept it (and a properly fitted muzzle DOES NOT HURT THE DOG) rather than know they were terrified by a stranger putting an unusual restraint on them should that someday become necessary.

OR have them bite said person and be PTS as a result of the fear. I think that is what I'm most cautious about. Yes, I would hate my dog to be stressed out and so afraid, but I would hate losing him for trivial reasons much more.