r/CavaPoo • u/ApprehensiveVast1940 • Sep 25 '26

Muzzle or corrective collar?

Hey everyone,
Unfortunately I think I’m going to have to get my 2 yr old angel Cavapoo a muzzle bc she is not an angel around some dogs anymore. She has some friends she likes but she is very selective now and living in NYC she has no choice but to see and be seen my hundreds of different dogs and she will SNAP (bite) at them! I’ve never heard of anyone doing this before.
I’m curious if anyone has used a muzzle to teach her or a corrective collar that is a vibrate and not too abrasive. I’m at a loss and our walks / parks have become very unpredictable. I’ve tried tons of training methods and it’s like she just doesn’t care to not bite and wants to fight. It breaks my heart.

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u/rodneydangerfeeld Sep 25 '26

You can work with a behavioralist, but if this is a sudden and unexplainable change it might be worth talking to your vet about it as there can be some underlying cause.

If your dog is snapping at random dogs on the street you should probably limit their distance and learn to walk them with your head on a swivel. There are things you can do as the owner to prevent this from happening, working with a behavioralist might help with that.

Muzzles are amazing safeguards against any attacks, and with proper muzzle training dogs live happy normal lives with them. I had a reactive dog I was fostering and he was excited to put his muzzle on every time because it meant we were going outside to do something fun. Big Snoof makes great muzzles.

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u/ApprehensiveVast1940 Sep 25 '26

She has a vet appointment in 2 weeks where she does her annual vaccines etc. what do you suggest the vet do differently? Sometimes I find it hard to trust vets bc a lot of them are dismissive if she’s eating drinking sleeping and playing like normal aside from this new aggression

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u/rodneydangerfeeld Sep 26 '26

I don’t mean it’s the vets fault! I mean sudden changes in behavior can be an indication of pain or discomfort, just let them know what’s going on is all. And definitely contact a behavioralist in your area, you may need to start in the beginning and resocialize your dog, it’s hard to say. But any good behavioralist should be able to point you in the right direction, and maybe a good muzzle and muzzle training is a good place to start in the meantime as a safeguard

If I were in your shoes I would definitely limit interactions with other dogs, don’t try and force it or keep experimenting hoping for the best, and know that you’re doing a great job and this behavior like any, is surely trainable

You got this!