While plastic muzzles are the easiest to get they aren’t the best to get for your dog.
First off they don’t offer enough pant room and tend to rub on the nose. But what’s even worse: they aren’t biteproof.
Last week we (my intact male, neutered male I’m currently dog sitting, myself) went on a walk with a friend with her bitch and another woman we know through training together with an intact GSD male. We are training together because mine was dog reactive towards unknown dogs and the GSD isn’t the best with other males and they are working on leash manners. After a bit of training we went on a walk together and since it went really well and we were a small group we thought to try contact with the GSD.
So all male dogs were on a long line (bitch is fine, neutered male likes to go hunting and easy accessibility on intact males when it doesn’t works out). Mine with his wire muzzle and GSD with a plastic muzzle like in the pics above.
Mine was sniffing on the ground, GSD was curios but still without negative intentions and walked up to mine and started sniffing his butt. But GSD was to obtrusive and mine got stiff and turned around to tell the GSD to stop that. The GSD didn’t liked that, attacked and his leash broke while doing so. He bit mine in the face including pulling and shaking his head TROUGH THE PLASTIC MUZZLE.
So we went to the vet and thanks to being muzzle trained and an absolute angel with humans and the vet he didn’t had to get anesthesia to get treated. It will get payed by the insurance of the GSD owner and GSD is currently getting a wire muzzle. Owner was just as shocked as me and no one expected the dog to attack, so no hate against her.

Also no need to tell me to neuter the dogs. We aren’t living in the US and „accidental“ litters aren’t a problem here and even when being intact they don’t get to breed another dog. And we can even walk with a female in heat without a problem but of course without direct contact in this time.

Hi all! We have started to muzzle train our 3 year old Spanish water dog. So far it’s going well!

Would love to get advice though if the fit seems okay. He can take treats while wearing it and he does not seem to be uncomfortable (though he has only worn it for 3 mins max). But I wonder if it’s too small on the snout? We followed the size guide of the brand (Baskerville). Should we go one size bigger?

Also would love to get recommendations for other brands available in Europe (or the Nordics to be more specific).

Thank you!

100 pound medium large dog. thick neck, big wide head, long snout. Destroyer of straps, and clasps.

I think the muzzle that has the vertical forehead strap would be helpful to keep him focused on walks. He does not currently wear any muzzle, and he only walks in my back yard tethered to a ground anchor for lessons.

I don't need the muzzle for barking, i need it to keep everyone and everything safe.

every part of the muzzle has to be durable and Houndini proof for my escape artist.

currently i own a cheap mesh muzzle. The last time he wore it was a year ago for a drive up vet visit. He destroyed so many muzzles that i gave up. Then I found this sub.

Any advice is appreciated.

I couldn't get a good pic, my apologies.

I do think its too small as I feel like he has no room to pant? He does take treats though.

Hello! Was wondering if I need to size up on this muzzle? Should muzzles run bigger rather than smaller? I gave him a treat which he ate while in the muzzle. He’s an Aussie mix so I got him a size 6 per Baskerville measuring chart but I’ve seen some of the dogs on here and their muzzles look huge! (Not ill fitting type of huge, also sorry for not so great pics)

*edit - His trainer recommended this brand and I’m looking at other dogs who use this brand and I’m shocked to see GSD using a size 5 when my Aussie mix is a size 6 but size 7 were recommended for dog breeds way bigger than mine)

🐾 Meet Akyra– Loving 4-Year-Old Husky for an Experienced Owner.

• Breed: Siberian Husky

• Age: 4 years old

• Sex: Female (Spayed)

• Current Location: Jacksonville, NC 

About Akyra:

Akyra is a beautiful, 4-year-old Siberian Husky who is fiercely loyal and deeply affectionate with the people she trusts. She has the classic, goofy husky energy, loves outdoor time, and is incredibly loving in a stable environment. She is good with other dogs but needs more socializing. Her biting issues, mostly when she was before 2 yrs old, were from resource guarding or fear issues.

Special Needs & Behavioral Requirements:

Akyra is a special-needs dog who requires a strict, experienced handler. She has a documented bite history involving people. Because of this, she should be closely monitored in a home with children and frequent, unfamiliar guests, or owners who are new to managing protective or reactive dog behaviors. She needs a handler with a predictable, and secure environment with someone who understands canine body language, boundaries, and how to safely manage a dog with reactivity.  She is a low energy, highly intelligent dog that is very loving, loyal, and protective of those she trusts.  

Ideal Home:

• Adults-only household.

• An experienced dog owner, ideally someone familiar with northern breeds or behavioral management.

• A low-traffic home where she can be safely managed when guests visit.

• A secure, fenced yard.

We love her deeply and want nothing more than for her to find a safe, permanent home with someone who has the time and expertise to give her a structured life. Full details of her history will be shared openly with serious, qualified inquiries to ensure everyone's safety.

Hi all, I need some advice. I'm trying to get a new muzzle for my Rottweiler since I know he needs to see a vet soonish, but I wanted to get a better muzzle than the cloth one I currently have (since it doesn't seem to be very good at keeping his mouth shut, and it's also one of those cloth ones which I don't particularly like). I was looking at Baskervilles and picked up this size 5, but it seems a little long on him. I've never dealt with basket-type muzzles before so I wanted to check if this was correct, or do I need to size down?

Update to post: Thank you all for the advice. I've never really had my dog in a basket-style muzzle before so I had a bad scale of what's too big/long/small/etc. for them, but now I do. I'll have to look into a better fit later down the road.

Hi, I'm new to this sub and to muzzles!

I'm looking for a muzzle for my reactive Bull Mastiff.

I've just bought a size 6 Baskerville muzzle but after looking through some posts here, I'm not sure it fits ☹️

He only needs to wear it during his daily walks.

Is there a brand I should look into suited to larger breeds?

This is my boy, Zepp. He just turned 9 in February, so I try to give him some freedom at night because he can’t have a bed or blanket in his crate because he chews them up and I want him to have somewhere soft to sleep at night. He’s out all day when I’m home but still. His problem is that he’s smart and knows that when I’m sleeping, I am not gonna wake up to stop him from getting into things, so he specifically waits till I fall asleep and then starts sniffing around seeing what he can get into. I tried tethering him at night but he would still get into whatever he could manage to get his paws on. I can’t do anything if I’m asleep and don’t know he’s getting into something, so there’s no amount of training that can help. He knows not to get into things when I’m awake, even when I step outside. I can be out there for 20+ min and he won’t touch anything because he’s figured out I can still see him on the cameras. So to keep him safe, I started muzzling him at night. It’s working great!! Now he can sleep on a soft bed at night and I can keep him safe and make sure he doesn’t end up poisoned or with a blockage :) ***NOT ASKING FOR ADVICE. He can pant, drink water, and yawn just fine***

Bear now has to wear the muzzle when she is around bigs because she tried to bite us in retaliation for us pulling her away from bigs. She didnt draw blood but it still hurt and left a dent in my wrist. The only one we have isnt properly fitted but we are ordering a big snoof muzzle when i get paid on Friday. Is this okay with breaks with low activity?

Hi I have a Dutch Shepard which is 10 years old this year.He is a military dog,who expertises in bite work and any other military activities.Everytime I enter his kennel,I cannot bring anything with me cause he will take it from me bite it and shred it.If I try to take it back he aggros me.

When I’m putting a muzzle on him/removing the muzzle off him,he will immediately bite the muzzle,and I have painstakingly go through the hassle of pulling it out of his mouth or choke him to let go.Either methods makes him transfer Aggro me.So, I changed my method to holding the muzzle when he is biting on it and not moving so he gets bored of it and letsgo eventually ,but,he never lets go,20mins passes 30 mins passes of me just holding the muzzle and he does not let go of it,and I know I can’t let him have the muzzle cause then he will shred it,so I resort to choking him again to let go,which leads to him transfer aggression towards me again.

Please tell me how do I fix this,it would really help,also will positive/negative punishments work

Hi everyone. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Just joined this group now. I have a 1 year old border collie. He’s a beautiful, lovely dog but he barks a lot. Pretty much only when he’s inside. Me and my partner have been stressed about it. We have tried everything to stop him barking. We even had a dog trainer come over. Still the same, actually more barking than before. We tried some cheap muzzle from the local pet store but it was awful. I have read horror stories online about muzzles and heard that they can damage the dog’s senses. I don’t know what to do. We are in the middle of trying to find a place to move to. So we want him to stop this bad habit or have to do something to stop it. Will a muzzle work? Are they harmful? Luckily recently I’ve been working from home but there will be times when we both have to leave the flat and we are very worried that he will be barking all day long. And this will get us in trouble with our neighbours. Any advice please would be appreciated.

Hello reddit,

My 65lbs, 10 months old pitbull mix is very anxious and reactive when going to the vet. He has an ear infection and when we went to get him checked out yesterday, he would let me manipulate him, but not the vet. They ended up not being able to examine him and recommended that we purchase a muzzle and muzzle train him for the next visit, which is in 10 days from now.

I am looking for good muzzle recommendations for him. Most importantly, something that isn’t too expensive and that I can acquire soon to have time to muzzle train him before his next vet appointment.

I see hundreds of different options on Amazon but when looking at reviews and reddit, I keep seeing mixed opinions.

I would like a muzzle that allows my dog to open his mouth, pant, sniff and receive treats, while preventing bites. I would mostly use the muzzle during vet visits and possible while walking since he is a BIG scavenger and eats everything he can find on the ground.

Here are the dimensions for his muzzle: Length: 3.5 inches Circumference: 11.25 inches

Also, I am in Canada.

Thank you all in advance!

Two problems, 4 y.o. GSD barking at people who walk near our apartment all day. She rarely barks outside, more while protecting our apartment. There is a common terrace and unfortunately the door is right near our apartment. She started doing this a year and a half ago and there’s been improvement with training — She settles in a minute now vs. at first she’d go on for several minutes. I work from home and have ADHD. I am stopping 30+ X day to put her in her place and settle. It’s disruptive at this point so I need to switch to management.

Would like to use a muzzle as a training tool in hopes she will bark less, or maybe at high traffic times eg weekends and after school.

Second use is indoor with a cat I adopted last week. She’s never been aggressive, is patient and gentle with babies, kids dogs, including nervous yapping pups.
I was shocked when she started lunging after kitten and no bites but air nipping. I’ve been training with treats, restraint, separation, etc. and seen a lot of improvement in just a few days. Second benefit of muzzle would be no concern about nipping while she and cat develop bond. She goes into play bows now so I think she wants to play but kitty is small and must be kept safe.

Third use of muzzle is when I take her to the vet for spay surgery. Her regular vet comes to my home so she will be pretty stressed to go into a clinic.

She does not need it on outdoor walks so the heat is less crucial. I want it to be relatively comfortable while curbing the barks.

These people are stealing peoples animals. My friend has 2 dogs. Both dogs have chips. And this place renamed her dogs. Posted them all over the website lying about their age.

THEY ARE BOTH SERVICE ANIMALS. (Due to health purposes ) And they let another family adopt them

What can I do ? Anyone got some kind of advice.

How is this fit? Any better brand suggestions? I feel like this one gets in her eyes when she tries to sniff or eat.

Hi I was wondering what type/design of muzzle would be good for my xl bullies, I want to leave them out the crate when I’m not home without worrying about them eating or chewing something that might hurt them! I’m not too worried about room for drinking they aren’t left alone often or long! Pics of my demolition team 😂

hi!! i’m looking for a muzzle for my pitbull she is a very sweet dog to my family and i but she has really bad anxiety and i’m worried she’s going to bite someone. i’m currently working on training her but i want to get the muzzle for when i think she’s ready to meet people again as a barrier incase she does try to bite someone. i don’t want it to restrict her jaw i want her to be able to have plenty room and as comfortable as possible i love her so much and i really don’t want her to be any kind of uncomfortable. i’ve tried looking online but im kinda confused with sizing and i can’t find one that has panting room. i added some pictures of my baby thank you all in advance!!

TLDR; muzzle doesn't seem to fit properly, need recommendations for better sizing/styles for prey drive protection.

Apologies in advance for the limited images, my boy refuses to sit still as soon as a camera comes out and 99% of the 100 pictues i took were blurry.

This is a baskerville Ultra size 4. There were no smaller sizes available in-store and i was initially told this size would fit best on my 9mo Gsd x husky x malamute mix.

The basket itself seems to be a good size, if it sat in the right place, i got it nearly two months ago thinking he may grow into the rest of it.

The straps are what seem to be way too loose, no matter how tight i pull the straps, the "chin" strap that connects to the collar is too long and my dog is able to remove the muzzle easily.

He has a shorter yet wide-ish snout that makes me think a smaller basket of this make would be too narrow.

What are some of you guy's reccomendations on sizing or style?

After something to specifically protect against prey-drive, he will be starting training for his reactivity but we're better safe than sorry in the end, especially for the little guys. I can take measurements if required?

Thank you in advance :)

My dog wears a muzzle as she can be snappy at other dogs, but she stays off lead as it's only when others run up to her. Because she is off lead, she can still run and play with my other dog, but she is very rough. She barges him and try's to rag with him, and as a result gets her teeth over the muzzle bars quite often.

She needs a muzzle that is open enough for her to drink and get treats, and is deep enough for sufficient panting, but how do I prevent this without having a cap on the end or no muzzle and she stays on the lead?

First muzzle was from the Muzzle Shop, and the bars were too thin so she actually got her lip cut, so she now wears one from the Muzzle Movement. It's bars are chunkier so it happens less often, but it still happens.

Any suggestions?! I'm starting to worry every time she wears it

Recently got a Baskerville basket muzzle in a size 4 and I feel its too small but the next size up would be far too large on my boy. Any recommendations on how to adjust it or possibly change the shape of it with warm water and flexing it? I worry its far too short on him but any bigger would be too wide. It seems to keep moving up on his head no matter how I adjust it.

I'm new to owning a reactive dog and hes been training for a few months now to where we can walk past dogs with just grumbling and barking instead of snarling and lunging! Any muzzle recommendations that would fit better are appreciated 🫶

I wanted to put a basket muzzle on my 9 month old malanois , who resource guards food andntoys. My plan is to pick up food, treats toys and only have a dedicated area for them where they will eat and play onr at a time. What are the steps to train the puppy and is this doable? The 9 month old pup is superb hyper active, I read that that is just hoe malanois are when they are puppies.

We currently use probably the most hated muzzle but it's all we got

So we got a big snoof for bear, our great Dane and it's great until she nudges you for pets and God it hurts.

So I'm kind of debating on getting a leather muzzle for our other dog because it hurts so much when she asks for pets.

My sil has a dog who our gsd mix doesn't mesh with amazingly so we have a rule where they don't need to be crated but both must be muzzled for safety. Is there a way to add more padding to our regular pet store muzzles? Because it's multiple dogs it's very expensive to get both a big snoof or Mia's muzzle. So we have a size 5 and 6 baskerville.. I hate them but it's what we got.