# Muzzle advice for a staffie please



## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

I came on here a while ago my staff had been attacked by my sisters dog in my home, Daisy was submissive never aggressive accepted all furrys big and small , well i normally take her for early morn and night walks so dont see many dogs so I thought she was ok, she has accepted our pup too, well to cut a long story straight we took her for a walk during the day as it was a lovely day , she screamed at every dog we saw and low and behold we bumped into the one that attacked her she went crazy my partner tried to control her and she tried to bite him she just caught him , I have spoken to a trainer today who suggests I take her along and see how she reacts etc but I want advice on the best type muzzle for her cause if we go for walkies with the kids I dont want my child in the middle of it , I certainly dont want Daisy to bite someone cause of her new found problem and I want to nip it in the bud so the pup dont pick up on this , please no nastiness as I want to provent any mishaps that may happen as we have had Daisy almost 3 years and we dearly love her but want her to be happy too 

many thanks in advance for any advice


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Baskerville do muzzles for short nosed breeds (including ones for Staffs). Hope you can get it sorted out quickly :2thumb:. Good luck & keep us posted as to how she is progressing.


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

We love her to bits I was so upset to see her react like that the pup decided he was going to bark cause she was screaming (the only way I can describe it) she is great with my little ones and she wouldn't hurt them intentionally but if she is scared or aggressive accidents can happen and I would hate that to happen x


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## Pinkchi (Nov 23, 2009)

How awful for your poor staffy, I hope you manage to sort it out soon. Well done for being a responsible owner and choosing to find her a muzzle and try and fix the problem.

I would definatly try the training, but if that fails maybe contact a dog behaviourist who will be able to point you in the right direction of the next step to take.

I really hope you sort it out before the problem escalates x


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

I have decided to get a soft muzzle first a mikki muzzle size 10 I dont really want to put a cage on her face and make her look aggresive everyone around here loves her all though the lads say she a bad boy staffy probably cause she is so big and solid , although her saggy boobies dont look so good all 9 of her pups have got good homes , we have decided as she tends to be on the big size we will be getting our pup done as he is a larger breed so will have bigger hormones lol and I was advised she may put on weight a little which is something we have to watch with her anyway lol i will see if i can put some pics on she is a beauty and I want her to be able to enjoy day time walks in the sun , she looks funny with her blue ears when she has sunscreen on lol


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## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

I took on a stafford at 3 years old who bit me in the leg because of re directed aggression.I used a baskerville for a year while out and about.I felt comfortable after that time to remove it and we had her til she was thirteen with no further problems,she turned out to be a great family dog.Good luck.


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## Em_J (Dec 14, 2009)

MELINDAGIBSON said:


> I have decided to get a soft muzzle first a mikki muzzle size 10 I dont really want to put a cage on her face and make her look aggresive everyone around here loves her all though the lads say she a bad boy staffy probably cause she is so big and solid , although her saggy boobies dont look so good all 9 of her pups have got good homes , we have decided as she tends to be on the big size we will be getting our pup done as he is a larger breed so will have bigger hormones lol and I was advised she may put on weight a little which is something we have to watch with her anyway lol i will see if i can put some pics on she is a beauty and I want her to be able to enjoy day time walks in the sun , she looks funny with her blue ears when she has sunscreen on lol


Those muzzles are really only suitable for temporary muzzling - say when going to the vets. They aren't suitable for exercise as they don't allow the dog to pant and therefore lose heat... It may not look as nice, but it's much better for your dog...

Sorry to hear about her change in behaviour - we went through something similar with our dog - she was attacked by a cocker spaniel of all dogs. With some hard work she now will walk past 90% of dogs with no reaction. Good on you for sticking by her...


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## Erinaceinae (Mar 26, 2007)

Em_J said:


> Those muzzles are really only suitable for temporary muzzling - say when going to the vets. They aren't suitable for exercise as they don't allow the dog to pant and therefore lose heat... It may not look as nice, but it's much better for your dog...


^ This.
The mikki muzzles if put on correctly completely restrict the dogs mouth, so making it impossible to open, which they hate. Even simple things like licking their nose is impossible. I would also guess that as they cannot clearly bark or bite, they must feel very vulnerable therefore making the aggression worse?
The baskerville muzzles are great, as they let the dog act completely normally, but safely.


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

no she can pant and lick her nose


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I've used mikki's for years and if you have the correct size your dog should be able to pant, lick it's nose and even drink water comfortabley.

Of course if you have it in a mikki that is too small then the dog cant' do these things.
The only downfall I find is that if you have a genuinely aggressive dog then they can sometimes 'nip' even with the muzzle on. 
I only use my mikki as a precaution as my rottie is not aggressive but I am one of those owners who think it is best to prevent a situation than fix it later. Personally I think if a dog is trained to wear a muzzle at an early age for excercise then they don't suffer wearing them. I have muzzled my dogs for years.


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## Postcard (Aug 29, 2010)

saxon said:


> I've used mikki's for years and if you have the correct size your dog should be able to pant, lick it's nose and even drink water comfortabley.
> 
> Of course if you have it in a mikki that is too small then the dog cant' do these things.
> The only downfall I find is that if you have a genuinely aggressive dog then they can sometimes 'nip' even with the muzzle on.
> I only use my mikki as a precaution as my rottie is not aggressive but I am one of those owners who think it is best to prevent a situation than fix it later. Personally I think if a dog is trained to wear a muzzle at an early age for excercise then they don't suffer wearing them. I have muzzled my dogs for years.


Even though this is the case, imo they are quite tapered muzzles so fitting one comfortably to a broad, short nose of a staffy may cause problems.

Additionally, the visual detterrent of a baskerville might be exactly what's needed until your poor staff has her confidence back up as it will encourage people to keep their dog aggressive dogs away?

Also just wanted to say I really feel for you. It would be absolutely awful to witness a change like that in your dog. Hope she's back to being a big softie soon!


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

Well dogs now have to be walked seperatly so the younger one dont pic up habit and they have to be kept seperate as she wants to rough play all the time and he is placid its like a mad house lol


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

Have you tried DAP collar and rescue remedy ? my friend had similiar problems and now uses both the above and dog is like a different dog. could be worth ago.


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

hi what is a dap collar i will try anything she is being naughty tearing my house up used to be great with my kids now she knocks them flying so my 4 yr old is now terrified of her i think the screaming isnt aggression though i think she is scared of being attacked again she is ok with males maybe due to it was a female dog that attacked her she has change drastically and i wont give up so she becomes another unwanted staffy


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## lorrainem (Sep 19, 2010)

*hi*

wht dog does your sister have


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

meant to be a springer cross german shep but looks like a lab cros very slim thing


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

MELINDAGIBSON said:


> hi what is a dap collar i will try anything she is being naughty tearing my house up used to be great with my kids now she knocks them flying so my 4 yr old is now terrified of her i think the screaming isnt aggression though i think she is scared of being attacked again she is ok with males maybe due to it was a female dog that attacked her she has change drastically and i wont give up so she becomes another unwanted staffy


The screaming I would say is fear, miley was attacked as a youngster and does the screaming when around other dogs. 
Thing with females is they will fight for dominance and I am guessing that is what is happening with your sisters dog. I could be compleltly wrong but I think her being naughty is her way of trying to be the dominant one. 
I would say its about going back to basic training with her and also keeping your sisters dog well away, I know it may be hard but it seems she is the trigger. 

DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) Calming Collar for Dogs
shop around as prices vary lots, you can also get a plug in for your home.
Rescue rememdy you can look dosage up online, what size is your staffy ?? I use for 35Kiloplus 4 drops in water once a day to start with (it can be increased to twice a day)and then put a drop on each ear lobe 4 times a day. this with the dap might take a few weeks to kick in.

As hard as it is try not to get stressed with her, she was attacked and sadly dogs cant talk about how that affected them so it comes out in their behaviour.
Is she spayed ? if not this can help....at the same time it sounds as though your sister needs some training with her dog.
Whilst your dog is inside lots of praise when being good and let her know it is not ok to knock your children over. Keep her busy with lots of toys.
I hope this has all made sense and I have to say how lovely it is to hear that your not going to give up on her, stick with her, it probably isnt going to be easy. If you need anymore advice give me a shout and will do all I can.


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

i have tried toys even buying a spare tyre I noticed yesterday when walking her that her ears prick up and tail goes up even when she spots people now she normally has ears down body wagging wetting herself but she just seems so on guard all the time I cant have her in room with kids now they are too scared


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

Thats a good sign then, its all about making her feel safe again,but at the same time letting her know that she cannot be naughty. 
Have you tried training with her ?


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

its funny you ask that as she is 3 and she understands sit and stay where as the 6 month old knows sit stay down paw etc but she is just to excited and you normally get covered in pee from her tail 
to think one incident can cause that prob i was the one who got the other dog off her and i can hold her back she isnt so bad with me but with kurt she is wild and even bit him when he tried to hold her back 
no worries about that dog coming near her again its still uncontrolable and they are now planning a child hope its not one of my nieces or nephews i see mauled on the news cause it certainly wont be one of my kids i refuse to go around with my children 
i just expected with my dogs it be other way around staffy good with the kids not the rottie but hopefully we can get her back on track im taking her out tonight to much noise and i shall put muzzel on so she knows why


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

I know how down hearted it can make you I walked Miley earlier and we came across a shituz (believe it or not it was 2 shituz thatattacked her)
and she did the whole screaming thing, its horrible and people look at you as if you are beating her. I simply explain to people, pull Miley to the side and wait with her till she calms down. 
have you tried walking her on a canny collar ? The Canny Collar - The Best Collar to Stop Dogs Pulling on the Lead - Home we found muzzles just made her worse, canny collar gives you better control, when she goes nuts what do you do ? as silly as it sounds what we walk miley with is a harness and a canny collar on a double ended lead, so if she does panic we have 2 ways of keeping hold of her without going near her mouth,miley has never bitten but I do this just incase she does. 
Sadly sounds like your sisters dog is a huge accident waiting to happen. 
I wouldnt let it get you down, I knowits hard I have lost count of the amount of times that I have broke down in tears because of my 2, but I have tried pretty much everything and will never give up and continue to work with their faults and try and improve them. 
Have you tried training with food ?? my 2 are seriously food driven and it helps massivly. 
With regards to your younger one, do you have someone that could take him out whilst you train with your girl ? maybe try training after walking so she has a little less energy. 
If all else fails have you spoke to your vet ? they might be able to recommend a behaviourist ? 
Hope all the above makes sense my keyboard has mind of its own today and is being a nightmare lol


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

lol you know the giant beef bones you can buy well got her one of them to stop the chewing the rottie still has his daisy has 2 small peices left thank god she isnt a biter her jaw is so strong she has also eaten the tray out her crate !!


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

lol staffies are a nightmare for chewing and trashing toys,took monty a day to chew up one the extreme kongs !!! Have you tried the filled bones ?? they seem to last bout a week so a little while longer.
Boom balls (think thats what they are called)are ment to be good,I am going to order one, it is what they used in zoos for tigers etc, but they now do them in dog size, also got told about something called a interball thats ment to be good off ideal world.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Tillies reptile rescue said:


> lol staffies are a nightmare for chewing and trashing toys,took monty a day to chew up one the extreme kongs !!! Have you tried the filled bones ?? they seem to last bout a week so a little while longer.
> Boom balls (think thats what they are called)are ment to be good,I am going to order one, it is what they used in zoos for tigers etc, but they now do them in dog size, also got told about something called a interball thats ment to be good off ideal world.


Why not try horse toys lol???


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

BOOM BALLS sound cool


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## daikenkai (May 24, 2007)

The boomer balls are supposed to be indestructable but a lot of Staffy owners have had problems with their dogs become obsessed and breaking teeth on them! Best to give them to your dog for short periods of time for supervised play just to make sure they dont get too excited. :2thumb:


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

yeah took me a while to find the boomer ball i put in boom ball and google pics came up with doggies with play dynamite sticks in there mouths lol


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## daikenkai (May 24, 2007)

MELINDAGIBSON said:


> yeah took me a while to find the boomer ball i put in boom ball and google pics came up with doggies with play dynamite sticks in there mouths lol


Haha! not quite what you had in mind eh! lol! Hope your girl has fun with hers and it takes her mind off the anxiety for a while!


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

selina20 said:


> Why not try horse toys lol???


 
Tried and longest one lastest was just over an hour !!

lol boomer ball thats it !!!! sorry didnt think it sounded right. I am ordering one within the next few weeks.

I never let my 2 have the same toys for longer than an hour (not that many have lasted that long !!) otherwise they ether get bored quick or just become obessed with them.
I know someone who I did staffy rescue with had a new bathroom fitted and her staffies got hold of the old bits of piping,she said they lasted a few weeks, so she went out and brought some larger bits and they still had them after a few months, she hides treats in them etc and the dogs just roll them round and play footie with them lol 
I cant risk it with my 2 as monty is a def biter when it comes to toys and would be too worried about it smashing and hurting him.


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

Thinking of also ordering some of these...

Zogoflex toys - Collarways – dog and cat collars, leads and harnesses, toys, bowls, dog health and grooming products

Apparently toughest dog toy u can get, my 2 trashed one of the black extreme kongs and according to what I have read even dogs that have trashed kongs cant trash these. So sounds worth ago


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

looked at a boomer ball earlier if she can fit it in her mouth she will break it you have to buy them too big for dogs mouth that they push em around instead of chew so got her a £5.99 hide bone it was huge gone in 30 mins OMG


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## pacman frogz (Jun 30, 2009)

MELINDAGIBSON said:


> looked at a boomer ball earlier if she can fit it in her mouth she will break it you have to buy them too big for dogs mouth that they push em around instead of chew so got her a £5.99 hide bone it was huge gone in 30 mins OMG


 lol they have very strong jaws....:lol2:


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## ijbickerdike (Jul 26, 2010)

we used a full muzzle for a friends staffie. It was about £10 - £15 but fit over the nose and mouth well. He had no problems with it and could not get it off at all ( no matter how funny it was ) It also came with a lead attached to the muzzle but it was not needed as he walked well with everyone. I just can't remember the name of it but it was a higher end spec one but it did do the job great. We did get a cheaper one and it was chewed and off within 5 mins!!!!


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

well she is a poorly dog at mo not that you would notice gave herself colitis through eating bone and big peices at that she is having a high fibre diet with natural yogurt and anti inflamatories little bugger


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

Awww sorry to hear that ......actual bones we only give probably once a month, rawhide they get few times a week.
Have ordered the toys I was saying about heard nothing but good things from other bullie owners so decided to take the jump and order one.
Hope she feels better soon xxxxx


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## MELINDAGIBSON (Sep 8, 2007)

well we dont smoke in our house so we go out back to have one and the dogs get tuggy time on the rope toys but they are not left with them as they will eat them , shes even started eating the tray in her crate at night shes a monster:devil:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Try one of these Dura Chew® Bone - Original | Product Finder | My Dog Is | Medium - up to 35 lbs | Nylabone


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## Tillies reptile rescue (Aug 22, 2009)

Shell195 said:


> Try one of these Dura Chew® Bone - Original | Product Finder | My Dog Is | Medium - up to 35 lbs | Nylabone


Need to be careful with Nylabones, there has been a few cases of dogs getting really ill with regards to swallowing them, and one dog died over it.


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