Do you muzzle your sighthound? Discussions

Just wondering really if you do, and your reasons why. I'm mainly talking about ex-racers/coursers but any sighthound actually. On some Greyhound forums I'm on there is a lot of people firmly in the camp of "if it's been raced, it's ALWAYS muzzled from the time it leave the house until it returns." Others take the view of only muzzling if they have 'issues' or are off lead. Some people never muzzle and there's some in between.
What are your thoughts?

Don't own any and not likely too but all the sighthounds I know that are let off lead including ex racin greys are without exception, muzzleless.............

I don't have any either ... my friend has 6 lurchers - some ex workers (all rescues) and she never muzzles.

There are some greys near us (totally gorgeous ones) only lead walked when I see them and always muzzled and I always wonder why ... what can they do while on a lead and walked one at a time? Have to say they don't object to their muzzles and the big spotty one can still give big licks through his muzzle!!!

Do you think that's good/risky? When I meet Greyhounds pretty much all of them have been muzzleless too.

Did she ever talk about it? I guess it's a tricky one, on lead technically they can't do much, some have been known to take a cat down before the owner's even spotted it...other can slip their collars and then without a muzzle could do damage.


This said, I'm kind of on the fence. I do mainly muzzle Axel and always when off lead, but I don't think he necessarily needs it when on lead because he's not particularly keen. He does show some interest, but unlike some Greyhounds I've walked can be easily distracted. If I had a Greyhound who was really keen, I'd probably be more vigilant about muzzling when on lead. Occasionally for a round the block stroll I don't muzzle.

Do you think that's good/risky? When I meet Greyhounds pretty much all of them have been muzzleless too.

I tend to give the owners the benefit of the doubt, I have to say of all the breeds I have ever had close encounters with, I have never in 30 years of owning and walking dogs etc EVER had an unfortunate encounter with a greyhound or any other pure bred sight hound.

I have had a few dodgly moments with some lurchers..........

Thanks for that What size are your dogs? I think main issues can come with small breeds. I've never met an aggressive one, but then I don't see many except my own or friends, so I know what they're like.
I give the benefit of the doubt too, I'm neither fully pro nor anti, so I wouldn't judge anyone for muzzling or not.

We take it on a walk by walk basis. Jobie doesn't find muzzles particularly comfortable (and expresses his displeasure by repeatedly whacking me across the butt with it ) so if we're just mooching around or going across the road to the field he doesn't have it on. Same for if he's off leash, so he can catch his ball and eat his recall treats If we're going somewhere where there is likely to be small dogs we do, though. He has nipped at small dogs who have come strutting up to us offleash a couple of times, so he has it as a precaution.

Mine are large but TBH predatory drift can and does occur in all sizes and breeds of dogs; But I have never seen any terriers or toy breeds being chased by any .......... so far!

Maybe I am just lucky.

Thanks for that What kind of muzzle do you have? Axel didn't like the traditional Greyhound ones much, but he now has a breezy one and likes it more
Jobie fetches?! Axel watches where it goes and then just looks at you

I don't think particularly lucky, I think the vast majority are quite good, it's just the odd ones that make the news for killing a yorkie or similar. These are usually unmuzzled and off-lead. That said, if they really wanted to they could do damage even with a muzzle on.

But many breeds of dogs kill other dogs.

Eg the Weimaraner that killed a terrier.

A GSD that killed a weimaraner puppy; to name but two.

I agree. It just came to mind because of the muzzle debate and it was mentioned that they're not muzzled. I don't mean to say only Greyhounds have killed other dogs, I only referenced that because of the topic of this thread.

Do you think that a reason for few issues is that the majority of greys are rescues and the rehoming centres are a) good about checking prey drive and b)educating owners?

I think that could well be linked. Most places I see which specialise in ex-racers, for example, 'cat test' and 'small dog test'. This aren't 100% accurate as sometimes dogs can be worked on, but they are a good indication. I think they also do their best to educate people.
I don't have much experience of non-sighthound specific rescues, so I can't vouch for their testing.
I think it's a good thing, and it could benefit other dogs in rescue having similar systems.

No - had never even really thought about it - but they are well used to living with a Yorkie and are lovely with other dogs ...

I have never had or known of anyone have an "incident" with a sighthound (other than reading about it) - the dogs we have trouble with tend to be black mixes, collie types or staffie types - but they do tend to be very popular round here!

I wasn't saying they would do that by the way, sorry if it came off like that!
The ones you describe are like the majority I think.

The closest to an 'incident' like that was me and my friend were walking Axel. It was about 11pm and as we walked back down her street, as we passed a green box (electricity I think) he dive-bombed the floor behind and head butted a dead cat! I'm glad he had his muzzle or else he might have picked it up! He shows interest in cats running, but if a cat is brave and comes towards him he doesn't do anything.

I know what you mean about those other dogs, they're the majority round here too. We do have the odd husky and dogue too.

He's got a plastic kennel muzzle and a wire racing muzzle. I'm not sure if he notices the difference but I prefer the wire one since it doesn't get all wet inside from panting and other dog's can better read his intentions The ball is more to get him away from me so we can practice recall than for fetching, he is a very sticky boy when there's food to be had!! But even then, sometimes (like just now ) he will ignore it. Then we just get to do some nice easy heelwork while I go up the other end of the field to get it. He's trained me well...

Ha ha! I can just picture it
Axel has a plastic one but not basket (you'll probably have seen it on the thousands of pictures I've posted ) and he can take treats easily through it and even when we play 'find it' he has learnt to snuffle the treat through it
He'll run after a treat I've thrown, but that's it.
Is Jobie sticky when there's other dogs around? He sounds lovely, just realised...you haven't posted many pictures of him, I think that needs changing

Honestly, whilst we've had him he's never been offlead with another dog (apart from in the house a couple of times when I've brought strays home). I wouldn't trust him to come back at all I'll have a dig around for my camera :wink:

Kyiro I never muzzle when out for an onlead walk as he hates it and would never hurt a fly.
Lily I don't muzzle on our early morning walk and not as a rule on our afternoon walks as we go somewhere where there is nothing I am not sure with her yet.
As i have only had her just over 2 weeks I will muzzle her if we are walking where children or small off lead dogs may run up until i know her better.
When I have the over the field I hire although there is only Kyiro and Lily in there I muzzle them both as if they get excited charging around Kyiro does like to grab, he used to do it to poor Shady so I had to muzzle him then and Lily is muzzled there as she likes eating yukky stuff.

I personally have never had a bad experience with a sighthound. We meet lots of lurchers and various other sighthounds and none are muzzled.

A few years ago though, I did have the unfortunate experience of watching a a Greyhound which had escaped its house chase down and latch on to a toy Poodle. I was talking the owner of the Poodle (who also had a Sheltie with him if I remember correctly) when the Greyhound flew out of nowhere. We eventually got the Greyhound to release the poor little dog, then both the injured Poodle and the Sheltie darted off in the opposite direction towards the road. I never saw the man again, so I have no idea what the outcome was. :?

The whole incident was just a terrible accident, but after witnessing that, I've got to say that I pick my little dog up if we see any loose Greyhound (which we rarely do).