Opinions/experiences on muzzling to prevent scavenging

[merlina]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

My two yo cocker will still eat nasties of every kind. I give him probiotics and yoghurt, try to walk him not hungry but he's still a dustbin. At the moment goose-poo is his passion. I have tried Leave it! training but success is patchy. I'm coming to terms with never really being able to control what he eats. I just watch him like a hawk and only intervene if it is plastic or other non-digestables. I don't think of muzzling him because he wouldn't enjoy walks so much. If you do use a muzzle just make sure it's the biggest box-muzzle that's tolerated.( And make sure you stop and remove it and offer drinks in heat.) But it really bothers me and I've no solution.

 

[Kara 1]

If you do resort to a muzzle then please buy a muzzle specifically made for whippets ...lots around ...my 3 lurchers all wear muzzles whilst offlead due to protect wildlife. .. i also dont want them eating horsepoo as some womers used are highly toxic to dogs if they eat the poo after the wormer has been given ..

 

[Kara 1]

And you should realise that whippet pups are the naughtiest sighthound pups there are ...but they grow into wonderful dogs

 

[Michele83]

Thank you for your responses.

It's comforting to know other dogs are like mine!

Thanks for the muzzle recommendations and training suggestions. I'll bear them in mind if I do end up getting one.

Thanks

 

[Michele83]

If you do resort to a muzzle then please buy a muzzle specifically made for whippets ...lots around ...my 3 lurchers all wear muzzles whilst offlead due to protect wildlife. .. i also dont want them eating horsepoo as some womers used are highly toxic to dogs if they eat the poo after the wormer has been given ..

Yes that's a good point about protecting other things. If I ever get to let her off the lead it's a good reason to get one. At this rate I think it'll only ever be in a dog park with not much wildlife or poo (other than dog poo) though.

 

[Michele83]

And you should realise that whippet pups are the naughtiest sighthound pups there are ...but they grow into wonderful dogs

Haha thanks. I keep telling myself that! Each day that I survive feels like a milestone...

 

[Kara 1]

I have a spare brand new whippet muzzle here ..used to foster whippets if you would like it send me a message

 

[Michele83]

I have a spare brand new whippet muzzle here ..used to foster whippets if you would like it send me a message

Really? That would be awesome I will!

 

[Biker John]

Michele83, you mentioned about problems / worries letting it off lead. Have you thought about taking it to a racing club, I dfo not know where you live but if their is a club you can get to it makes a wonderful place to let your dog run flat out. The vast majority of Whippets take to it like a duck to water. A young pup only runs after / plays with a hand pulled lure then the powered lure for short distances building up to full distance when they are old enough. But I know that even when they only have a short run the excitement of the day leaves them tired out after. Unless yours is race bred do not expect to finish up with a race winner but I know that the dogs that come last enjoy it just as much as the winners, (my own girl is relativly slow but absolutely loves her day at racing).

 

[Michele83]

Michele83, you mentioned about problems / worries letting it off lead. Have you thought about taking it to a racing club, I dfo not know where you live but if their is a club you can get to it makes a wonderful place to let your dog run flat out. The vast majority of Whippets take to it like a duck to water. A young pup only runs after / plays with a hand pulled lure then the powered lure for short distances building up to full distance when they are old enough. But I know that even when they only have a short run the excitement of the day leaves them tired out after. Unless yours is race bred do not expect to finish up with a race winner but I know that the dogs that come last enjoy it just as much as the winners, (my own girl is relativly slow but absolutely loves her day at racing).

Hi John. Thanks for the suggestion. I've looked into lure coursing clubs but can't find any in my area. I'm not sure if that's the same thing, but I don't think there are any racing clubs either. Mind you that's just from an internet search and these things have proven hard to find sometimes, so I'm not sure. If I hear of any through word of mouth I'll look into it. Thanks.

 

[Biker John]

Michele83, if you let me know the area you live in I might be able to suggest somewhere. Lure coursing is only held regularly in East Anglia, their are the odd meetings held in other places but not many.

 

[gypsysmum2]

Lure coursing is different to racing. Races are run over a straight course mostly. Lure coursing is very twisty and turny and all done flat out of course! Dogs need to be really, really fit to do lure coursing. My advice would be to stick to racing in the beginning. As Biker John has said it is great fun and the dogs love it!

 

[Michele83]

Thanks both, I live in Oxford

 

[Biker John]

Michele83, Unfortunately I think the nearest racing club to Oxford would be Ryemeadows PWRC that run at Birtsmorton. I guess it would be over an hour from you. If you fancy it, get in touch with them I am sure you would be made very welcome. For both myself and Folly a day at racing is a brilliant very enjoyable day out and its one of the few times she is tired after it. I don't think its the actual running that has the effect I think its the excitment.

 

[Whippylove]

I would love to run my boy's but i cant find anywhere near me either, hopefully someone will start one nearby for you.

 

[leashedForLife]

.

There’s nothing that says U can’t get together with a few like-minded folks & race yer dogs for fun - JRTs / PRTs adore the chance to chase a furry object on a pulled string thru a gap in stacked hay bales, on a straight course, over low (less than sternum ht on the dog, standing) hurdles.
It only requires bales, tarps or bedsheets to make an opaque “fence”, plastic self-standing fence sections to throw the sheets over, & some lightweight jackets of bright colored fabric with inch-wide elastic straps that terminate in hooky Velcro tabs, with fuzzy Velcro panels on the jackets to secure the straps to.
One strap across the chest, t’other round the girth. Easy on, easy off.

The hurdles are just lightweight poles, propped by low objects - wooden cubes with a narrow slot in one side, to drop the pole into horizontally, would work dandy.
Once U have the gear, U can set it up almost anywhere - if there’s a 50’ stretch of turf, that’ll do fine. // Announce a race on MeetUp, & ask for volunteers to help set up.

- terry

.

 

[Michele83]

Michele83, Unfortunately I think the nearest racing club to Oxford would be Ryemeadows PWRC that run at Birtsmorton. I guess it would be over an hour from you. If you fancy it, get in touch with them I am sure you would be made very welcome. For both myself and Folly a day at racing is a brilliant very enjoyable day out and its one of the few times she is tired after it. I don't think its the actual running that has the effect I think its the excitment.

Thanks for looking into this, that's very kind of you. I will definitely think about it. To be honest, my Piccolo isn't overly energised (not for a whippet pup anyway). What she needs most is other dogs to play with (off lead) but I don't have any friends with dogs. I need to find someone online or something that wants to meet up for a play date. Because I think that would be what she needs to burn off the need to play.

 

[Drift's Owner]

Hi, my dog was a stray and so for the first 6 - 9 months (who knows how long), he survived by eating EVERYTHING he could find. He is a rescue and I've had him for 7 weeks and the poo eating is slowly going down, but a packet of crisps, bottle of coke, take-away etc. is still very tasty. It is a phase and as your dog gets older he is likely to realise, you have better food. Hang in there...I agree with the the person above...don't make too much fuss if your puppy is ignoring most things you say. Walking out in the park is full of adventure, smells and excitement and puppies like toddlers, like to put everything in their mouths.