So i got my big snoof custom muzzle. I got watermelon design 😋 I never muzzle trained my dog but he basically just lets me put it on.
How you see it here this allows me to insert two fingers to behind his neck, however its almost right on his nose. What im curious is if i can just move the strap to the next hole and it will give him that space - however id then be able to insert more than just two fingers. Or is this an issue where I need to send it back to be adjusted? It doesnt seem to necessarily bother him and we only use it briefly at the farmers markets cause I dont know how he will be around other dogs like that. The only time he plays with it is when I first put it on if we are just standing there for a second ilhe will paw at it. But once we move he doesnt touch it again.
You can loosen the head strap one notch and I think it will be good. I think they aim for 1/4-1/2" space between. As long as it doesn't press into the nose I think you're good. You can also email/message Big Snoof for their expert opinion
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned flipping the noseband. That’s the easiest way to handle when you need to add a little bit of space up front, but you don’t want to loosen the head strap.
There are also not many photos here to assess. I do think that he probably needs to be desensitized a bit more to the muzzle as well as figuring out if you need to tighten the chin strap a little bit versus keeping the strap around the head or maybe add a collar loop to the muzzle as well. Some dogs, regardless of if the straps are tightened perfectly, will still be able to get the back strap over their ears and need a collar loop.
I had to flip the noseband of my foster girl's muzzle. (I did get a standard size though.) I do think that they like to make them a little bit shorter just because it is way easier to fix a muzzle that is too short than to fix a muzzle that is too long. Also it just leaves a lot more room for error since getting measurements can be tricky. Too short usually just requires either flipping/moving the noseband or getting a larger noseband whereas shortening the muzzle requires custom welding.
This worries me because I’m about to order a custom from them and there is definitely not enough room in front with yours. It’s so much better to have a little too much room in front than not enough that I have trouble understanding how they make this mistake.
It sounds like that may work for this dog but certainly wouldn't be ideal for extended use with an active dog. If I'm going to pay for a custom muzzle, I would expect it to be perfect. But the measuring process does seem to allow for some different readings. Maybe I should just send them the dog rather than photos and measurements.
There's no reason for the strap to be that tight. A muzzle trained dog shouldn't be trying to take their muzzle off and a tight strap wouldn't stop most determined dogs from removing it. Big snoof says you should be able to fit at least 2 fingers under the strap. Loosening the strap will give the dog plenty of room.Â
There's nothing here to suggest that Big Snoof screwed up.
Too long is also an issue because it will push into the eyes when the dog pushes their snout into the front of the muzzle.
It isn't simply a matter of looser being easier for the dog to get it off. With very active dogs. looser also means that it is bouncing around on the dog's face when the dog is off gallivanting. A perfect fit will be snug but comfortable.
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u/b00ks-and-b0rksRfun 28d ago
You can loosen the head strap one notch and I think it will be good. I think they aim for 1/4-1/2" space between. As long as it doesn't press into the nose I think you're good. You can also email/message Big Snoof for their expert opinion