A Basket Muzzle can be used to prevent a dog from biting, but it is not to be used as a replacement for addressing the problem, or for contacting a certified trainer.  

A light-weight basket muzzle is always the best option when the dog will be participating in an physical exercise such as walking or playing.  

It is also the best choice when the dog will or may be wearing the muzzle for longer than a few minutes, or for management of a lifetime problem such as Lack of Bite Inhibition (see below).

In general a muzzle is used when there is a history of the dog's bite having caused damage such as scratches or punctures.

A muzzle may also be used with a dog who has not yet bitten, but who is showing clear warning signals that they are likely to bite such as GROWLING, SNARLING or SNAPPING (especially if the aggression is directed at people).  

Dogs who show signs of aggression, but whose Bite Inhibition is not known, may also need to wear a muzzle.  Because a dog who has not bitten has Unknown Bite Inhibition, it can not be determined how seriously the dog may bite.  

Some dogs, especially those socialized well as puppies, will use their teeth and jaws and cause little to no damage.  Other dogs, those with Poor Bite Inhibition, will leave punctures, tear the skin, or worse bite multiple times with deep punctures and tearing.

Good Bite Inhibition means that the dog causes little or no damage.  It is possible for a dog to have bitten many times and have Good Bite Inhibition.  It is also possible for a dog who rarely fights, or almost never bites to have Poor Bite Inhibition.  Dogs who almost never fight/bite, but who have cause damage (punctures needing medical or veterinary care) should always be muzzled when around the people or dogs they may harm.

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SHAKING & YAWNING:  These behaviors mean more than you might think.

Of course, dogs shake when they are wet, but have you ever noticed that dogs sometimes shake when they aren't even outside?  Shaking and yawning are both behaviors that dogs do frequently after stressful situations.  Shaking and yawning are transition signals -they indicate a shift in demeanor.

I typically see YAWNS, when I am waiting for a particular behavior from a dog.  They tend to happen right before the dog "gives in" or acquiesces to what I ask or expect them to do.

For example the other day I was at a curb and the dog I was training really, really wanted to get to the other side of the street -the park was there.  I said, "Sit."  The dog did not sit, so we backed away from the curb.  We approached again.  I repeated the command, but the dog, in her excitement, could not sit.  We backed away five more times.  Then, on the eighth attempt, when approaching the curb, the dog let out a BIG YAWN and then, sat down.  I cheered and we bolted across the street to the park!

SHAKING typically happens after a "stressful event," such as a small scuffle between two dogs, after getting a time-out, or after having attempted to do something that was a little frightening.

For example my clients new puppy jumped up on the counter in the kitchen and we gave her a TIME-OUT.  She was already dragging a leash so we said, "Too-bad" and lead her to the stairs where we clipped her to the banister for 10 seconds.  When we returned and unclipped her, she shook her whole body.  It is if she let out a big sigh and let her disappointment go. Then she was her bubbly, puppy self again (but without putting her paws on the counter :)

In another situation, a 3-month old puppy was meeting some new people.  He was kind of interested, but nervous.  He kept approaching the group of people with his body low and then backing away quickly.  Finally he went over and took a treat from one person's hand.  He ate it, but Immediately backed away and shook his whole body.  It was obvious to me that he was more than just a little shy, he was seriously stressed out and scared.  The evidence of his stress was the shake.  Rather than continue to stress out the puppy, we went real easy and had the group of people toss treats to him for about 15 minutes.  Suddenly his head and tail were up and the pup was approaching people for treats and taking them with no shaking.

Pay attention to what your dogs are telling you.

YAWNING & SHAKING mean things.  

Learn to listen with your eyes and you'll improve your relationship with your dog. 

A blanket answer to this question is not likely to satisfy anyone, nor would it be appropriate for all situations.  Ultimately, this question can only be answered by the dog's guardian.  However, it is always best to make informed decisions and there are good reasons to be concerned.  The bottom line is that mixing sizes presents a very real opportunity for severe injury or death to the smaller dog.  Even more concerning is that this can happen with "good dogs" who are social, obedient and playing well together. 

There is a name for this risk -it is called Predatory Drift.

I would love to feel satisfied that the majority of people disregarding the risks of large sized differences are INFORMED risk-takers, but my experiences at dog parks and in conversations with dog guardians has proved otherwise.  Watching small and large dogs play together does not bother me; it is the uninformed, "It will be fine," "My dog is friendly," "He can hold his own," attitudes that concern me.  This is what I would like to see change.  It would be nice if a shift in attitude regarding this issue could happen before someone either sees his or her dog kill or be killed.

Sadly, there does not seem to be enough knowledge and or understanding in the dog community about the risks, rare though they may be, of allowing small dogs to play near or with larger dogs (dogs with approximately 50% difference in body weight). Furthermore, it is neither small-dog owners, nor large dog owners who bear the brunt of the responsibility; everyone needs to know about Predatory Drift and what it means for their dogs play time.

These two herding dogs love their couch and their kitty.  

Dogs and cats often get along splendidly.  But not all dogs love cats, and not all cats like dogs.  In this case, the best advice is everyone else's advice.

Please COMMENT and share your experience of introducing cats to dogs and vice-versa.

Things to consider sharing:

Who was in the house first?

Was the cat/dog around other dogs or cats as a kitten/pup?

Was the cat the decider (just hated the dog)?

Was the dog the decider (could NOT stop chasing the cat)?

Did you use a management device--gate, door, cat escape tree?

Who did you confine?

What helped the situation the most?

When did you feel everything was OK?

When did you realize it wasn't gonna work?