FARMERS will soon be told to strap a muzzle on their working dogs or face jail time, if Animal Health Australia has its way.

The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle and Sheep - a new code to replace the Model Codes of Practice - states that if a dog is prone to biting the heels of beasts it must be muzzled, as well as when working with calves.

Warwick feedlotter and grazier Bill Gross said the idea, to be introduced next year, was ridiculous and saw no need for its introduction.

"It's crazy - it's absolute rot," he said.

"Most dogs are bred not to nip, but a little nip wouldn't hurt (the beast) a bit."

He said fines for farmers and potential jail time for animal cruelty was a step over the line.

"It's been going on for 100 years - our pioneers had working dogs - and nothing has ever happened since the beginning of time."

Allora cattle farmer Keith Rix agreed and said cattle and sheep dogs needed to show a bit of aggression to assert their authority while on the job.

"The thing with cattle is, you've got to have a dog with a bit of force in him," Mr Rix said.

"He's got to be able to bite."

Mr Rix said it was often a misconception that all cattle were easy to handle and working dogs were used in a cruel way by producers.

"These greenies need to go out into real cattle country where the blokes get in the yard and the bullocks will chase them down," he said.

"You get cattle running at you, and I'd rather have a dog do their part and avoid that."

A Warwick Elders contractor said while he agreed with Mr Rix in many ways, he felt a muzzle would not cause as much interference as many would expect.

"When I worked in the meatworks many years ago, every sheepdog had to be muzzled and we found nothing wrong with it," the contractor, who wished not to be named, said.

"The few dogs we see don't usually nip anyway but it's up to the owner - if they're a biter, they should be muzzled."

The AHA is a not-for-profit organisation, set up by the federal, state and territory governments and farming and animal welfare groups.

The group is calling for public opinion on its plans for the first animal welfare standards for cattle and sheep with the aforementioned rule just one part of the restructure. Consultation will run up until May 6.

Send your submissions to publicconscattle@animalwelfarestandards.net.au and publicconssheep@animalwelfarestandards.net.au.