Muzzles...you either love them or you hate them and there is such a huge misconception around why dogs wear them. A muzzle can be a lifeline to dogs and doesn't always mean they are aggressive or are going to bite.
Reasons why dogs might need a muzzle
Nervous of people or dogs, bite risk or no bite risk
Mouthy in certain situations
Scavenger
Prevention from chewing a wound post surgery
Breed specific legislation
Just in case...any dog is capable of biting if in pain or frightened so muzzle training for those just in case moments is always beneficial!
Choosing a muzzle
There are many styles of muzzles available, and each has been designed to serve a different purpose so choosing the right style is the first step towards successful muzzle training. Below are
the 2 most common.
Basket muzzle – Usually made of plastic, metal or biothane, these muzzles should allow your dog to fully pant, take treats and drink. These are the most suitable muzzles for taking your dog out for walks.
Cloth or Fabric – Usually made of fine mesh or
nylon and fit snugly around the dogs’ mouth. Often used by veterinarians and groomers as they are only recommended for short periods because dogs cannot open their mouths to pant while wearing them. Cloth muzzles should never be used out on walks as there is a risk of overheating.
The basics of muzzle training
Place the muzzle on the floor and wait for your dog to approach it. When they do, throw them a treat. Do this until your dog is clearly understanding what they need to do to get the treat
Hold the muzzle in your hand and repeat step 1. Take the muzzle away between repetitions then re-present. If your dog is readily engaging with the muzzle in steps 1 and 2 then you’re good to move on!
Place a treat at end of the muzzle and lure your dogs nose in. If your dog isn’t comfortable putting their whole nose in that’s ok, reward for any effort. Keep working until they are comfortable putting their full nose in. Take the muzzle away between repetitions. Don’t try and do the muzzle up yet as we need to make it a lot more positive first!
Once you have done at least 10 repetitions of step 3, present the muzzle and see if your dog can put their nose in by themselves. Tell them they are super clever when they do and give them a treat!
To build duration, present the muzzle to your dog and wait for them to pop their nose in. Once they do, have a few treats ready and feed through the muzzle in quick succession. Progress this so your dog is holding their nose in for longer and longer. You can delay the time between treats to build duration too.
Eventually your dog should be able to hold their nose in the muzzle for 20-30 seconds between treats. When they can you can look at doing the straps up. Place the muzzle between your knees and ask your dog to put their nose in. Rest the straps over the back of the head and reward. Take this nice and slow, if your dog pulls their nose out they’re probably saying they’re not comfortable
Once your dog remains in position for step 6 you can start to do the straps up. Keep the duration nice and short to begin with
Once your dog appears confident for step 7 you can do it up for longer. Make sure to give your dog lots of treats whilst they’re doing this!
As your dog becomes more confident you can spread the time out between treats to further build duration. Once you have good duration you can then incorporate fun activities into muzzle wearing eg. Scentwork, fun walks, tricks etc. Keep the pace jolly and praise them a lot for wearing the muzzle.
Top Tips:
✔ Muzzle training takes time, the longer you spend making sure your dog is comfortable with each step, the more enjoyable muzzle wearing will be!
✔ Squeezy cheese or liver paste is great for muzzle training because it can be squeezed into the muzzle and also through the muzzle as your dog is wearing it
✔ If your dog if very food motivated you can incorporate muzzle training into their daily routine and use some of their normal breakfast or dinner portion as training treats!
You can find out more about the muzzle training process in our muzzle training package.
I would also recommend checking out the resources from The Muzzle Movement. If you would like one of their muzzles you can use the code 'E4P' to save yourself 10%.
For updates on our latest blog posts, more hints and tips, news and discounts join our newsletter here
Comments