At The Dog Workshop we love muzzle training.
There are so many good reasons to muzzle train your dog:
In case of injury (even the friendliest dog can get snappy if in pain).
Peace of mind in unavoidable situations where your dog is likely to struggle (eg family visits, trips to the vet or groomer).
Making learning safer.
Some places require it if you want to take your dog with you.
But we often see one very common mistake with muzzle training and that is: rushing dogs into situations that they’re uncomfortable with and not yet ready for.
People naturally feel more confident with their dog muzzled, especially if their dog shows aggression towards other dogs or people. However, just because a dog can wear a muzzle it doesn’t mean he is now mentally prepared for high stress situations, like dog-on-dog interactions at the dog park for example.
The muzzle is a safety net, but you still have to work on the all important foundation stuff, including obedience, confidence, relationship building, and making sure your dog is feeling advocated for. Then you can gradually work up to those more difficult situations when your dog has the right skills.
On top of that, it can be easy to inadvertently condition your dog to associate the muzzle with negative experiences. If you only use the muzzle when you are going to put your dog into an uncomfortable situation or a difficult environment, then he will come to see the muzzle as a tip off that it’s time to get worried and start layering on those levels of stress that often lead to a meltdown.
When the muzzle comes out, chances are he'll be thnking “oh-oh we’re going to the park where other dogs run up to me and get in mn face” or “we’re going to the groomer where I hate having my nails clipped”, or “we’re going to the vet, and I didn’t like what happened to me when I went there before”.
The muzzle may have helped change your state of mind, but remember to think about your dog’s.
We always recommend to work on the muzzle separately from the behavioural issues at first, and then bring them together strategically. Of course, there may be times there is little choice, and that is just something you’ll have to go with if it happens.
Teach your dog to love the muzzle through creating a positive association with it.
Wear the muzzle when nothing is happening at all.
Wear the muzzle when good things are happening.
Mix it up, so he isn’t always anticipating the worst.
Make sure he can wear it at home for reasonable lengths of time before expecting him to cope wearing it out and about for even short amounts of time
Don’t rush to your goal the moment you have a small win. You’ll likely set yourself back and, if the experience is really stressful for your dog, you may have to start over again. Introduce low level distractions and work on them until he is solid at coping with them with the muzzle on, then increase the level of difficulty a little at a time.
The photo model is our good friend Cadbury, wearing his muzzle at home and getting nice and sleepy in the winter sun. It’s not actually on properly, it's just sitting on his face with the strap draped over his head, and he doesn't mind at all.
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