Muzzle Training Your Scaredy Dog

Why would I use muzzle training for my dog?

If you have a reactive dog, you may want to muzzle train him while you work with him on his reactivity. Even if he has never bitten anyone before, having a muzzle on him may help you relax, which in turn helps him to relax and makes training go a lot smoother. Muzzling is also important if your dog tends to panic in places like the vet’s office or the groomer’s and may end up fear-biting. Make sure you take muzzle training slowly over several sessions, as dogs instinctively do not like having something attached to their face. You have to condition the dog to associate the muzzle with all things positive, like yummy treats and ear scratches. Having a positive association with the muzzle also helps him relax while training with his reactivity.

Which muzzle is best?

Basket muzzles are generally preferred over the cloth types of muzzles. This is because your dog can still eat, drink, and pant while wearing a basket muzzle. A cloth muzzle focuses more on clamping your dog’s mouth shut. It is still difficult to eat, drink, and pant while wearing a basket muzzle, so be sure to have it on only for short periods of time, only in cool weather, while supervised, and ask your vet before muzzling a short-snout breed of dog such as a bulldog or a Shitzu. Also, muzzles are intended for the use of bite prevention only, not for other problems such as barking or chewing. Ask a trainer or behaviorist for problems such as these.

How to train your dog to use a muzzle:

Step 1:

Show your dog the muzzle. Let him sniff it and give him treats. Do this repeatedly. Do not force the muzzle on him as this will make muzzle training much more difficult – positive associations only!

Step 2:

Put a treat inside the basket muzzle and let your dog put his face in to get the treat. Then let him come out. He should only have his face in the muzzle for long enough to get the treat. Do this several times. Be careful not to advance the muzzle towards him – he has to come towards the muzzle willingly and be able to back away from it if he becomes uncertain. Make sure he finishes all of the treats inside the muzzle before you pull it back, or you may develop a food aggression problem by constantly taking his treats away.

Step 3:

Put a treat inside the basket muzzle and let your dog put his face in to get it, and then give him a second treat through the basket part of the muzzle. Your dog’s face should be in the muzzle for just a second longer than in step 2. Do this a couple times and then offer the muzzle without a treat on the inside. If your dog willingly puts his face in the muzzle, give him a treat (or several!) through the basket. If your dog does not willingly put his face in the muzzle, hold a treat outside of the basket to lure him to put his face in. Do this a couple of times until he does put his face in the muzzle willingly. Then give him a treat through the basket. Do this many, many times – we are building a positive association and that takes time and patience.

Step 4:

Get rid of the lure if you haven’t already. Don’t show your dog the treat until after he’s put his face in the muzzle. Have him hold his face in the muzzle for half of a second. Give him a treat through the basket and remove the muzzle. You can gradually increase the time he has his face in the muzzle, but vary the time and give him occasional ‘jackpots’ to make training more fun and exciting.

Step 5:

Have your dog put his face in the muzzle, and hold the muzzle steady while you move the straps of the muzzle around. We’re not fastening the straps yet, just getting him used to having them played with.

Step 6:

Have your dog put his face in the muzzle and wait while you fasten strap around the back of his head. Give him a treat (or several!) and then unclip the strap. The muzzle should only be strapped on for a second before you take it off again. You can gradually increase this time until you’re fully muzzling him. Give him treats through the basket for a few minutes, and then taking the muzzle off.

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