At some point in your dog’s life, it is very likely they will need to wear a muzzle. This can be for a variety of reasons and isn’t exclusive to any breed types. For example: to stop scavenging on a walk, dogs with a high prey drive, visits to the vet when your pet is in pain, general safe handling at the vets or groomers or due to legislation requirements for certain types of banned breeds.

The most common misconception is muzzle wearing is cruel, shows that your dog is aggressive and raises questions in public that you are not a good dog owner if your dog has to wear a muzzle.  Firstly, stop right there!  None of this is true so please read on and let us help guide you through how to muzzle train your dog – it’s party mask time!

Whether your dog is a Yorkshire Terrier, Cavalier, German Shephard, Greyhound, bully breed, puppy or senior dog, the advice is the same!  Like any new skill, training this in takes a patient step-by-step approach, shouldn’t be rushed but should involve fun with food and play rewards.  

Aim?  We want your dog to be happy wearing a muzzle and not be uncomfortable or distracted by it.  So, let’s get started!

Choosing a comfortable, correctly fitting muzzle is paramount for this to be successful.  Your dog should be able to breath / pant freely and drink / take treats through the muzzle.  The right circumference and length will mean the muzzle will not rub on their face or touch their eyes.

Our preferred muzzle types are the Anti-Scavenge, Ultra or wide-fit muzzle ranges (Company of Animals).  They come in a wide range of sizes, please book a free nurse muzzle fitting appointment.  These ranges will be suitable for the majority of breeds, but you may be advised to purchase a made to measure muzzle, (e.g. bumas-muzzle.com).

Dogs talk to us through body language. If we know what to look for, picking up how they are responding to any given situation is the key to successful training.  Get tuned into your dog!  Take a look at the body language signs:

Doggie Language illustrations by Lily Chin, click here
Fear and Anxiety list by Marty Becker, click here

If your dog isn’t used to putting his head 'into' things then try with different objects first - e.g. a pot or pan (with a treat at the bottom), cardboard boxes for different sizes, a football training cone (or similar) or all of these things!  Start with the treat at the top of the object and move each next one down a bit further (or in the case of the cone - as far as the nose will reach!)

Food your dog sees as high value!  Small treats to fit through the muzzle, squeezy cheese (e.g. Primula original), liver paste (e.g. Arden Grange) of even pre-made baby food in a squeezable packaging – all make great food rewards.  If you decide to use peanut butter – make sure it is full fat and dog safe (avoid any products with the sugar replacement xylitol, this is harmful to dogs).  Don’t forget toys for playtime!

3-minute training sessions are usually enough.  Watching your dog’s body language will help you decide.  Don’t push it, if they’re having an off day or not focused then do something easier (e.g. cues they already know), take a break or leave it until tomorrow.  Let your dog set the pace.

 

The key to success is to let the dog put their nose into the muzzle themselves voluntarily.  But for you to take the muzzle away from before they get a chance to take their nose out.  Build up the training slowly, watch your dog’s body language and always aim for really fun training session from start to finish! 

Don’t forget to bring your dogs muzzle with you to vets visits – this helps with training and will get them used to wearing it in a wide range of settings, regardless if they ever need to wear it at the vets.

If you have any questions on the muzzle training, then please contact us.