How to Train Your Dog to Wear a Muzzle
Let’s face it: most people think a dog wears a muzzle because it’s aggressive or dangerous. The sight of a muzzle may cause people to keep distance or move to a safer area. All dogs, including puppies, small dogs, and the friendliest of dogs will benefit from wearing a muzzle.
Dogs Bite out Fear or Pain
Despite evoking fear, muzzles will come in handy in different situations, especially when in a veterinary office. If the dog is in deep pain, his or her instincts may direct it to bite. It’s doesn’t matter how friendly your dog is or the fact that it doesn’t have a single mean bone in his or her body.
So, when you or any other person touch a dog that is in pain or fear, biting is a reflexive action. So, don’t let your dog acquire a “bite reputation” when you can easily avoid it.
When Do You Need to Use Muzzles?
- a) During Veterinary Visits
Is your dog in pain or nervous when at the vet’s office? Chances are, the staff will muzzle it if they see the need to do so.
The vet staff may do this by tying the muzzle shut with a gauging strip or slipping the muzzle over the dog’s nose. Well, such an experience can be scary for a dog that’s wearing a muzzle for the first time.
- b) In Public Places
A muzzle will come in handy when you visit a place that has muzzle laws in place. According to these laws, you’ll have to muzzle your dog when walking in a public space. For example, a country like Italy demands you to restrain your pet even on a cruise trip.
- c) New Introductions
You can use a muzzle for a variety of reasons. Like in a situation where you expect, the dog may become defensive or fearful.
It will also be a temporary solution to a dog that ingests items that may compromise their health and safety.
Why Should You Do Early Muzzle Training?
Always train your puppies to wear a muzzle from an early age. As such, when they’re muzzled later in life, they won’t see the experience as intimidating.
But what happens if your dog is old? Well, you can condition it to wear a muzzle. Without proper training, the dog will dislike the muzzle as its being restrained or forced to wear it.
Once on, the dog will try to rub it against the floor, people, and furniture to remove it. Such a dog is likely to feel emotionally distressed. Don’t let this happen.
Here is how to train your dog to wear a muzzle.
- a) Make the Muzzle a Positive
Why are you training your dog to wear a muzzle? I believe the objective is to make your dog love the muzzle to an extent he or she wants to wear it voluntarily.
It’s easy to create a positive association between the dog and the muzzle. You can accomplish this by using a training method that’s known as shaping. For this to work, you’ll need a dog, a muzzle, a tasty treat, or a clicker which may be optional.
- b) Use Shaping to Train Your Dog to Love a Muzzle
Shaping is a training method where you reward your dog for successive approximations to the final behavior. It is a step-wise approach.
With shaping, you’ll reward your pet once it progresses to the next step.
- c) Use a Clicker
Use a clicker to mark your expected outcomes with shaping. But what’s a clicker?
It’s a noise-making tool that informs your dog that he or she will be earning a treat due to their performance. While it offers a cutting-edge precision, it’s optional to use.
When using a clicker, you’re free to use a verbal marker like “yes” to precede the treat.
- d) Reward Your Dog with Treats
If you want your dog to accept and love the muzzle, you must develop a positive association between the two. For instance, clicking happens when a dog looks, walks toward, and sniffs the muzzle. Be sure to award a treat when the muzzle is available. You’ll do this in the hope of creating a conditioned emotional response.
With time, you can start asking your dog to insert his or her muzzle through the loop. Do this with temporary support of food lure. With time, add a verbal cue as you fade the food lure. You don’t want the dog to rely entirely on the presence of the treat.
Safety Tips When Using a Muzzle
- A muzzle restricts your dog’s ability to drink water or to pant. Therefore, don’t leave it without supervision.
- Be careful during the warm weather as it may result in a heat stroke.
- Different types of muzzles are available in the market. Choose the best one that’s ideal for your dog.
Simple Steps for Training a Dog How to Wear a Muzzle
- Introduce a muzzle and let your dog sniff. Give a treat and repeat this for some few times.
- Touch the nose of your dog with a muzzle and give a treat. Repeat the process until he or she becomes comfortable.
- Hold the treat on the one hand and the muzzle on the other. Ensure the dog has to pass the nose through the muzzle to get the gift. Repeat the process for some time.
- Slip the muzzle gently onto your dog’s nose and give it a treat. Remove the muzzle and repeat the steps for some time.
- Put on the muzzle on your dog and fasten the buckle. Give a treat, and remove it immediately.
- Repeat process five, and count to five, give a treat and remove the muzzle.
- After removing the muzzle, increase the time the muzzle is on and give treats.
Conclusion
If you have an aggressive dog, then a muzzle will ensure it doesn’t bite anybody. However, commit to change the underlying problems that make your dog act aggressively.