How to teach a dog to wear a muzzle

There are moments, when you just can’t avoid a muzzle. This can be a ride on public transport or, for instance, a visit to the veterinarian. I used to walk my pooch with a muzzle, until he has learned not to chomp through everything he could find. However, at first, he didn’t take to the muzzle very well, he was always trying to take it off, he was frustrated and stressed. Therefore, it was necessary, to get him used to it first.

It is necessary to choose the right kind of muzzle. Increasingly more often, I see dogs with nylon muzzles on public transport, with muzzles which pull their jaws together. However, the owners likely don’t realise, that a dog cools himself down using its tongue and it is his only way of termo regulation. If you don’t allow your dog to open its mouth, especially in the summer months, it will suffer. This kind of muzzle maybe looks better than typical muzzles, but it should be used only at a veterinarian. For long-term wearing, the muzzles made from steel are suitable or the ones from hard rubber.

In training, put the muzzle on gradually and let the dog get used to it. It is ideal, to first prepare the dog for the fact, that it will have something around its snout. You can train this, for instance, with a piece of string that you’ll lay upon its snout for a few seconds and consequently reward him for that. This way, it’ll get used to the fact, that a situation when it has something around its snout is normal and since it gets a reward, it will also develop a positive association. You can extend the time for which you’ll leave the string on the dog’s snout and afterwards, you can also use a real muzzle. But at first, let the dog sniff it.

Put the muzzle on from the side or from behind, not when you’re in front of the dog. This could make it feel threatened. Train with the muzzle the same way as with the string. At first, put it on only for a few seconds, just hold it freely on the dog’s snout for a few seconds without doing it up and then take it off again. After you take it off, reward the dog. If you’re training with a muzzle, you can try a small trick in the beginning. Put a sponge biscuit inside the muzzle or another treat that will not fall through, and let the dog put its snout inside on its own and eat the biscuit.

Extend the time of fitting-on. Put the muzzle on, reward the dog, take the muzzle off after a while. You can also do the muzzle up now. If the dog tries to take it off with its paw, distract and entertain it. Repeat the training as long as the dog doesn’t take to the muzzle peacefully and without resistance.

And hooray, the training is over. It cost you only a bit of nerves and a lot of treats :).