Teaching a Dog to Wear a Muzzle (Muzzle Training)

HOW to Train a Dog to a Muzzle?

Dog owners often face a problem of a dog muzzle training: a dog does not want to wear it. Our goal is to train a four-legged friend to react calmly to this object.

Let's begin with the fact that a dog should associate a dog muzzle with pleasant emotions and neutral things only. Do not put in on a dog while unpleasant procedures, do not use a dog muzzle also when you want to punish a pet. This object should embody something absolutely not frightful for a dog. It is very important to choose a comfortable dog muzzle. It should not rub or tighten a dog snout. By the way, there are various types of dog muzzles for different cases and situations. Each dog muzzle has its own peculiarities:

plastic dog muzzles are light, comfortable for trainings, but not durable in daily use;

metal dog muzzles are durable, but are not suitable for frosty weather and can be a reason for bruises of the owner;

Nylon dog muzzles often chafe a dog snout and close leather muzzles interfere normal cooling and breath, in addition, they are not suitable for hot weather and trainings, as well as an aggressive dog chews it easily and then they are not able to perform their function any more. In any case, if you will train your dog to a one type of a dog muzzle, you will have no problems if there is a necessity to use another one.

You can train a dog to a dog muzzle gradually, step by step.


Stage 1 Give a muzzle to your dog and and let it smell a muzzle. Let a dog look and make sure that there is no danger. Do not let your dog play with a muzzle, chew, beat with a leg. Wait till a dog turn off the muzzle and give a treat. Go on to the next stage.

Stage 2 Put a treat into a dog muzzle the way a dog should put its snout inside if it wants to get the treat. Do not put a whole muzzle on a pet, let it set free easily! A dog should not see a danger in a muzzle and think: "If I turn my snout inside of this "something", "it" will catch me and will not let go!"

At this stage an animal puts its snout easy in a muzzle and takes it out getting a treat through its holes only when its snout is in a muzzle. At some moment a dog is trying to get a treat by other ways: stretches along a muzzle and tries to get a delicacy without putting its snout inside. This way it checks for what actions it can get the treat and for what it cannot.

Keep to a rule: a treat is for those, whose snout is inside a muzzle. Practice this exercise with your pet till it leaves its snout in a muzzle for a second or two waiting for the next treat.

Stage 3 When a dog begins to keep its snout in a muzzle, it is important to encourage these actions with a praise and a treat. Do not put an equipment on a dog - let it put a snout inside itself and if it will stay inside more than a second treat it with the next treat after different intervals of time until it is in a muzzle.

If you see that a four-legged leaves his snout in a muzzle calmly for 5-7 seconds, you should fasten it on a pet, give it a treat and at once unfasten again. It is necessary to do several times, till a dog will train to ignore the click of the muzzle fastening. Then you should prolong the time of dog's being in a fastened muzzle, from time to time giving a treat for a calm behavior in the equipment.

Stage 4 At this final stage you put a muzzle on a pet and check again that it fits well (without rubbing, pushing and tightening) and that it is difficult for a dog to take it off (with this intention you can put the strap through a dog collar), and go for a walk with your four-legged friend. At this stage the majority of dogs begin to take a muzzle off. It is very important not to let a pet do it! Draw its attention away from it calling to go on ("Come on, come on, come faster!"), visit unknown for a dog places, go to the places with a lot of different stimulants and distracting factors. If a dog goes calmly and does not attempt to take a muzzle off, praise it without fail! You can also give a treat for a good behavior. Wait till the moment when your four-legged is distracted and involved with some important case for it (smelling, a twig, a toy, other dogs), and only in this case take a muzzle off!

Devote several walks to the training of a dog to a muzzle, prolonging the time of a dog being muzzled each time. Never take a muzzle off at the moment when a dog tries to do it itself! Train your pet that a muzzle can be taken off only if it does not turn any attention to it.


Remember: if there is a necessity to put a muzzle on before some unpleasant procedures, it is better to put it on previously. It is very important in the future not to call up the dog's association : "So, they muzzle me, and it means that now there is something unpleasant to happen!" After the procedure ask some common orders and praise a dog for the obedience (without taking off a muzzle). The same day you may muzzle it a couple of times again, and if everything is all right, praise a four-legged again. Make your pet got used, that a muzzle is put on not just before unpleasant procedures, but before something pleasant as well.

Wire Dog Muzzles

Leather Dog Muzzles

 

Author: Julia Bosenko, an experienced manager and customer support ForDogTrainers UK dealing with your needs & questions.