How I Muzzle Trained My Dogs
Disclaimer: I am not a dog trainer. The following article is not intended as training advice, but rather as sharing our personal process. Working with a trainer in person will always be most beneficial to you and your dog, and this article is not intended as a substitute for professional dog training, particularly with severe behavior issues. A list of training resources is included at the bottom of this article.
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The muzzle was one of the best things I did for my last rescue dog, Kiki. My sweet girl was terrified of the world, but the muzzle gave her a little extra confidence and kept her just a little calmer. It meant that no matter how explosive her reaction while out on a walk, she couldn’t bite anyone. It also sent a visual signal to other people to give her space.
It was also a great tool for me. The muzzle gave me a little peace of mind because I knew I was doing everything I could to create a safe situation and prevent situations from escalating. My own anxiety while walking my dogs on the busy streets of Brooklyn went way down knowing that everyone was protected by the muzzle.
And of course, there are many reasons to muzzle train your dogs other than fear or aggression. A short list: emergency muzzle use, street snacking, and to encourage others to give your dog space.
I’ve consolidated our muzzle training journey into five easy steps to share how I muzzle trained Starsky and Kiki (and soon, Ginsburg!). I am not a trainer and this is not training advice, but rather intended to share the process that has worked for my dogs. There are definitely variations on this conditioning process - this is just what worked for me the first two times I muzzle trained dogs!
1. Introduce the muzzle slowly.
The muzzle is a new and foreign object to the dog. As such, I did not want to immediately put it on my dog’s face. I preferred instead to introduce is slowly to ensure that Starsky’s experience with the muzzle was as positive as possible.
I have always started my muzzle introductions by giving the dog treats just for sniffing or pawing at the muzzle. The goal is for the dog to associate that interacting with the muzzle = super yummy treats.
Of course, this is the ideal situation. Sometimes perfect counter conditioning is impossible, like it was for Kiki. Her behavior was dangerous and serious, and in the interest of safety, I needed to introduce the muzzle more quickly than I preferred. To counteract this quick introduction, I took care to really focus on the next few steps and make the rest of the muzzle experience as positive as possible.
2. Reward the dog for putting its nose in the muzzle.
Eventually, I wanted Starsky to realize that he needed to put his nose in the muzzle. Merely interacting with the muzzle wouldn’t continue to earn him treats. I liked marking this behavior with a clicker so that my timing was precise and Starsky figured out what I wanted quickly. I also like to use a release word like “free” or “break” or even just “release”. While it may have been a little early in the process for a release cue, I think it helped my dogs understand duration later on.
3. Reward the dog for keeping its nose in the muzzle.
A dog putting its nose into a muzzle and keeping it in the muzzle are two very different things. As with many tricks in dog training, I wanted to build my dog’s duration, or ability to perform the trick for an extended amount of time. (And yes, I view muzzle training, at least at the early stages, as a new trick!)
There’s a few ways I build duration with muzzle training, and I periodically alternate between these methods to keep the game fun for the dog. Sometimes I smear peanut butter on the muzzle so there is a constant reward for as long as my dog keeps its nose inside. I also like to deliver treats through the front of the muzzle, at first in quick succession, then gradually with a little more time between them. My friend Haley actually purchased a second muzzle and cut the front off to make rapid treat delivery easier while training, which I think is genius!
4. Reward the dog when you fasten the muzzle.
Some dogs do just fine up until this point, then get freaked out when they are wearing the muzzle all on their own, once the buckle has been clipped. Kiki didn’t really care about the muzzle being clasped, but Starsky sure did. To counteract that and keep the experience super positive, I continued to reward my dogs with tons of treats so they associated the new sensation of wearing the muzzle with food.
I like to start slow, just keeping the muzzle fastened for a few seconds at first and build up to more time. I’m also a fan of using peanut butter for this step too because it provides a continuous reward.
5. Have fun in the muzzle!
Once my dog is capable of wearing the muzzle on its own, I don’t want to stop the positive associations! I prioritize having fun in the muzzle at least once or twice a week for a while. In fact, Kiki adored her muzzle and got excited when I pulled it out because she knew it meant fun!
For Kiki, I did a lot of dinnertime training in the muzzle, especially trick training. Nothing was more fun for her than training! When I trained Starsky to wear the muzzle, we went for most walks in it, so he associated it with walking and his favorite activity, sniffing. It would have been a shame to put all this work into muzzle training just to have my dogs learn to hate it!
Muzzle training takes time, but it was absolutely worth the wait. I will train every dog I have in the future to wear a muzzle, and I do believe that every dog should be muzzle trained. If your dog is muzzle trained, join the movement on social media and use #MuzzleMonday to show off that cool muzzle!
