Training
If he backed away and scraped the muzzle along the carpet the first time, nobody has shown him yet that it can bring good things. Two or three weeks is usually enough.
The muzzle has been sitting in the hallway for a week. You bought it because the vet asked for one at the next visit, or because your dog belongs to a breed that has to wear one in public where you live, or because he once grabbed a hand and you do not want a repeat. On the first attempt he backed away, rubbed it along the carpet with both paws and then stood frozen, staring at you as if he had been told off. You have not taken it out since. The good news: almost any dog learns to wear a muzzle calmly, and plenty end up pushing their own nose into it. It takes two or three weeks at five minutes a day, and it is built entirely out of things he enjoys.
The right muzzle first. Nearly every problem we see in sessions starts with the wrong muzzle, not with the dog.
A basket muzzle (plastic, soft rubber, silicone or coated wire) is a small cage around the snout. The dog opens his mouth, pants, drinks and takes treats through the gaps. The panting is the part that matters most: a dog cools down with his mouth open and his tongue out, and a muzzle that holds the mouth shut takes away his only way of shedding heat. For walks, travel or a whole day in the hills, only a basket.
A fabric muzzle (a nylon or cloth sleeve that closes the snout) keeps the mouth almost shut. He cannot pant properly and cannot drink. It is fine for a few minutes at the vet, for a nail trim or an injection, and it never stays on a dog in the car, in the sun or on a walk.
You need something he genuinely loves, cut small: cheese, cooked chicken, sausage. Some dogs do better with a soft paste (cream cheese, pate) spread on the inside of the basket for them to lick.
Rules differ from one country to the next. Many European countries require listed breeds, or dogs officially classed as dangerous, to wear a muzzle and be on a lead in public; in Romania this comes from a 2002 government ordinance on dangerous and aggressive dogs. Some transport operators require a muzzle on any dog on board, and some vet practices ask for one on any dog that has bitten or tried to. Read the rules of the place before you travel. If you have practised in advance, the rule stops being a problem.
And beyond the law: a dog who has bitten, or tried to, wears a muzzle in risky situations until you have worked with a professional. A seat belt, for him and for everyone else.
The puppy. The easiest time of all. A puppy of four or five months who learns the muzzle as a game will have no trouble with it at the vet years later, when something hurts. He does not need to wear it for long: a minute, twice a week, with his dinner. You change the size as he grows.
The adolescent (6 to 18 months). He tests everything, including how strong the strap is. Make the steps shorter than seems necessary and always stop before he gets bored. If he starts rubbing it on the ground, you skipped a step.
The adult with a bad experience. A dog who had a muzzle forced on him at the vet links it with fear. It is sometimes simpler to start with a different model in a different colour, so he meets it fresh. Step 1 then takes whole days. That is normal.
The senior. He breathes harder, overheats sooner, sometimes has a sore mouth from his teeth. A roomy basket, worn briefly, checked for rubbing. A senior who suddenly will not tolerate a muzzle he has worn for years may have something wrong in his mouth: a check with your own vet.
The muzzle only appears at the vet. Then it means something bad is coming, and the dog hates it with good reason. If the only place he sees it is the consulting table, he starts struggling in the waiting room.
Forced on, "because he will get used to it". Some dogs freeze when held. They look calm. It is pure fear, and next time they start defending themselves sooner.
Taken off while he struggles. A dog who rubs it on the floor and gets rid of it has learnt that rubbing works. If he struggles, distract him with something easy (a treat on the floor, a cheerful word and a few steps), wait for one second of calm and only then take it off. Next time, shorter.
Fabric as a walking muzzle. We have seen dogs kept for an hour, in summer, in tight fabric muzzles. They cannot pant or drink, and overheating comes fast.
"Roughly" the right size. Too small rubs and hurts. Too big twists and ends up in his eyes. Do the checks above.
The muzzle as punishment. Put on after a growl or a mistake, it becomes the sign that you are cross. The muzzle goes on before the risky situation, in good spirits, never after.
False security. Muzzled, a dog cannot bite. He can still punch with his snout, be every bit as frightened and get into a fight. What frightens him still needs work.
For a puppy or a dog with no bad memories, two weeks of five minutes a day. For a dog who has been held down and strapped in by force, a month or more, with patience at step 1.
| Week | What you are looking for |
|---|---|
| 1 | Steps 1 to 3. He looks at the muzzle and moves towards it. He puts his nose in on his own and keeps it there for 10 seconds. |
| 2 | Steps 4 and 5. Strap fastened, muzzle worn 1 to 5 minutes indoors while he does something he enjoys. |
| 3 | Muzzle worn 10 to 15 minutes, then a short walk outside. |
| From then on | Once or twice a week, a few minutes, even when you do not need it. |
Signs it is working: you take the muzzle out and his tail goes, he comes over. He pushes his nose in without being asked. Wearing it, he eats, sniffs, plays, shakes himself once and forgets about it.
Signs you went too fast: he paws at it, turns his head away, licks his lips, yawns a lot, freezes or hides when you open the drawer. Go back one step.
Keep up the practice once he has got it. A muzzle that comes out of the drawer once a year, on the very day of the emergency, is a strange object all over again.
In an assessment session we look at the dog, the muzzle and the way you put it on. Most of the time the problem is small: the model, the size, a skipped step. If the muzzle is tangled up with fear of the vet, read our guide on fear of the vet as well; the two are worked on together.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer.
Usually you went too fast or the fit is wrong. Check the size (a finger of room beyond the nose, mouth opens wide), then go back to the step where he pushes his nose in for a treat. Do not take it off mid-struggle: distract him, wait for a second of calm, then remove it.
The basket, for anything longer than a few minutes. He can pant, drink and take treats through it, and panting is how a dog cools down. A fabric muzzle holds the mouth nearly shut and is for short moments only, at the vet or for a nail trim.
A dog who is used to a well-fitted basket can wear it for a whole walk or journey, with breaks and water. In hot weather keep it shorter and watch him: if he pants very hard or wobbles, take it off and get him into the shade. A fabric muzzle, a few minutes at most.
It depends on the country. Many European countries require listed breeds or dogs officially classed as dangerous to be muzzled and on a lead in public, and some transport operators and vet practices ask for a muzzle on any dog. Check the local rules before you travel; a dog trained in advance will not mind.
Not if he learned it through good experiences. A dog who had it forced on him can tense up at the sight of it, because he links it with fear. The muzzle stops the bite and leaves the fear where it was; that needs separate work, ideally with a professional.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
Shaking in the waiting room, growling at the nail clippers, hiding from the brush. Fear of handling can be learned from a single experience and unlearned in small steps.
A growl by the bed, a hand grabbed "out of nowhere". The dog tells you something every time before he bites, and the cause can nearly always be found if you know where to look.
He leans against you, you stroke him, and a few seconds later he nips. It is almost never "out of nowhere": he warned you, or something hurts.
He sees a dog 50 metres away and explodes: barking, lunging, deaf to you. Off lead in the park he's a different dog. Reactivity is worked on from a distance, over weeks.
In Puppy Class and the basic obedience course these exercises are worked in a group, with real distractions and feedback at every step.