Is YOUR dog muzzle trained?

I do not mean in muzzle fighting (but that is on my list to train after Koenig's bite work is 100% solid) but I mean to wear a muzzle. For some pre-determined period of time, without the muzzle causing stress, or anxiety? My dog is. :)


I muzzle trained Koenig for several reasons. First and formost, I did it to stop the brindle beast from destroying my car. :( separation anxiety is a terrible thing. My jerk dog chewed through my seat belts at least 3 times! Terrible! I can't fit a crate in my itsy bitsy car, and I can't leave him home 100% of the time, so the only reasonable solution was to get a muzzle. Sturdy enough to withstand any attempts of the beast to escape, yet he still needed to be able to open his mouth and pant. A plastic basket muzzle worked for all of a day or two. He managed to chew through a corner. (determined Dutch!)

Koenig also broke a tooth. While trying to escape his crate, he broke his lower canine.(thank you, separation anxiety) For a dog who competes in a sport involving teeth/biting, this really sucks!! Before we got his SA under control, buy after the busted tooth incident, he wore his muzzle in the crate while I was at work.

I knew I had an interest in eventually training him to muzzle fight, and a basket muzzle wouldn't work for that, so I went ahead and invested in a 'real' agitation muzzle. Leather, steel insert in the nose for rigidity, wool felt padded, brass hardware.


That is how Koe ended up with a bad ass Hannibal Lector muzzle.

There are reasons to muzzle train a dog that does not ordinarily have a need for one though.

What if... Let's say.... Your dog get hit by a car. :( Dogs that are in pain can be very unpredictable. There is a chance, in moving an injured dog that you'll get bit. I know that I can muzzle my dog, and he won't SPAZ OUT, from the unusual feeling on his face. Once a dog is muzzled you can handle them in relative safety.

I can't tell you how many dogs we have to muzzle at work (a groom shop) and the dogs go whacky trying to dig/scratch/paw the muzzle off. It does feel restrictive, but with a little positive training (marker training works every time!!!) any dog can be comfortable in a muzzle.

I suggest everyone goes out and gets a cheap basket muzzle, and spends a few minutes everyday feeding treats to your dog while it's wearing a muzzle. (some dogs may need you to go slower, and begin with market training a 'touch' to the muzzle, before just shoving it on their nose! ;) ( email/message me if you need he'll with desensitizing this)