Muzzle Conditioning

Why Do People Use Muzzles? …… SO MANY REASONS!

-They provide safety in various situations such as a visit to the vet or groomer, or walking an aggressive dog down the street
-To keep everyone safe in an emergency (sick/injured dogs bite)
-They provide confidence to the handler that projects to the dog
-They allow you to put your dog into otherwise unsafe training situations so you can work them through it, safely
-They can manage and prevent scavenging/ingesting harmful items from the ground and streets
-They may be a legal requirement due to BSL or Dangerous Dog Bylaws
-For sports competitions (grey hounds)
-They send a clear signal to others that your dog needs space
-They are for responsibly managing your dog’s predatory instincts
-That’s what responsible dog owners do

Types of Muzzles

Cloth/Mesh: Not ideal for training or living. They are meant for very short term use, like a trip to the vet or during nail trimming, but they hold the dog’s mouth closed, do not allow for proper breathing, drinking, yawning or panting, and they are not bite proof. NOT RECOMMENDED

Biothane: They cover the snout fairly well, but they are flexible and not bite proof. NOT RECOMMENDED for serious offenders. A decent option for short snouted dogs if you can get one custom made to size.

Baskerville Ultra: Durable hard plastic with large enough holes to feed through (essential for training). They are readily available in most pet stores, inexpensive, and great for dogs with underbites (boxers/bulldogs/etc.) as they have a top-feeding hole. They are mouldable to fit wider faced dogs and are suitable for serious offenders who are not prone to bashing the muzzle into things, as this will cause the plastic to break down over time and it will no longer be safe to use. These are ideal for dog aggressive dogs and reactive dogs, but their holes are so large that fingers could easily be slipped through, making them NOT RECOMMENDED for serious human aggressive, child aggressive, or potentially even small animal aggressive dogs. Highly recommended that you wrap the basket sections across the nose with a soft material or mole skin as the edges may rub and irritate the dog’s skin.

Baskerville knockoffs and other non-Baskerville plastic muzzles: Usually cheaply made with easily breakable or flexible plastic, often with holes that are too small for training or straps that are non-adjustable and much too large. NOT RECOMMENDED for training or serious dogs.

Jafco Clear Vinyl: Hands down our favorite muzzle, and a favorite for most dogs too! The Vinyl is soft, as are the leather straps that hold the muzzle off the face. Dogs can lay down very comfortably in these muzzles. You can buy them with a treat hole, but we recommend buying the ones without and cutting your own feeding triangle at the front, as the treat hole they have is much too small and very frustrating to work with. They come in a variety of sizes and are the most ideal option for serious offenders and especially human aggressive dogs. The biggest drawback is that it is very closed-in compared to most other muzzles, so they are not ideal for hot summer, humid days.

Wire: Usually lined with soft leather, and easiest to get custom made to fit your dog’s head shape and snout. Ideal for serious offenders and dogs who have a hard time breathing. Their biggest drawback is that if the dog muzzle punches, it is going to hurt!

Full coverage for short snouted dogs: Generally not the most ideal option for training, however, some dogs who have particularly short snouts, such as bulldogs, boston terriers, and pugs, are left with minimal options.

Sizing
The basket should not hold your dog’s mouth closed. They will need room to eat, drink and open-mouth pant freely, so when choosing a muzzle, you will want to choose one that likely appears to be ‘too large.’ This is very important! It is better to be slightly too big than too small.

Straps should be tight enough that you cannot slip it over an ear. If you can get the muzzle off, so can your dog. If your dog gets the muzzle off, they may always try.

Muzzle Conditioning
Please read through all of these steps before beginning

It is extremely important to go through a conditioning process so the muzzle itself does not become a trigger for an uncomfortable event (we are going to the vet, or going to be around dogs now). The muzzle should mean good things (we are going to train, or go for a walk, and it just so happens that we might run into a dog this time, but maybe not). The muzzle should always be put on (whenever possible) before the trigger, not just before or the moment the trigger (dog, for example) is present.

The other thing to consider is that, when not properly conditioned, muzzles can cause dogs to shut down. Some people see this and think it is good because the dog is calm and not reactive anymore, but this is not a good thing for training purposes. If we do not go through the conditioning process, you may think the dog is cured because they are not acting out, so you take off the muzzle, and all of a sudden the dog is trying to bite again. We need the dog to act as normal as possible in the muzzle so we can work them through their issues, safely.

Conditioning can be done with any muzzle, so if you are waiting for one to arrive, use what you’ve got available. Once you get the muzzle your dog is going to wear, you can start the process again; it should not take as much time with the new muzzle, but because every muzzle is a little different, do not expect the same level of enthusiasm for the new one as your dog might have for the old one, yet!

I recommend having your dog on a leash so they cannot avoid or end the session on their terms. If your dog is highly food motivated, this should not be a problem. Be sure to keep your sessions relatively short, ALWAYS leaving the dog wanting more.

First, you must have a HUNGRY dog! If your dog is HIGHLY food motivated, you can do this with treats and food, but I recommend just using their daily meals, so no more bowl feeding (the muzzle will become your bowl). If your dog lacks food motivation, this should be the ONLY way they get to eat. If they do not want for food, and they are fed elsewhere (in a bowl), then they will never WANT to put the muzzle on their face. So make this the only way your dog gets to eat. You can try as many times a day as you like, but if they are not willing to put their own face into the muzzle, just put the food away and try again later. Eventually, at some point, your dog will get hungry, hunger will override their fear/discontent for the muzzle, and they will be willing to put their face inside to get the food. Now, we are ready to work!

Step 1: Present the muzzle, no verbal markers yet.
If you can, pull the muzzle straps out of the way. Pick up the muzzle (cupped with your hands, a bit of food inside) and present it out in front of you to the dog. Let the dog come toward it, put their own face into it, and eat the food out of it. Then once they are done, pull it away (you can put it behind your back or just down in front of you), then add more food and present it again.  Repeat, 100x (100x is an arbitrary number: this will be highly dependant on the dog’s progression)

If your dog does not want to approach and/or put their face in it to get the food, just put it away and try again later. DO NOT BE CONCERNED if your dog does not eat for a few days, hunger will kick in and they will then enthusiastically enjoy the process. Just be sure to leave them wanting more.

Step 1 might happen over many sessions, so do not rush on to Step 2 right away. Once your dog is enthusiastically putting their face into the muzzle to take the food out, move on to the next step.

Remember, you need a hungry dog to start, be sure to keep your sessions relatively short, and ALWAYS leave the dog wanting more when you end. At this stage, we want to build ignition, not extinguish it. When you come back to do your next session, start at Step 1 to ensure they are motivated, then if they are, move on.

In this video, you see Diesel choose to search the floor for food, rather than go for the food I clearly presented in the muzzle. At this point, we were 15 minutes into our session and he is giving me a clear indication that he is finished, so we ended it here, on a good note before he checked out completely.

Step 2: Add physical momentum.
Once your dog is highly motivated to eat out of the muzzle, repeat Step 1, but when you present the muzzle, start to move it backward away from the dog to help build drive. Feel free to physically move your entire body backward when you do this as the momentum of you moving will help the dog drive forward into the muzzle. Do not move so fast that you demotivate the dog though, find the right speed/flow of movement that the dog energizes and drives their snout into the muzzle. Repeat 100x

Step 3: Add verbal markers.
Once your dog is enthusiastically putting their own face into the muzzle, it is time to start using a verbal marker system to communicate with your dog. If your dog does not understand a marker system, you can refer to my video on teaching Sit and Down using Leash Pressure to help train your markers before applying them to the muzzle, if you like.

You will first need a release marker (I say ‘break’).
Present the muzzle with food inside, at the exact moment the dog’s nose is deep into the muzzle, before they pull it out, give the release marker. Repeat 100x

Then you can start to add a duration marker, but do not expect any amount of duration, other than the length of the word. You will need to be quicker than the dog!
Present the muzzle with food inside, as the nose goes in, give your duration marker (I say ‘yes’) then give your release marker (‘break’) before the dog pulls their nose out themselves. At this point, you will pay again, outside of the muzzle. So duration mark and pay inside the muzzle, release mark before the dog pulls away, then pay outside of the muzzle. Repeat 100x

At any point in time, you can go back to Steps 1 and 2 to help build more ignition/drive, but you have to ensure you are moving forward and expecting more from your dog or they will not progress.

Step 4: Luring.
Now, if you like, you can begin to take the food out of the muzzle and place it directly behind, as a lure, however there is nothing wrong with forever presenting the muzzle to your dog with a piece of food in it.

At this point, please consider the angle at which you put the muzzle on the dog. I highly recommend standing and having the dog put their face into the muzzle while their head is high. In the early stages, the muzzle may need to be lowered a little to ensure the food does not fall out, but once you begin to hold the food as a lure, start to teach the dog to keep their head held high with the muzzle on.

With food behind the muzzle, instead of inside, present it to the dog. At this point, they should drive in enthusiastically in anticipation for food inside. Duration mark ‘yes,’ then feed the food through the muzzle, then quickly give the release mark ‘break’ before the dog pulls their own face away, and pay outside of the muzzle. Repeat 100x

Step 5: Name your behavior.
Your dog MUST be food motivated in order to name the behavior. At this point, you are not commanding the behavior, simply creating an association (a pattern) to the word ‘muzzle’ and the act of putting the muzzle on the face.
It is important not to name your behavior until your dog is enthusiastic about the muzzle and knows exactly what the game is. We cannot command a behavior the dog does not understand.

Now that the dog understands the game, say ‘muzzle,’ then present it out to the dog, and allow the dog to put their face in to receive their reward.

Naming your behavior will help with dogs who consistently shy away from the muzzle. If you heavily condition this command, in the future when you present the muzzle with or without food, and your dog chooses to shy away, you can command ‘muzzle,’ and provided your dog understands to follow your commands, they should comply and put the muzzle on. Further training may be needed to ensure the dog follows through with your commands, but that is what we teach at Wild Dog Training.

Step 6: Ditch the lure.
Similar to Step 4, but without the lure.
Once the dog is readily driving into the muzzle with a lure on the other side, you can get rid of it. Present the muzzle, allow the dog to drive into it, duration mark ‘yes,’ feed through the muzzle, release mark ‘break’ and feed outside the muzzle.  Repeat 100x

At this stage, you can go back to any of the previous stages of food/luring to name your behavior. For example, say ‘muzzle’ and present it to them with food in it, vs. behind it, vs. producing food after the muzzle is already on the dog. Switch it up so the dog does not anticipate what you are doing. This will keep the drive for putting the muzzle on high. Just remember that it is important to progress to a food-free muzzle IF you want to be able to have the dog put the muzzle on without it.

In my opinion, there is no need for a forever-food-free muzzle. Consistently, or at least randomly pairing food with the muzzle will ensure that the dog consistently sees it as a positive thing. If you start to cut the food out entirely, the dog may begin to see the muzzle and shy away from it because there is then nothing in it for them. Some dogs will do just fine, if they are the type to want to please their owners, but most breeds/dogs live to please themselves, and in that case, we should meet the dog halfway and create a positive association to putting the muzzle on, as much as possible. 

If you have a dog who consistently shies away from the muzzle presentation, you need to use food with your muzzle more consistently.

Muzzle Conditioning Speed Drill: Present muzzle, allow dog to drive into it, give release cue ‘break’ and throw the food away from the dog to create space, which then allows the dog to look back, see the muzzle again, and drive back into it on their own. The quicker you release the dog, the more likely they will be to want to put their face in it again. (Note: you will also want to practice duration, but this is a great way to keep the dog motivated to put the muzzle on over time)

Step 7: Putting the muzzle on the dog, rather than having the dog put the muzzle on.
Disclaimer: I highly recommend that you use food and allow the dog to put their own face into the muzzle more often than not, to ensure that you continue to create positive associations for non-biddable dogs, however, it is important to practice both ways!

Say ‘muzzle,’ present it and place it onto your dog. Duration mark ‘yes,’ pass food through the muzzle, then release mark ‘break’ and take it off. Repeat 100x

Step 8: Add duration without straps.
Disclaimer: This step is not necessary if your dog does not fully understand a marker system and/or has poor impulse control. If that is the case, skip ahead!

If your dog has a solid understanding of markers, you can increase duration by repeating to mark ‘yes’ and paying your dog through the muzzle. If your dog backs their head out at any time, correction mark with ‘no,’ wait for their face to go back in, duration mark again, ‘yes’ but offer no food (this is a correction, if you pay the dog in this moment, they will pull their face away to put it back in to get more food.) At this stage, if you are using a marker system, they must learn that food only comes when they first put their face in the muzzle, by keeping it in there, and after you give your release, never when they pull their face out and put it back in on their own. After a correction, after you mark ‘yes,’ simply wait a few seconds (this is relative to the length of time the dog is actually able to be successful, feed too soon and you reward the behavior of pulling away, feed too late and the dog might pull away again) then you may duration mark and feed again, or release mark and feed outside of the muzzle.

If your dog is able to be successful, you will want to slowly lengthen the time between duration marks/food. Then, you are welcome to try to take your hands off the muzzle and see if the dog will hold the muzzle on their face on their own. This helps to teach them to keep their heads held high. If they drop the muzzle, mark ‘no’ and try again. It helps if you are able to hold your dog’s snout with your hands, so you can guide their head upward if needed.

Step 9: Strap up.
Similar to Step 3, 4 and 5, but this time, after you give your duration marker ‘yes’ and offer food, you will pull the strap up around the dog’s head. No need to clasp it yet, simply hold it, mark ‘yes’ and pay, then ‘break’ and release. Do not expect any lengthy duration at this point. Repeat 100x

I recommend a leash on the dog at this stage, if necessary. If your dog struggles, do not let go of the clasps until they settle (the leash will help you get a calm dog quickly if you used my video on Leash Pressure to help train a marker system). If your dog fights and gets the muzzle off, they will likely continue to do so, so hold tight, but keep it short, releasing quickly!

Remember, be sure to always end your session on a good note, leaving your dog wanting more. All of these steps can be done over many sessions, you do not have to get this far in session 1, or even session 10. Work at the pace of the dog, but the hungrier the dog, the quicker you will progress, especially if this is the only way the dog gets to eat for now.

Step 10: Buckle up.
For this step and going forward, I highly recommend a leash attached to a slip, martingale, or halti (a pressure collar of some kind). You may also want to consider booties or vet wrap around your dog’s duclaws to ensure they do not get torn if your dog tries to paw off the muzzle and gets one stuck (not likely, but possible).

Similar to step 9, but this time you will fully buckle the collar, duration mark and pay, release mark, unhook the strap, and pay. As your dog is doing well, you will want to start increasing the amount of time the muzzle is on by continuing to offer food (creating a positive association).

If your dog does try to paw the muzzle off, mark ‘no,’ and use some pressure upward on the pressure collar to deter them, then distract them. Remember to keep sessions short and end on a good note.

Step 11: Add duration and get moving.
Once you are ready to keep the muzzle on, you must keep your dog distracted. If you let them sit, they may either shut down, or fight it, and you want to try to avoid both of those things.

You can keep your dog distracted by doing following/heeling drills on a short leash. If at any point in time your dog gets distracted by the muzzle, simply take a sharp turn away from them. At this point, if your dog is too distracted by the muzzle to pay attention to what you are doing, they will get a correction on the pressure collar and be more likely to pay attention to you instead of the muzzle in the future.

You can also distract them with obedience, giving lots of reward to help keep the head up high and create a positive association. The muzzle should mean fun! The more you practice, the easier the process will be for you and for your dog.

If your dog settles well, and is keen on deep message/affection, feel free to pair this with the muzzle.

Remember, at any point in time, you can back up to any of the previous steps to help build more ignition/drive, but you have to ensure you are moving forward and expecting more from your dog in order to progress.

Feeding through the muzzle:
Think about feeding through the muzzle like you would feed a horse; with a flat open hand. When your dog pushes in to eat the food, you will need to push back.

If your dog struggles with keeping their head up while taking treats, I recommend bringing the treat up high to bring your dog’s head WAY up, then quickly flicking the wrist down low and pushing the food toward the dog.

If feeding through the muzzle causes your dog to mess up their duration obedience commands (they leave the sit/down, or it is too hard to pay in position for heel), I recommend verbally marking for duration with the muzzle on and just paying after the release marker ‘break’ so it does not matter if they squirm out of position while eating through the muzzle.

Going Forward:
The muzzle should not cause your dog to shut down; if it does, make the muzzle the key to your dog’s existence. If your dog struggles with wearing the muzzle, they should wear it as often as possible. The muzzle should mean food, affection, walks, freedom and fun! You need to make the muzzle a non-issue. This means that if you are not committed to the muzzle, neither will your dog be. YOU are the ticket to making the muzzle a non-issue for your dog.

Muzzle conditioning should be done over a long period of time. Do not expect to rush it, work on it daily.

Do not feel badly about the muzzle; by conditioning your dog to a muzzle, you will be able to give them a more fulfilling life, you will be less nervous, and you will be better able to train and socialize your dog safely.

If your dog is not a behavior case, I recommend muzzle conditioning anyway. Dogs are animals and animals bite. Dogs get injured and injured dogs make rash decisions. If your injured dog is already muzzle conditioned, it will mean less stress on them in an already stressful time. It should not matter if your dog is social, reactive or aggressive, just like all dogs should be able to find comfort in a crate, all dogs should be muzzle conditioned, just in case.


I recommend joining one of the many Pro-Muzzle groups on Facebook for extra advice and support:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/muzzleuppup/
https://www.facebook.com/TheMuzzleUpProject
https://www.facebook.com/muzzletrainingandtips