Muzzle Conditioning

 Here is my article on Muzzle Conditioning.

In the event of an emergency the first thing to do is muzzle the dog, as even the nicest dog can bite when they are in pain. Having the dog already muzzle conditioned means they will not have the additional stress from having to wear one .  

I recommend muzzle conditioning for all dogs, regardless of if they are aggressive or not.  Always supervise a muzzled dog.

You can start with a paper or plastic cup, put cheddar spray cheese down in the bottom, and let the dog lick it out. This  will help condition the dog  to having something around their face.   

I use Baskerville muzzles for muzzle conditioning, as they are a soft rubbery material, and easy to clean. They come in six different sizes. The dog can pant easily, drink water, and eat through this type of muzzle.  

I have a flat buckle collar and short leash on the dog, when muzzle conditioning them.   

Start with the muzzle in your hand,  put some spray cheese inside where the dogs mouth would be. Let the dog lick out the cheese while having their head in the muzzle.  Pull the muzzle away BEFORE they finish all the cheese, this builds drive to want to have their head in there.   Repeat several times so the dog really looks forward to putting its head in the muzzle.  

Once they are comfortable with that, start putting the muzzle strap behind the dogs head while they are licking the cheese, but do not buckle it yet. Repeat a few times.  

Now we can go ahead and pull the strap through the buckle on the muzzle , and connect it on the dog. Have some high value treats like beef or chicken meat that will fit through the muzzle ready. Immediately feed them through the muzzle, then remove the muzzle and feed one treat. Repeat exercise a few times.   

By now the dog should be pretty comfortable with the muzzle, at first I still put some spray cheese inside, put the muzzle on and buckle the strap. Immediately walk the dog around a bit and lure them along with high value treats fed through the muzzle. 

If the dog starts to paw at or rub the muzzle against anything just keep them walking and reward with praise and treats. Once calm, take the muzzle off and reward.  

We never want the dog to be able to get the muzzle off by themselves, as that can become a bad habit if they get it off once.   

I practice on a regular basis to keep the dog in the habit of wearing one, at least once a week - using part of his daily meal as a reward.

When the dog is comfortable wearing the muzzle I will loop the muzzle strap around the dogs collar, then buckle the muzzle strap.
I clip a carabiner to the lower muzzle loop if it has one, and attach the carabiner to the dogs collar.   

If the muzzle is used very frequently it may create rub marks, use thick yarn and wrap the muzzle area which is rubbing.  Custom built muzzles are available online for all dog sizes. 
I generally go for the larger size if the dog is in between sizes. 
Many rubbery type muzzles can also be dipped in a pot of boiling water, then shaped slightly to fit the dog better if needed.  

There are many different brands of muzzles available online today.  Another favorite of mine is the Jafco muzzle.
The Jafco is much more sealed than the Baskerville, and a better choice for known bite risk dogs.  Some dogs, including Kenji, can still get a nip in through a Baskerville muzzle.  

More dog training articles are available at my link below, which is open to the public and free of charge.  ❤️🐺❤️
https://www.facebook.com/AllBasicsDogTrainingKimChappell/