Introducing a Muzzle
Sometimes we need to place our dogs in stressful situations, and unfortunately dogs can sustain injuries that may lead them to be more prone to bite. If this happens, it’s important that you be able to muzzle your dog to prevent injury. To prepare the dog to accept the muzzle, follow these steps.
- Show the dog the muzzle, and feed several tasty treats. The presentation of the muzzle must precede the treats. Repeat until the dog shows a happy response when the muzzle is present.
- Hold out the muzzle and wait for the dog to bump into it. Reward each bump. A clicker is valuable for this step.
- When the dog is touching the muzzle reliably, reduce the frequency of rewards to every second or third time. Try to reward the touches that are longer and stronger.
- Hold the muzzle so that the nose tube is open toward the dog. Reward the dog for putting its nose near the nose tube. Give “jackpots” for any time the nose enters the muzzle. If necessary, lure by placing a treat at the other end of the muzzle.
- Once step 4 is mastered, withhold rewards until the dog places its nose inside the muzzle. Reward each success generously.
- Begin to add duration to the behavior by delaying the reward for 1-2 seconds. When this is successful, gradually increase the time to 10 seconds.
- With the muzzle straps very loose, snap the muzzle on the dog’s head while it is waiting for its reward. Reward and praise generously. If the dog backs out, simply handle the muzzle straps without snapping them on.
- Adjust the muzzle straps to fit tightly around the pointy bone at the back of the dog’s head. Snap it on, reward and praise enthusiastically, and remove.
- Gradually increase the time the dog is wearing the muzzle to several minutes. Work up slowly, and go back to an earlier stage if the dog appears to be anxious.
- Once the dog can tolerate the muzzle for several minutes, put it on briefly at random times during the day. Continue to reward and praise.
The process generally will take a week or more to complete. If at any time the dog shows signs of anxiety or aggressive displays stop. Take a break and resume later at an earlier stage in the process. Moving too rapidly risks a bite!
Emergency Muzzle: If your dog is injured, he may snap or bite out of pain, even if he is well behaved otherwise. If you need to transport him safely to the vet, and you don’t have a muzzle, use his leash as an emergency muzzle. Loop it over his nose and slip one end through the other to make it snug under his jaw. Bring it around behind his head, and knot it behind his neck. This will keep his mouth safely closed while you deal with the injury.
Reference: Jean Donaldson, Mine: A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs
Copyright © 2006 by R. I. Dog Guy. All rights reserved.
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