Desensitization to Muzzle

Teach your Dog to be Comfortable Wearing a Muzzle

Proactivity

Start out by desensitizing your dog to a muzzle before you actually need it.  This way you won’t be in a hurry to get it on your dog and you’ll have plenty of time to allow him to get used to it.

If your dog is going to be wearing the muzzle for any length of time I highly recommend a basket muzzle so that he can pant properly and accept treats through the holes.

Remember: putting a muzzle on your dog is not meant to be punishing and it does not automatically mean your dog is aggressive.  It is a precaution to keep your dog and others safe.

Positive Associations

The first time you show your dog the muzzle, just hold it out for him to sniff.  When he sniffs say “yes” in a calm, quiet, soothing voice (or click if you use a clicker), then give him a high-value treat (something he really loves that will be reserved especially for muzzle training).

Next, put a little peanut butter or wet dog food inside the muzzle (or hold a spoon through the holes) and let him stick his nose in to lick it out.  Don’t be in a hurry to get the muzzle on properly, try to hold it still so your dog can enjoy the treat without being worried about the muzzle.

This might be all you do the first time.  Many short sessions are much more effective than a few long sessions.  Try to end on a positive note so your dog has good memories of the muzzle next time you bring it out.  You want him to see the muzzle and think “oh goody, treat time!”

Shaping

The goal of shaping is to have your dog place his nose inside the muzzle voluntarily so you don’t have to wrestle it onto him.  Hold the muzzle out again.  When he sniffs, click and treat (or say “yes” and treat).  Then wait for him to put his nose in a little further, then click and treat, then a little further and so on.  If he is hesitant to put his nose in, help him out by holding a treat through the hole to encourage him.

Duration 

Once your dog is placing his nose all the way inside voluntarily, slowly increase the length of time between rewards.  Hold the muzzle out, have him put his nose in for three seconds, then click and treat.  The next time count to five seconds in your head, then click and treat, then 7 seconds, and so on.  Take breaks between each step, you can practice this before each meal time for just a minute or two, remember to keep the sessions very short and positive and let your dog set the pace.  You can take breaks for play time as a reward.

Fitting

Once your dog is able to hold his nose inside for at least 15 seconds, start getting him used to having the straps done up.  Keeping the straps very loose, just place them behind his ears but don’t do them up just yet, click and treat your dog for allowing the straps to be placed behind his ears.  Practice doing them up as it can take time for people to get used to fumbling with the straps.  If you can work with a helper have one person holding the straps while the other provides reinforcement for your dog.  Keep the straps loose while you’re learning how to do them up smoothly, rewarding your dog each step along the way, and taking breaks for play time in between.

Once you’re able to put them behind his ears and do them up without difficulty, then you can start to adjust the straps to fit properly, remember to reward your dog heavily for this process.  The straps should fit loose enough that you can slide two fingers under the strap, but tight enough that the muzzle doesn’t slide around on his face and he is not able to paw it off.

Keep it Up

Once you’re able to put the muzzle on and reward your dog, bring the muzzle out frequently for refresher sessions.  If the muzzle sits gathering dust and isn’t brought out again until an emergency situation arises, it’s likely your dog will not be used to wearing it anymore.  It only takes a minute or two each day of putting the muzzle on and rewarding the dog to maintain the positive association.

Important

Once your dog can wear the muzzle comfortably, this does not replace training.  He may feel better about wearing the muzzle, but this does not help him feel better about whatever was threatening to him and making him a risk for biting in the first place.

If your dog has bitten or threatened to bite under certain circumstances, contact a certified professional dog trainer to help desensitize your dog to that situation.  This will help lower his stress levels as well as yours.

If you are concerned about your dog's behaviour, please visit our website for more information on professional training services.

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A great video on Teaching a Dog to Wear a Muzzle is available from Chraig Patel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FABgZTFvHo

Chraig Patel, BSc (Hons), PGCert (CAB), CPBC, DipCABT - Domesticated Manners

 About the Author:

Jillian is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), meaning her knowledge on animal learning theory, husbandry, health, ethology, training equipment, and instructing skills have all been evaluated to the standard of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.  This also includes adherence to a code of ethics and to the humane hierarchy for animal training. 

Jillian is a Fear-Free Certified Professional. 

Reduce Jumping Up

Tips to Reduce Jumping  Up

Do you find yourself fending off your furry friend at the front door when you come home from work?  Do you worry that Buster will knock over Grandma when she comes to visit?  These are some general guidelines to help you reduce and modify this behaviour.  Keep in mind that these are a guideline only, for specific help tailored to your dog's and your family's needs, please contact a certified trainer for professional advice.

Do not reward the behaviour

If  your  dog  jumps  up  on  you,  do  not  reward  the behaviour  with  attention.  This  includes  both  positive  and negative  forms  of  attention.  Petting,  greeting,  and  even  scolding  the  dog  (i.e.  “GET  DOWN!”)  can  all  reinforce  the jumping  behaviour.  Punishment, by definition, serves to decrease a behaviour.  So if you have tried scolding, pushing, kneeing, etc. and your dog continues to jump, then these are not punishing the behaviour.  Your dog may think you are engaging in an exciting wresting match.  Jumping up can be a self-reinforcing behaviour, meaning it's fun to do and gets your dog closer to you or your guest.

Jumping up is NOT a dominant behaviour.  

I repeat: Jumping up is not an assertion of dominance.

Jumping up is your dog expressing excitement over you coming home or a guest coming to visit.

Some dogs jump to seek comfort when they are feeling anxious.

It may be bad manners, but it is certainly not dominance.

Walk  away (but don't look away!)

If  your  dog  jumps  on  you,  turn  your body sideways  and  move away,  or  stop  whatever  interaction  you  were  having  previously.   This  teaches your  dog  that  jumping  up  on  you  is  not  the  way  to  get  your  attention.  Keep your dog in your peripheral vision and if your dog offers polite behaviour (four on the floor, sit, lay down, giving you space, etc.), click and treat or acknowledge and reward with praise, throwing a toy, and attention.  The idea is to move your body enough that the dog cannot jump on you, but that you can still observe what he is doing and act accordingly.

Teach and Ask  for  an  Alternative  Behaviour

If  your  dog  is  jumping  on  you  because  he  is  excited to  see  you,  or  because  he  wants  to  play,  ask  him  to  do  something  else  to  earn  your  time and  attention.  Asking  him  to  sit  or  lay  down  means  he  cannot  jump  on  anyone,  and  then you  can  give  him  attention  for  a  desirable  behaviour.  You can identify specific situations in which your dog becomes over excited and jumps up, such as greeting visitors at the door, or greeting you when you come home.

Practice those scenarios (ask friends or family to help) and give your dog opportunities to practice the behaviours you want him to do instead.  Think of it as a rehearsal for the real-life situation, but with the environment (and the guest) under your control, so you can move slowly and allow your dog a chance to practice success many times before Aunt Edna comes to the door.

 If you're not sure how to do this, contact a certified professional dog trainer to help!  

Manage  the  Behaviour

While  your  training  for  modifying  this  behaviour  is  still  in progress,  utilize  management  tools  to  help  prevent  it  from  happening.  Remember that jumping up can be a self-reinforcing behaviour, so the more your dog is allowed to practice it, the more he will want to continue to do it.  Make the alternative behaviours (such as sit or lay down) more reinforcing than the jumping up by rewarding the polite behaviours with his favourite treats, toys, or praise & pets if they motivate your dog.

If  you  have  guests coming  over,  put  your  dog  in  his  kennel  or  behind  a  baby  gate  so  that  he  cannot  jump  on them.  Put  a  leash  on  your  dog  so  that  you  can  control  his  movements  until  he  is  under better  voice  control.  Be  gentle  and patient –  remember,  your  dog  is  just  showing  how  happy he  is  to  see  you  (or  your  guests)  and  needs  to  be  taught  a more socially acceptable  way  to  show  his excitement.

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Jillian Enright, CPDT-KA