Five reasons to Muzzle train your Dog
It is becoming more common to see dogs of all breeds and sizes wearing muzzles. Dogs wear muzzles for an array of different reasons, such as to prevent them from eating garbage on the street, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are not able to interact with other dogs and people. In fact, Muzzle training can allow for more socialization, and could be an essential component to your dogs training program. Here are five reasons whey muzzle training is beneficial to your dog:
1.Safety: For Dogs who are fearful or struggle with anxiety, certain environmental factors may trigger aggression. Muzzles can protect other dogs and people from physical injury, as well as protecting your dog - remember that people can report your dog to the authorities if they are bitten.
2. Veterinary visits: A visit to the vet can be a stressful experience for dogs. The Veterinary staff will often utilize a muzzle to prevent biting while they perform necessary examinations and procedures. If your dog is already trained to wear a muzzle it can create a more relaxing experience for all involved.
3.Socialization: For dogs with behavioral issues the muzzle can allow for them to interact with other dogs and people safely without causing harm. Just because a dog doesn’t react well with some dogs or under certain circumstances doesn’t mean they can’t socialize at all. The muzzle allows for socialization while keeping your mind at ease.
4.Resource guarding: Resource guarding is common in dogs. If your dog resource guards then training them to wear a muzzle during meal times or while interacting with certain coveted items can help keep others safe. This is especially important if you have children in the house.
5.Emergency situations: In the event of an emergency; a fire, an accident, a natural disaster. A muzzle trained dog will be able to be handled more easily and safely by emergency personnel and first responders, limiting treatment time and eliminating added stress for your dog.
Ultimately, muzzle training should be part of your dogs training repertoire even if it’s just to get them acclimated so the muzzle is not alien to them. Thus when the need to use a muzzle arises like during a visit to the vet or groomers they are already comfortable with it, rather than adding a potentially anxiety inducing item into an already anxiety inducing environment.
This muzzle by Baskerville is a good option - we like it because your dog can still eat and drink while wearing it, plus it’s made from thermo plastic rubber (TPR) so you can warm it in hot water and then shape it to fit your dogs face while it cools.
