Muzzle training isn’t always plain sailing! We are asking a dog to do something really different and quite strange...

By trusting us to put their face into this colourful, unusual object, so it’s not surprising that we can sometimes run into some teething problems. Here, we will look at some of the common problems when muzzle training and how to overcome them!

My dog is being naughty when muzzle training!

If you feel your dog is mis-behaving during training, there is usually an underlying cause to the behaviour. Dogs aren’t just naughty – they are usually responding to the way they are feeling so remember to stay positive and don’t tell your dog off or punish them for ‘bad’ behaviour.

If they are feeling a bit overwhelmed and unsure, this can easily make them feel worse and create a negative association with you, the muzzle and training in general.

Try to stay patient and consider what reason your dog may have to behave in this way.

My dog is ignoring me.

If your dog doesn’t respond to you whilst training, it’s important to work out why.
Are they ‘ignoring’ your marker word or clicker? It may be that your dog simply doesn’t understand it fully, in which case you can continue to load the marker by pairing it with something great!

Simply say your marker word, or use the clicker, then immediately give your dog a high value treat or engage in a fun game of tuggy! Repeat this several times to create a strong association that marker = something great happens. If your dog is responding to the marker at other times such as in another location or when doing other training, non-response to the marker may actually be a stress response.

If your dog is ignoring you, or the muzzle, they may be avoiding interaction due to feeling worried or stressed. Avoidance can be really subtle, such as simply not wanting to look at the muzzle, appearing to 'ignore' you, and offering displacement behaviours such as sniffing around, scratching, yawning or perhaps engaging in play elsewhere. 

In this case, it's important to take away any pressure and continue to slowly work on building a positive association with the muzzle, before even beginning to work on muzzle training. You may need some support from an accredited, force-free trainer to assist you working through this if you are finding it difficult.

You could take a short break, make a some changes in the environment such as reducing distractions, changing location, or you may need to work on muzzle confidence before training.

My dog won’t go near the muzzle.

If your dog is avoiding the muzzle, or is unwilling to engage in training, assess that the issue is definitely the muzzle. Try the exercise in another area, look at your dogs’ body language and ensure they are happy around you and in the space without the muzzle. Read more about understanding your dog's body language here.

Once we are confident the muzzle is the problem, you can work on slowing the desensitization process right down.

You can start by simply placing the muzzle out in the room, perhaps on a table or side, carrying it around while you continue your usual daily activities.

You could also use a cheap muzzle, cut up into smaller pieces to start with, until your dog feels more confident. Read more on introducing a muzzle blog

My dog keeps running off with the muzzle!

Another common problem we come across with muzzle training is the dog grabbing the muzzle in their mouth! If your dog does this, start by marking and rewarding just being around the muzzle, with no grabbing.

You may only achieve a second between reinforcement to begin with but you can build slowly until your dog is able to be around the muzzle for several seconds with no grabbing. Here, we are teaching your dog that it is more beneficial to not grab the muzzle.

You can also fix the muzzle down by fastening it to a chair leg or using a hook on the wall. This stops your dog from practicing the fun game of stealing and running off with the muzzle, when you will inevitably accidently reinforce the behaviour by trying to get the muzzle back!

Also ensure that you are doing training when all of your dogs needs have been met – if your dog has excess energy or wants to play,..

..if they are feeling hungry and frustrated, this can make it harder for them to focus and concentrate on learning.

I don’t have a muzzle yet but I want to make start on training.

If you are eager to get started on muzzle training but you are waiting for a muzzle to arrive, you haven’t chosen one suitable for your dog and needs, or are unable to get a muzzle right now, you can still make a start on the training process with an alternative object.

You could use a cheap pet store muzzle which may not be the best fit, but it is suitable for training. You can also use objects such as flower pots, mugs, empty yoghurt pots, small cardboard boxes or even just your hands!

Basically anything that your dog and safely and comfortably fit their nose into, just to get them used to the feel of it.

My dog seems confused.

There are several stages to work through as part of muzzle training and it can be hard to know when your dog is ready to move to the next step.

If your dog is required to wear a muzzle by law, or to keep them safe, you will also be feeling a lot of pressure to get your dog to a stage where they are able to wear the muzzle so you rush the process. It is really important to progress at your dogs pace – this means ensuring your dog is fully happy and comfortable with each training step before progressing onto the next step.

If your dog appears confused or worried at any stage, go back to the last step they were comfortable at and repeat that stage again, progressing more slowly.

Muzzle training is different for every dog, some dogs breeze through the process and can feel comfortable wearing a muzzle relatively quickly, whereas some dogs need much more time to work through the stages and progress more slowly – and both are fine! If you have any concerns or need more support on muzzle training, please hire an accredited and force-free trainer or behaviourist to help you.