THE ‘M ’ WORD!
When you see a dog wearing a muzzle, what assumptions do you make? Yet a muzzle is just a training tool, and has many potential uses, as Julie Hill discovers.
All Jodie’s dogs are comfortable in their muzzles and it’s a skill she teaches all the dogs in her classes.
Jodie believes that every dog needs to be taught to be comfortable in a muzzle.
TOP TIP!
There should be plenty of air flow in the muzzle — think how uncomfortable humans are if a covid mask becomes soggy!
“ When I say in class: ‘Today, we’re going to do muzzle training!’
I see people’s faces drop because they have that preconditioned response to muzzles,” said Jodie Forbes, of Crazelpup Dog Training in Dorset.
“Then I ask: ‘Why might a dog need a muzzle?’ And everyone starts off with the bite risk! That’s the obvious one — but actually there are numerous reasons why a dog might need a muzzle.”
While muzzles can help with reactive dogs, they can also prevent a dog eating harmful or disgusting items, help break habitual licking, prevent self-damage, aid in wound management, and ensure a dog is comfortable in holiday destinations that require a muzzle.
If you think that none of this applies to you, there’s one more category of use that, unfortunately, might become relevant — emergency use.