This adorable and sweet rescue dog joined K9 Kate’s last week and has been melting our hearts since. While Adidas is starting on private dog walks, she will join the adventure dog walk once she is muzzle trained (ie she likes the muzzle), something her wonderful parents are diligently working on- thank you so much, parents. We are taking this precaution because, like man dogs, Adidas can get overstimulated in the dog park and having her muzzle trained gives us the opportunity to safely asses her.
THIS is the beauty of muzzle training. Incredible dogs like Adidas, whose behaviour isn’t fully understood yet, get the enrichment of the dog park and a group dog walk. I am grateful that her awesome parents agreed to this; in the past year, I have lost two dog walking clients after I told them that their dog needs to be muzzled, even temporarily, in order to be part of our group walks. The parents were so put off by the idea that they decided they would rather, in one case, keep their dog out of the dog park and, in the other, try a different dog walker ie put their and other dogs at risk only to be told the same thing again … if they reached out to a knowledgeable and responsible dog walker.
People need to get over their discomfort with muzzles. They have become a favourite tool among dog walkers and dog trainers because of what they allow dogs to do. Aesthetically, they are BAD ASS. Hello, Bane! In terms of what they say about your dog and you, well, most dogs in the dog park wearing muzzles aren’t wearing them because they’re dangerous but to keep them safe from e.g. eating everything. The dog parents that muzzle their dogs are responsible and conscientious.
Please note, dogs need to be muzzle trained. You can’t just shove a muzzle on a dog and expect it to have its intended result. Muzzle training is a fairly quick process that not only is bonding for parents and dogs, but operates on the principles of positive reinforcement.
Excerpted from https://www.clickertraining.com/muzzles by Karen Prior, here are the steps needed to muzzle train your dog:
Two-step training
Think about muzzle training as a two-step process. The first step is getting your dog comfortable placing her face in the muzzle. The second step is working your dog toward the goal of having the buckle or Velcro fastened.
Feeding near the opening of the muzzle.
Step 1: Teach dog to place face in muzzle
Hold the muzzle with the large opening facing your dog and any straps folded back and out of the way.
Show your dog the muzzle, and click or mark with a word such as "Yip," or "click." Follow up with a food treat that your dog loves.
Your dog needs only to look at the muzzle to earn the click and reward. However, if your dog is comfortable with new and novel things, you may be able to move closer to your dog as you start. Test it out by clicking quickly a few times and rewarding with treats for just looking at the muzzle. Proceed if you see that it's no big deal for your dog.
Move the muzzle slightly closer after you have established that your dog is comfortable viewing the muzzle and then click and treat several times.
Important reminders:
Proceed at your dog's pace. In other words, take your time. Rushing past important steps can set you back and training will then take even more time.
Use really good, high-value food treats. You want your dog to believe the muzzle is really fun and reinforcing.
Stay at each step until your dog is successful (5-20 trials) and then move on to the next step. Your dog should look comfortable and ready for another repetition at each level before moving to the next level.
Working with a basket muzzle allows you to feed your dog through the front easily, or to place larger treats into the muzzle for your dog.
Many people find using a marker word or using the i-Click with a foot easier than trying to manage a clicker, treats, and the muzzle. If you choose to use a clicker, don't click near your dog's face or ears, as that can be an aversive experience. Choose what works best for you and what's comfortable for your dog.
If your dog has a strong nose targeting behavior to a hand or other object, use that behavior to encourage her to touch the muzzle using your established cue. You might choose to teach the nose target before introducing the muzzle.
Keep your sessions short and take many breaks. A good rule of thumb is 5-15 minutes, with breaks after 10-15 treats for play, a drink, or to allow your dog to process the lesson.
The end goal is to have your dog push her face into the muzzle and steady her head as you buckle or fasten the muzzle.
You are shaping your dog to interact with, and eventually place her nose into, the muzzle, so keep the steps small. Click and reinforce with the treat close to the muzzle to emphasize the association of treats around the muzzle. Ultimately, the treats will be in the muzzle.
Dogs that are uncomfortable touching the muzzle on the outside might be more hesitant putting their faces into the muzzle. For a hesitant dog, switch to treats that the dog might lick (squeeze cheese, cream cheese, peanut butter, etc.) and that you can place on the edge of the inside of the muzzle. Allow the dog to lick from the edge. After a few times, begin to place the reinforcement deeper into the muzzle. Progress slowly!
Move the muzzle away between each of the up-close trials so that your dog is a little disappointed. Your dog will be excited when you present it again.
If you move slowly, take lots of breaks, and use high-value treats that help your dog linger with her nose in the muzzle, you should be able to move to the fastening stage of training pretty quickly.
Before you proceed to the fastening component, give the behavior a cue, like "muzzle," or "face."
Once the behavior is on cue, practice holding the muzzle at different heights, as well in different areas around the house. Your dog will learn to move to the muzzle from different distances and in different places when asked.
Step 2: Fastening the muzzle
This can be a more difficult process since it requires more invasive handling. The fastening also creates sounds that your dog might not be familiar with near her ears. Again, go slowly. If you think you are going slowly, go even more slowly, especially if your dog has any sound sensitivities!
Start with clicking and reinforcing your dog for hearing the sound of the fastener. If you think your dog will be sensitive about the sound, start at a good distance away, fasten the muzzle and then mark and treat just for hearing the sound.
Continue to reinforce after the click by placing a treat in the muzzle. Remove the muzzle after the reinforcement is consumed.
Be sure to lower the criteria for your dog at this point. She doesn't need to place her face in the muzzle for now (other than to get the treat). Work only on the sound of the fastener.
Stay at this level until your dog is comfortable with the sound coming closer and closer to the top of her head. It's not important to fasten the muzzle yet, just work toward having the sound be acceptable near your dog's head. The sound of the fastener can act as the click or marker, leaving you with both hands free to handle the clasp.
When you feel that your dog is comfortable with the sound of the fastener at a distance, slowly work toward creating the sound near your dog's ears.
Next, run the straps around your dog's head. Keep in mind that at this point it doesn't have to fit correctly. You will be working on the straps coming around and clipping the fastener.
Cue your dog with the muzzle cue you have chosen. When she has placed her nose into the muzzle, clip the strap and reinforce your dog through the front of the muzzle.
Once you can clip the straps around your dog's head successfully, then progress to the tighter-fitting straps.
Presenting the muzzle.Well-fitting muzzles will be snug thanks to the straps that go around the top of the head and just behind the ears. When you have progressed to having the straps fitted, you are ready to put the pieces together.
When you have combined the pieces, the next goal is for your dog comfortable wearing the muzzle for longer periods. Offer multiple treats through the front of the muzzle to cement your dog's comfort with the muzzle. When you remove the muzzle, the treats should stop until your dog is wearing it again.
Build more duration by bouncing around with your training rather than just making it harder each time. Sometimes give the muzzle cue and mark when your dog puts her face in the muzzle—but don't clip the fastener. Other times, only do the fastener. Other times, put it all together but delay the click for a few seconds.
Continue to build duration by adding just a few seconds at a time before your click, but always add in some fast and easy requests and reinforcement as well.
So, please, if you’re looking for something to do over the upcoming holidays with your dog, why not muzzle train him/her? Give a smile to a parent with a muzzled dog, or say well done! Set an example in the dog community and help destigmatize the muzzle.
Thank you again Renee and Paedric for muzzle training Adidas, choosing K9 Kate’s as your Toronto dog walker, and being the type of clients I love working with. Looking forward to many walks ahead with your gorgeous gal.
