YNP #089: Reasons to Muzzle Train Your Dog

Teaching your dog to wear a muzzle might not be something that you have thought of.  Muzzles have a bad rap and a lot of times we think of them as a last resort type of tool.   Where muzzles can benefit us and our pups in a lot of ways. Muzzle training our dog entails exposing our dogs to wearing a muzzle in a positive, stress-free way (see resources below on how to do this).   That way when we find ourselves in a situation where one may be necessary our dog already knows the drill.   And when we take away that bad stigma and don’t hesitate to use one, it can bring all stress levels down making everything go smoother.   Plus, there’s reasons that have nothing to do with biting or aggression.  As always, the resources I talk about in this episode are listed all below.  In this episode I talk about: Why every dog should be exposed to a muzzle regardless of their temperament.  Specific situations where we can reduce the stress of all involved by exposing our dog to a muzzle first.  Reasons to muzzle train that have nothing to do with aggression. Reasons to use a muzzle while working on behavior modification. Reasons not to hesitate to muzzle train your reactive dog. Press play and enjoy! Other resources mentioned and related to this episode: American Kennel Club: Dog Muzzles: When, Why, and How to Correctly Use Them Vet.Cornell.edu : Muzzle Choices Michael Shikashio: A video on how to Accumulate your dog to a muzzle (this is the guy to follow for ANY muzzle or aggressive dog content). Michael Shikashio: How to find the right fit for your dog. Playtime Paws Academy:  A membership for dog and humans no matter where you are in your training journey.