![]() ![]() If the muzzle is applied when a dog is already fearful at the vet, it becomes just another scary thing that can sour your dog on veterinary visits. Muzzling a fearful dog can be challenging, and escalates a dog’s fear and stress.It’s actually best to take your own dog muzzle, since you know it fits, your dog is used to it, and they can eat with it on. If your dog wears a muzzle comfortably, everyone relaxes – you, your dog, the vet, and the techs.The following list gives you some helpful tips about dog muzzles and how they are best employed. If you tell your vet your dog is muzzle trained and why, you arm your vet with information to help make the experience less stressful. Your vet may be reluctant to bring up muzzling to you because of its negative connotation. Training your dog to wear a muzzle comfortably has multiple potential benefits. Therefore, to safely handle these dogs (since we can’t rationalize them), it is best to use a dog muzzle. However, in some situations, we may be unable to dial down their fear level enough to ensure they won’t bite. Our best bet is calming our dogs through low-stress handling techniques. When we ignore or don’t understand these signals, their fear may turn from avoidance to defensive or even offensive aggression (biting). When dogs are fearful or confused, they will try to signal their owners through body language. If we look at why dogs exhibit these behaviors, the vast majority are fearful, in pain, or confused. When we see dogs that may have a tendency to bite, snap, growl, or struggle, many of us describe them as “mean” or “bad.” By using these negative descriptors, we are assigning these dogs with a negative motivation they do not have. There are many dogs in many situations that can benefit from wearing a muzzle comfortably. We would like to change your perception of these dogs and the words we use to describe them, and to help you better understand the need and use of a dog muzzle. When most people see a dog wearing a muzzle, they often think, “Oh my gosh, that must be a bad dog!” Substitute the word “aggressive,” “dominant,” “mean,” or “vicious” for “bad” and you’ll have a better understanding of what most people think about dogs wearing muzzles. Dog Muzzle Training: Low-Stress Handling for Dogs ![]()
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