Bring Back the Muzzle

Originally posted Oct. 17, 2008

Sooooo...

Let's talk about muzzles.

Yes. You read that right. Ugghhh. The dreaded "M" word.

Because I specialize in aggression, I get to work with a lot of dogs who could benefit from muzzle training.

Pssssttt...here's the really juicy part: Often, their owners could benefit from muzzle training even more than the dogs. No, not because I'd like to put the muzzles on the owners. On the contrary, I'd like to free the owners from a lot of stress and liability issues, by making their dogs safe to be in public.

But there's a problem. Most people today have a pretty strong aversion to muzzling their dog. They will do all sorts of other things - from always leaving the dog locked up, to putting it in incredibly dangerous social situations - but they will not put a muzzle on the dog!

Let's think about this. When used properly, a muzzle is no different than any other training tool. The dog, when trained the right way, will accept the muzzle enthusiastically. Did you see that? Let me repeat it. When trained correctly, the dog will accept the muzzle enthusiastically.

The dog will regain the freedom to be out in public without the danger of it biting someone. This will automatically reduce the owner's liability and the stress associated with being in public with an aggressive dog. The owner's reduced stress will trickle down to the dog and the dog will relax even more...also reducing its chances of being a danger to anyone around it.

Further, most strangers - with or without dogs of their own - will be less inclined to come running up to a muzzled dog. Think about it - do you want to go pet 'Fuzzy' if he's wearing a basket muzzle, and looking for all the world like Hannibal Lector? By reducing strangers' need to fondle the dog, we have now gone a step further in ensuring that an aggressive, now safely muzzled dog will not be biting anyone.

After all, wouldn't you rather just have strangers leave you and your dog alone than have to be continually warning everyone, "He bites....he bites....he bites."

And I know how often the "He bites" statement is ignored by someone telling you they are a 'natural' with dogs and all dogs love them. These idiots...uh, strangers...are the ones who pose the biggest threat to you and your dog.

So please, if you own an aggressive dog, at least consider the advantages of muzzle training. And if you're interested in learning more on how to do this the right way, feel free to contact me!

Jennifer Hime is the Owner & Dog Training Director at Front Range K9 Academy in Wheat Ridge, CO. She can be reached at k9counselor.com.