Responses to common muzzle training concerns
Why muzzle train your dog? Are muzzles only for aggressive animals? Are they cruel?
This article was first published way back in March 2019 and last tweaked in September 2023.
When I adopted my Australian cattle dog, Scout, I started muzzle training (often called “muzzle conditioning”) her on the advice of professional dog trainers. I’ve had some great discussions since sharing initial videos of our progress! (You can see more of our personal journey on our “Muzzle Up” Instagram story highlight.)
Many of the same muzzle training concerns have come up both in social media groups and real-life conversations. I wanted to take some time to respond to the ones I hear most often—and explain why I still believe it’s worthwhile for the average dog to be conditioned to wearing a muzzle.
TLDR: Muzzle training quick facts
Muzzled dogs are not “bad” dogs! A properly fitted and conditioned muzzle is a sign of a good owner.
Muzzles are used for more than aggression. (And aggression is a very nuanced topic itself.)
A muzzle might be required in case of an emergency like a broken bone or natural disaster evacuation. Getting your dog used to the tool first can avoid adding extra stress in difficult moments.
Properly fitted muzzles allow dogs to drink, pant, and take treats.
When conditioned with positive associations, a muzzle does not cause a dog discomfort or fear.
Sometimes a muzzle is necessary to keep everyone safe during the training process. It is not a quick fix, nor is it a lazy or easy way out. It’s a reasonable option to be better safe than sorry.
Any tool can be misused. Muzzles can be cruel if used incorrectly. But so can collars, leashes, harnesses, and everything else we put on our dogs.
The only way we’ll get over the “bad” or “scary” stigma associated with muzzles is if we normalize their proper use.
Outline
To start: Why muzzle train?
Do only aggressive dogs wear muzzles? Are they tools for lazy owners? Is it mean to muzzle your dog?
A few years ago I had a lot of these questions myself. Most of all, I automatically assumed that any muzzled dog I saw on the street was “bad“.
But the answer to all of the above is a resounding no. When used properly, muzzles can have so many benefits (and many of them don’t even have anything to do with aggression—not to mention “aggression” shouldn’t be such a taboo topic either).
I believe in muzzle training all my dogs. I want them to be able to wear one comfortably and without anxiety, even if it doesn’t seem like they “need” it.
Muzzles are often used in emergencies
If your vet has to muzzle your dog after an injury like a broken bone to provide treatment—or if you have to evacuate to a shared space after a natural disaster—it’s best that your pet is already used to it. That way we can prevent the tool from adding stress to an already very scary situation.
Muzzles can keep dogs from eating things they aren’t supposed to
Many dogs are scroungers on walks. Wearing a muzzle while proofing a solid “leave it” command can save animals from foreign object surgeries and related complications.
Muzzles can help nervous dogs grow confidence while ensuring safety
Some dogs don’t show signs of outright aggression but are fearful. If an owner doesn’t know how their pet might react to a new, possibly frightening stimulus, a muzzle can allow them to conquer training goals together without any significant physical risk.
This can provide huge peace of mind to us handlers!
Muzzles can clearly show the general public that a dog wants some space
This can be a blessing for owners who live in busy areas or deal with lots of people running up to them on walks, even if your dog has no aggression or fear. Sometimes you just want peace! I appreciate that muzzles are often an easy visual signal that we’d rather not be approached.
Muzzle training can help you bond with your dogs
Training together, especially where you introduce a new object, builds trust. The more things your dog is comfortable with—muzzles, harnesses, collars, nail trims, etc.—the more confident and adaptable he will be!
Muzzles can help fearful people feel more comfortable
Some people have been bitten by dogs or have had other bad experiences to make them nervous. Introducing these folks to a well-trained, muzzled dog can help them feel safer around canines—creating an environment where they can better work through their feelings.
Muzzles help with the rehabilitation of dogs who show aggression
Some dogs have bitten before—whether provoked or not—and their owners don’t want to risk a second incident under any circumstances, because it might mean losing their companion.
Other dogs show warning signs when presented with certain stimuli, and their owners want to keep everyone safe during the conditioning and desensitization process.
All dogs deserve to safely share public environments
Even dogs who are fearful, dogs who show aggression, dogs whose owners have family or friends who are scared, and dogs who like to eat everything they can find deserve to go out and about in the world.
They should have opportunities to adventure, experience, and grow. At the same time? Everyone should be kept safe.
Muzzles make that possible for so many dog-owner teams!
Concern #1: My dog will look scary in a muzzle
“A muzzle makes a dog look scary. It makes me think she’ll bite. I don’t want people to be scared of my dog!”
Muzzles can still have a negative connotation, especially to those who don’t own dogs or know much about them. It’s reasonable to be unsure about people thinking your dog is “bad”. I am never one to shy away from the messy, compex emotions we can experience living with dogs!
But the only way we’ll push past the stigma of muzzles is if we normalize their proper use.
When I take my dog out with her muzzle on, I know we might get some weird looks. I know we might get some judgment. I know people might think she’s aggressive even though she’s not.
But I’ve chosen to prioritize all of the reasons I believe in muzzle training over those concerns about what people think.
It’s tough, and of course I want the whole world to like my dog as much as I do—but we’ll never get over the negative perception of muzzles if we refuse to use them because of it.
Concern #2: My dog will be uncomfortable in a muzzle
“My dog would freak out and feel scared or uncomfortable in a muzzle. I couldn’t do that to her.”
It is awesome that so many people are worried about how their dogs might feel in a muzzle. I love seeing owners concerned with their pets’ comfort!
Thankfully, this is a pretty easy fix.
When you properly muzzle train your dog, you don’t just force her nose into it and tighten the straps. You work slowly—sometimes almost at a snail’s pace—to get her comfortable with the tool.
You start by creating a positive association with the muzzle. When the muzzle is around, that means only good things happen, like high-value treats (our favorites are turkey, chicken, and cheese) or her favorite belly rubs. Yay!
Then you work on luring your dog’s nose into the muzzle. You don’t attach the straps—you just let her put her nose in, get a treat, and repeat. (You can also work the muzzle into play, a technique I’ve learned about from trainers like Jay Jack and Ivan Balabanov’s Training Without Conflict students.)
Since Scout and I had the opportunity to move slowly because there wasn’t a specific deadline by which she needed to wear a muzzle, we spent about three full weeks on this initial part of the process. The amount of time required varies for every individual dog.
When you finally reach the point of actually attaching the muzzle’s straps and having it completely on your dog, she should be so comfortable with it that she doesn’t feel any anxiety at all. If she shows signs of stress or discomfort at any point, it’s important to move back a few steps in the process. (The Muzzle Up Project has a great step-by-step guide you can follow.)
Conditioning your dog to a muzzle is a lot like conditioning her to pretty much anything else: nail trims, strange visitors, bath time, and so on. When done right, it won’t be scary or uncomfortable.
Concern #3: How will my dog defend himself in a muzzle?
“How will my dog defend himself if another animal tries to attack us while he’s muzzled?”
I love that most dog owners care about their dog’s safety, especially when our pets could be seen as vulnerable. Thankfully, it’s not very common for a dog and his owner to be attacked by a random animal while on their daily walk.
On the off chance you and your dog do face a confrontation while he is muzzled? There are plenty of defense options that don’t require him to use his teeth!
If you live in or frequently visit an unsafe area, you might consider safety precautions like:
Carrying a cane, walking stick, citronella spray, or other legal deterrent
Changing up your typical walking route
Having another person go with you
Ultimately, we as owners need to be thoughtful about the situations we put our dogs in. We should never knowingly put our dogs in harm’s way—muzzled or not.
Concern #4: Can’t we just train “no-bite”?
“Can’t we just train our dogs “no bite”? My *insert age of dog* already knows that command!”
The answer? Yes, we can try to train our dogs not to bite—and yes, as pet owners, we should! But simply teaching a puppy bite inhibition isn’t enough to make muzzles obsolete.
For one thing, many reasons a dog might wear a muzzle have nothing to do with biting people. Muzzles also prevent scrounging for foreign objects on walks, can help fearful people feel more comfortable, give an indication that we want space, etc etc etc.
For another, even if the reason a dog needs a muzzle is because of biting, sometimes it’s not as easy as just teaching “no bite”. That might not be the safest and most responsible option.
If a dog has a bite history, a muzzle can ensure that no one will be injured while working with him. Without the use of a muzzle, there is no way to make this guarantee.
By muzzle training the dog in question, everyone can stay safe. The end goal can be to reach a place where that muzzle fallback isn’t necessary. But also: It’s completely possible for a dog to live a full life with regular use of a muzzle!
Concern #5: Why make someone else comfortable?
“I care about my dog more than most people. I’d never muzzle him just to make someone else comfortable.”
No one can force you to train your dog a certain way to make a stranger, or even a family member or friend, more comfortable. Each individual owner has the right to decide what’s best for his or her dog!
But the way I see it is this:
If I muzzle train my dog properly, she won’t experience discomfort or anxiety. Conditioning positive associations and properly advocating for her mean the muzzle will not decrease her quality of life.
It will be such a small inconvenience to me and my dog that it’s practically insignificant—but that tiny effort on our part could make a world of difference to someone with a severe fear of dogs.
I think that chance is completely worth it.
While it may not be my direct responsibility to make another person feel comfortable with my animal—and I would never force someone else to do so—I can only see good things coming from it. Maybe, just maybe, those positive experiences will build over time and help someone start to see why I like dogs so much.
And you know what? Maybe not. But even then, my dog and I have at least shown someone else kindness and respect. That’s not nothing. And it doesn’t hurt us to do.
Concern #6: People need to face their fears
“Letting fearful people interact with muzzled dogs will teach them to only be comfortable around muzzled dogs. They need to face their fears directly!”
It’s true: In order to work through a fear, a person must be willing to confront it.
But facing a fear in small, broken-down steps can be just as effective as diving in headfirst. (Often far more effective.) Building any sort of comfort will open the door to greater desensitization over time!
Think of it like learning to swim: Starting in the shallow end doesn’t mean you’ll never be comfortable where you can’t touch. It just means that you’re taking things slow so you don’t panic or get in over your head.
Systematic desensitization (in this case allowing a person to first get close to a safe, muzzled dog, and then slowly interact with more canines over time) is generally considered more ethical than “flooding”, which forces someone to confront the thing that makes them nervous very intensely and all at once.
Some people are so afraid of dogs that their bodies’ fight-or-flight responses completely inhibit them from interacting. It’s not fair to expect them to “just get over it”.
From a standpoint of strictly wanting to take care of my dog, I’d rather have her around someone who is mildly uncomfortable than around someone having a full-blown panic attack. Dogs are sensitive to human emotions, and I don’t need her to also start getting anxious and reacting.
I don’t get to tell someone that it isn’t okay for them to be afraid. It’s unfair to force them into a situation they don’t feel ready to handle or demand that they run full-speed into their fears.
But what I can do is help them get comfortable with a well-trained, muzzled dog so they can have a positive experience with the animal I love—an experience that hopefully, over time, can build into conquering a fear completely!
Concern #7: We shouldn’t just cover issues up
“We should work through behavioral issues instead of just using a muzzle to cover them up.”
Yes, yes yes. Absolutely right. As dog owners, we should never use any tool as an excuse or cover for lack of training. Period.
When we advocate for muzzle training, we are not saying a fearful or aggressive dog should just have a basket slapped on his face so he can be subjected to whatever stimuli make him so uncomfortable.
No—we’re saying that a muzzle, when properly conditioned, can be a helpful tool in the training process!
A muzzle can allow:
Dogs who scrounges for trash to still go on walks or run off-leash while a “leave it” command is being proofed.
Fearful or reactive canines to still enjoy hiking with their humans while they’re conditioned to scary stimuli like strangers passing by.
Aggressive dogs with strong bites the chance to be rehabilitated without risking the safety of their owners and trainers.
Here’s the thing: Sometimes changing a behavior has to start with management first.
The goal is often to work to a place where the muzzle isn’t needed anymore. In many cases that happens. In some it doesn’t. Either way: Wearing a muzzle means a dog gets to experience things that make her life better when she otherwise might not be able to.
Using a tool as a band-aid to avoid putting time and effort into training your dog is never responsible. But using a tool to help you and your dog achieve training goals safely? That definitely is.
Concern #8: Wearing a muzzle is not a way to live
“Wearing a muzzle all the time isn’t a way to live. My dog needs to eat, drink, and play.”
You’re completely right!
A dog shouldn’t be muzzled 24/7, and I’m generally opposed to muzzles that don’t allow a dog to drink or pant.
The truth is that muzzles can be cruel. There are many different types, and—like any tool—they can be used in many different ways, positive and negative.
Supporting muzzle training does not mean I think any dog should have to wear a muzzle all day long for their entire life. It does mean that I recognize benefits when the tool is used properly! And I want to do my part to reduce the stigma surrounding muzzled dogs.
The same way that supporting crate training doesn’t mean encouraging an owner to keep their dog in a cage all the time, supporting muzzle training doesn’t mean encouraging an owner to muzzle their dog every second.
These (very valid) concerns aren’t an issue with the tool itself—they’re an issue with the tool’s use and popular perceptions.
The only way to change that stigma? Thoughtful training, humane use, and accessible education.
