TRAINING

Some Thoughts on our Lovely Dogs
You and Your New Dog
How to Have Fun with Your Dog & the Best Way to Get a Good Recall
Kennel Club and Good Citizen Awards
Muzzle Training

SOME THOUGHTS ON OUR LOVELY DOGS…Shelley Jennings

I'm a big believer that knowledge brings understanding and can help enhance our relationships with our dogs. So here are a few parting thoughts to keep in mind when working and cohabiting with your dog…

· Learning is always taking place. Whenever you are with your dog, he is learning something, even if you aren't aware of it or it isn't what you intended him to learn!

· "Behaviour is never unlearned" – Dr Robert Epstein. Once something has been learnt, it can never be unlearnt; you can never eradicate a behaviour. In any situation, assess what learning is happening as you can't unteach anything that is being learnt! Rehabilitation is not about unlearning behaviours, it's about building alternative behaviours, but know that under certain circumstances the original behaviour may reoccur.

· Dogs need around 17 to 19 hours of quality rest a day. If your dog isn't getting that because you're keeping him out with you all day, or because the kids keep playing with him, or because your household are always on the go, consider changing your dog's routine a bit, give him a bed in a quiet room, shut him out for a bit of quality rest, or consider leaving him behind when you go out. Lack of sleep can lead to stress issues which can lead to behavioural problems or physical illness.

· Punishment is never justified. The reason people use punishment is that they believe that if a behaviour is followed by an unpleasant enough consequence, the behaviour will not happen again. However, there are several problems with this idea. The first is that it doesn't stop the 'bad' behaviour happening in the first place; the behaviour has already happened, time can't be rewound, the horse has already bolted. It is too late to change what has already taken place. It is your fault for allowing it to happen in the first place, so smack yourself across the nose with a newspaper for being unobservant! The second problem is a timing issue - for punishment to be effective, it must happen the instant the unwanted behaviour occurs, and most of us are too slow to get this right. You can't punish a dog for something it did earlier as dogs do not have the self-awareness to put together something unpleasant happening to them now with something 'naughty' they might have done earlier. Any punishment delivered late is abuse, pure and simple. And even if you catch your dog in the act of doing something, there is still a third problem with punishment, and that is that we cannot predict what unwanted side-effects it may have or what the dogs interpret they are being punished for; we may think we are punishing the dog for weeing on the carpet, but what the dog has learnt isn't that weeing on the carpet is bad, instead what he's learnt is that weeing on the carpet infront of you is bad, so now he does it behind the sofa when you're not looking instead. Punishment can ruin our relationships with our dogs, can cause them to become 'shut down' cowering wrecks, or can cause them to become aggressive if they feel we have threatened their life. We simply can't know what the fall-out will be.

But the biggest problem with punishment is that it doesn't teach the dog what the correct alternative behaviour is. If applied correctly with expert timing and precision it may teach the dog not to do something, but it certainly doesn't teach him what we would like him to do instead. The best way to teach your dog to do the things you want is to reward him for doing them, and not allow him the chance to practice behaviours you don't want.

Please remember that even seemingly 'humane' or widely available things like shock collars, spray collars, water pistols, rattle tins etc are still forms of punishment and are subject to all the above negative points listed.

Don't risk punishing. Positive reinforcement always wins the day!

If you're looking for a new dog club, here are a few guidelines for what to be looking out for…

· Do they have a good website? In this modern day and age, virtually everyone has a website! Is it clear and detailed? Does it look professional? Are their training values, ethos and methods clearly outlined?

· What are the qualifications of the trainer? Dog training is a bit of a tricky industry as it's unregulated and there isn't one set of recognised qualifications or one set of recognised training methods, but there are courses out there that trainers can take such as courses run by COAPE, and the trainer should be attending courses and seminars regularly to ensure their knowledge base is continually evolving and is up to date.

· Go along and watch a class without your dog before signing up. Do you like the trainer? The venue? Will your dog fit in there and be able to cope? How many dogs are in the class? Are the exercises a mix of 'individual' tasks and well managed 'group' activities? Does there seem to be structure to the lesson? What learning is taking place?

And remember that if a trainer asks you to do something that you're not happy about or using a method you don't like, say 'no' – don't expose your dog to potentially negative experiences just because you're a bit afraid of saying no or you think the trainer must know better; they don't always! There are still some trainers out there using questionable methods based on outdated information, so be a bit careful.

YOU AND YOUR NEW DOG

By GEMMA WICKENDEN

I was just watching over my latest foster dog's behaviour and there is so much that could have been avoided that contributed to her 'issues' in her past life but the damage has been done and yet all it takes is a calm hands off approach to 'fix' the 'problem'.

Regard every new dog, no matter his (or her) past, with the mind set of this is the first day of the rest of his life – do not dwell on his past and don't think that you're making up for whatever has happened to him by giving in at the first bark/whine/whimper (i.e. if your house rules are no dogs upstairs/on the bed/on the sofa then stick to it – you will not be helping the dog or yourself by giving in)

HOUSE TRAINING

It's possible that your new dog may not be house trained but even those that are WILL piddle on the floor at some point. All you have to do is 'think puppy' let them out in the garden at very short intervals (every 15 mins to half hour) if they do 'go' then big praise 'oh what a good dog!!!!' Then come in and leave him to go about his business but when he does mess indoors say nothing – don't even look at him. Clear it away and clean over the spot with a disinfectant never ever bleach. The ammonia in bleach will heighten the ammonia in the urine which in effect actually highlights the spot to your foster dog as a great piddle spot. Vinegar is a simple but effective cleaner.

TRUST

If your dog is avoiding eye contact, or just avoiding being with you, then remain calm and carry on as normal. Wait for a calm moment during the day and set yourself up with a cuppa and something to do and let him come to you. He will tell you when he's ready for contact so be led by the dog even if it takes a week for him to trust enough in you to come near (of course yummy titbits can help).

STEALING THINGS

Just by their nature, a retriever will want to be carrying things around, with socks being a firm favourite!!!

There is a golden rule when a dog steals DO NOT CHASE HIM as this turns it into a game. Use the opportunity to teach drop, that way you're changing the balance to your advantage. Grab something smelly or yummy to eat and literally offer it to the dog, placing the other hand under the item, as the mouth opens to take the treat say 'drop' or 'give', take the stolen item, feed him his reward for dropping then give something appropriate and just walk away. When your dog gets used to the swap you can turn it on its head further more – 'what's that'? Call the dog into you and say 'drop' take the stolen item and have a game with something you would like him to have.

By using this exercise in a play situation, not only are you teaching drop but you're teaching him to play with humans and building his trust and bonding.

JUMPING UP

It's natural for a dog to want to jump up and say hi, some will be gentle about it and some will do it with some weight behind it but either way you need to start the work of getting your dog out of it.
The first method to use is to just 'switch off' wait for him to jump up on you and in a flat voice say 'off' (not down) while twisting your body to the side. When he is 'off' that's where he gets his gentle fuss. This is usually enough to spell it out to him that you're really very boring when he does jump up to greet you BUT you need to make sure that everyone follows this routine including visitors. Don't ever just push him off because even though it's negative attention it's still attention and by the same token I still see people knee a dog in the chest to get him off – there is no need for this ever.

GROOMING

It's not rare for a dog to come through rescue that is in need of some coat care, some will not have been groomed whereas some have just missed on the last few grooming sessions.

Monitor your dog but don't push it, start off on an area like his shoulder – he will see what you're doing and it's an area that will not threaten him. Use slow gentle strokes and see what his reaction is. If he is happy to be groomed then that's great! Just do a little every day with a slicker brush and if you do come to a matted area it's sometimes better to just cut it out but before you take the scissors to him make sure he is relaxed and calm to avoid you or him getting cut!!

Imagine marking out a section (clump) on your dog's fur and the best thing is to start at the tip and work through, that way you are taking out the little knots one by one and not working all the small knots together to create one big tangle.

If, however, you have a dog that is far from happy about being groomed then starting from the shoulder, follow the above but you will need to give him something to chew to keep him occupied and just do a few strokes with a wide toothed comb and leave him to it doing the same the next day. You will be able to build his tolerance as you go. One vital piece of advice is to name his body parts as you go! I know it seems daft but he really will begin to recognise the body part names as you say them – this way nothing is a surprise.

HEALTH CHECKS

In my opinion this is one of the most important parts of dog ownership the health check! This is so important on lots of levels, the most basic being to check for any lumps/bumps and ticks but also grass seeds right to vet appointments but make sure that if your vet will not name body parts then you do it for him!.

Grass seeds will work their way into the dog's skin and travel (very painfully) up a dog's leg. Golden retrievers being a fuzzy breed are prone to this and it will take an operation to remove them. Look for these in paws/toes and even eyes and ears.

Again how fast you go with this will depend on your foster dog's tolerance to being handled so very carefully monitor the situation. If he is unhappy about being handled then make the experience something and nothing so you're just going to touch his ear at the same time as saying 'ear' as his tolerance builds you will eventually be able to lift the ear and look inside, with paws you are aiming to be able to check between the pads and toes and your aiming to be able to run your hands down the length of the tail but also to lift it.

Follow this every day but stick to the same order adding one on each time he accepts each area you are working on. I always go ears, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, legs, paws, body, legs, paws, tail.

STEALING FOOD

Bin raiding and counter surfing. A dog will do this for a number of reasons and it can be anything from boredom to he was once fed scraps from there so he's pushing his luck to he has experienced hunger (and some of these dogs really have starved). A dog that has starved will grab what he can and scoff it down in super quick time especially those that have had things taken from them. The best way to start going about this is to prepare for it. Never leave food out on the work surface and leave a room, raise the bin but be fair - If there is anything such as the remains of your roast dinner then take the trash out. Don't prepare his food on a human work surface, for example my dogs eat in the hall so their food is prepared out there. If he knows food is prepared up there then it's always worth a look to see if you left something out for him J every time you do catch him up there then the sight of you is usually enough to see him get off again but always say 'off' as you do it. To actually get him off I set them up by balancing a tin tray on the very edge, as their paws hit the tray it falls to the floor making a nice loud clatter! Its usually enough to make sure they remember its not a good idea but sometimes you will need to keep repeating the exercise to remember the experience and the best bit is that you didn't have to do anything!

NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE

I've included the behaviour modification program called NILIF which stands for nothing in life is free. It's a brilliant hands off program and all you need for it to work well for your new dog is a calm approach.

The NILIF program is remarkable because it's effective for such a wide variety of problems. A shy, timid dog becomes more confident. An aggressive dog becomes calmer and less aggressive. They are learning that they can co-operate with their owners and be rewarded for doing so.

It is equally successful with dogs that fall anywhere between those two extremes. The program is not difficult to put into effect and it's not time consuming if the dog already knows a few basic obedience requests. I've never seen this technique fail to bring about a positive change in behaviour, however, the change can be more profound in some dogs than others. Most owners use this program in conjunction with other behaviour modification techniques such as coping with fear or treatment for aggression. It is a perfectly suitable technique for the dog with no major behaviour problems that just needs some fine tuning.

ATTENTION ON DEMAND
The program begins by eliminating attention on demand. When your dog comes to you and nudges your hand, saying "pet me! pet me!" ignore him. Don't tell him "no", don't push him away. Simply pretend you don't notice him. This has worked for him before, so don't be surprised if he tries harder to get your attention. When he figures out that this no longer works, he'll stop. It is an interesting exercise to monitor how many times a day your dog convinces you to do something for him, from the automatic tickles he gets when you hand is dangling over the arm of the sofa, to the blatant, “Get me a biscuit NOW”, “Play with me NOW” routines. Simply ignoring these overtures, when instigated by the dog, would lead to a very unsatisfying relationship between dog and owner. Now you work it to your advantage. You now know what he wants, so make him work for it. Both you and you dog will find it mentally and physically stimulating working together.

EXTINCTION BURSTS
Your dog already knows that he can demand your attention and he knows what works to get that to happen. As of today, it no longer works, but he doesn't know that yet. We all try harder at something we know works when it stops working. If I gave you a twenty-pound note every time you clapped your hands together, you'd clap a lot. But, if I suddenly stopped handing you money, even though you were still clapping, you'd clap more and clap louder. You might even get closer to me to make sure I was noticing that you were clapping. You might even shout at me "Hey! I'm clapping like crazy over here, where's the money?". If I didn't respond at all, in any way, you'd stop. It wasn't working anymore. That last try -- that loud, frequent clapping is an extinction burst. If, however, during that extinction burst, I gave you another twenty-pound note you'd be right back in it. It would take a lot longer to get you to stop clapping because you just learned that if you try hard enough, it will work.

When your dog learns that the behaviours that used to get him your attention don't work any more he's going to try harder and he's going to have an extinction burst. If you give him attention during that time you will have to work that much harder to get him turned around again. Telling him "no" or pushing him away is not the kind of attention he's after, but it's still attention. Completely ignoring him will work faster and better.

YOU HAVE THE POWER
As the provider of your dog's resources (comfort, food, play, walks, attention) you have control of all things that are wonderful in his life. This is the backbone of the NILIF program. You control all of the resources. Playing, attention, food, walks, going in and out of the door, going for a ride in the car, going to the dog park. Anything and everything that your dog wants comes from you. If he's been getting most of these things for free there is no real reason for him to be polite in his requests for them. In fact he will consider them his right.

To implement the NILIF program you simply have to have your dog earn his use of your resources. He's hungry? No problem, he simply has to sit before his bowl is put down. He wants to play fetch? Great! He has to "down" before you throw the ball. Want to go for a walk or a ride? He has to sit to get his lead snapped on and has to sit while the front door is opened. He has to sit and wait while the car door is opened and listen for the word (I use "OK") that means "get into the car". When you return he has to wait for the word that means "get out of the car" even if the door is wide open. Don't be too hard on him. He's already learned that he can make all of these decisions on his own. He has a strong history of being in control of when he gets these resources. Enforce the new rules, but keep in mind that he's only doing what he's been taught to do and he's going to need some time to get the hang of it all.

You're going to have to pay attention to things that you probably haven't noticed before. If you feed your dog from your plate do you just toss him a green bean? No more. He has to earn it. You don't have to use standard obedience commands, any kind of action will do. If your dog knows "shake" or "spin around" or "speak" use those commands. Does your dog sleep on your bed? Teach him that he has to wait for you to say "OK" to get on the bed and he has to get down when you say "off". Teach him to go to his bed, or other designated spot, on command. When he goes to his spot and lays down tell him "stay" and then release him with a treat reward. Having a particular spot where he stays is very helpful for when you have guests or otherwise need him out of the way for a while. It also teaches him that free run of the house is a resource that you control. There are probably many things that your dog sees as valuable resources that I haven't mentioned here.

The NILIF program should not be a long, drawn out process. All you need to do is enforce a simple command before allowing him access to what he wants. Dinner, for example, should be a two or three second encounter that consists of nothing more than saying "sit", then "good dog!", then putting the bowl down and walking away.

ATTENTION AND PLAY
Now that your dog is no longer calling the shots you will have to make an extra effort to provide him with attention and play time. Call him to you, have him "sit" and then lavish him with as much attention as you want. Have him go get his favourite toy and play as long as you both have the energy. The difference is that now you will be the one initiating the attention and beginning the play time. He's going to depend on you now, a lot more than before, to see that he gets what he needs. What he needs most is quality time with you. This would be a good time to enroll in a group obedience class. If his basic obedience is top notch, see about joining an agility class or fly ball team.
NILIF DOES *NOT* MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION YOU GIVE TO YOUR DOG. The NILIF concept speaks to who initiates the attention (you!), not the amount of attention. Go ahead and call your dog to you 100 times a day for hugs and kisses!! You can demand his attention he can no longer demand yours!

Within a day or two your dog will see you in a whole new light and will be eager to learn more. Use this time to teach new things, such as 'roll over' or learn the specific names of different toys.
Mental and physical stimulation is essential for you dog's wellbeing.

RECIPES

Below are a couple of my recipes for some great dog treats – if you like yours fluffier or gooier then experiment until you get your desired result.

LIVER CAKE

Equal amounts of liver (chicken lamb or ox is good) to self raising flour
For 400g of liver I use 2 eggs
GARLIC the secret ingredient in liver cake J I use a garlic puree with a good squirt in the middle some other trainers like garlic salt.
Use water (never milk) to mix and when you have a nice doughy texture then pour into your greased baking tin.
Gas mark 5 until a nice golden brown colour – to test just dip a knife in the middle, if its cooked it will come out clean.
Leave to cool and cube up in portioned bags. Suitable for freezing but if defrosted or fresh must be kept in the fridge. Can be kept for around 7 days.

TUNA CAKE (not to be made with tuna in brine, sun flower oil is best)

Match the drained weight of the tuna to self raising flour but pour the sun flower oil into the mix.
I use 2 small tins so only need 1 egg
Use water (never milk) to mix and when you have a nice doughy texture then pour into your greased baking tin.
Gas mark 5 until a nice golden brown colour – to test just dip a knife in the middle, if its cooked it will come out clean.
Leave to cool and cube up in portioned bags. Suitable for freezing but if defrosted or fresh must be kept in the fridge. Can be kept for around 7 days.

TELEVISION AND DOG TRAINING

On TV you will see some amazing dog training. You will see the likes of Victoria Stilwell , Cesar Milan and Jan Fennel faced with some very difficult behaviours – then you will see the middle of the session where the dogs are picking up the methods and you will see the end result – you will not see all the foundation work and building work in between.

Although from these trainers you will see no –nonsense training, the methods you are seeing may be totally unsuitable for the dog in front of you. Only 2 of the above trainers will use a more hands on approach in some of their cases but they are listed as examples.

Here at IRR you will not need to alpha roll, scruff a dog, use a choke chain or get hands on. All the difficult to handle dogs are sent to our experienced fosterers who have had the training needed to help these dogs and rest assured that they do not use these methods to bring them around.

Despite the hands on approach to some of the dogs you will hear Jan Fennel talk about leadership – all you need to show strong leadership is written above , Cesar Milan will say time and time again CALM POSITIVE ENERGY and, in order to implement the above with great success, that is exactly what you need - deep steady breaths will slow and steady your body which will send out positive vibes in your body language, round your shoulders slightly!!
Have you ever been late and the dogs just mucking about? Rover here! Rover here! Well rover doesn't want to come because although your mouth is shouting for him to come your body language is keeping him out!! That's because your shoulders are square from the stress – your jaw is set – your mouth is drawn tight and your voice affected by the stress is far from calm.
By the way if your dog is one that doesn't want to come in from the garden until he is good and ready have you ever just tried shutting the door and walking away? You would be surprised just how many all of a sudden want nothing more than to be indoors with you!!! J

Relax – smile and have some fun with your new dog after all it's you who will be building the foundations your dog needs for his lovely new life and if you're giving out calm signals you will enjoy the experience just as much as him.

HOW TO HAVE FUN WITH YOUR DOG & THE BEST WAY TO GET A GOOD RECALL

By GEMMA WICKENDEN

Using a ball on a rope is a really good way of getting a dog zoned into a ball and, in turn, getting the dog zoned into you! Make sure that ALL ball play is with and around you! and, when the game is over, then just reward the dog and put the ball away.

The best and quickest way to get a dog keyed into a ball is to have a game and after only a few throws and tugs put the toy away. It must be taken away
1. on your terms
2. before the dogs get bored and most importantly
3. when the dog is excited and happy

It is done like this because, when the ball next comes out, the dog remembers that high excited feeling so, the more you follow this routine, the more the dog focuses on the ball and, therefore, focuses on being around you, because the ball is only 'in play' when it's with you.

IF you use the above then it really will cut down on the amount of time you need to spend making sure you have a good recall. My recall training is done on a 15 meter tracking line - now this is the part where all your friends and fellow dog walkers will think that you are mad but, believe me, the following games and excercises will ensure that your dog is on an invisible bungee when it comes to taking the long line out of the picture.

1. Keep your dog guessing! At random times, just turn around and walk away! then, when she catches up to you, heap the praise and continue on your walk.

2. Working on the same basis, shout his / her name and your recall command and run away in the other direction! Because you are a moving target, and so waaaaaaay more exciting, he / she will bust a gut to catch up with you. Also, because you used the recall command, this is where you need your high value treats (liver cake/slami/garlic chicken) and then heap the praise (yayyyy well done)

3. Hide and seek!!! At random times, just nip off the path and hide - to start off make it obvious, until the dog gets the hang of the game, and then it can get harder and harder. If they are struggling a bit then just call his / her name to help them. Make sure that you have treats out ready so they get a jackpot and loads of fuss for finding you.

4. Every so often, produce the ball for a really good game, have a tug, throw it a few times and then just put it away. When I'm out with mine, I end this game by throwing a few treats ahead of me so, while they are 'hunting', I can put the ball away. They will then come right back to you, looking for the ball, but just smile like a loon, praise the dog warmly and run on (if only for a few steps) again. This makes you more animated and, therefore, more worthy of his / her attention.

5. Your dog, because of it's breed type, probably needs to work so help him / her! Have a treat in your hand and hold it in a closed fist. Hold your fist by their nose so they can smell what's inside - now run forward (I say 'ready ready ready') and throw the food in front of you both. While your dog is hunting, walk on. Again he / she will bust a gut to get back to you and when your dog gets to you then give him / her a 'freebie' for catching you up - of course, you will be reeeeaally pleased with his / her efforts. As your dog gets used to this game, then you can add more treats and throw them on further ahead and then you can start throwing them into longer grass so your dog really needs to work to find them.

All these games will heighten your value and make you worth sticking near. Of course, your dog can go and sniff and meet other friendly dogs but when you do call them, they will have the drive to get back to you as fast as they can.

Make sure that your dog's "want to be with you" is well established before you do let him / her off.

When going to classes, although it's a contrived way of doing it, it's still a situation where your dog has to learn to run past other dogs to reach you and will help you should you need to call him / her from a playful dog or make sure he /she bypasses a not so friendly dog.

For dogs who dig in the garden, it's mainly boredom that brings about this behaviour. To make life more interesting, break your dog's day up with a few minutes training here and there. Do a little bit of obedience and later on do a little bit of trick training. You can also get your dog's nose to work in the garden by taking a portion of her evening meal and scattering it in the garden. Your dog will have so much fun hunting for his / her dinner that he / she will forget all about digging.

Two very good books are Dr Ian Dunbar's 'Good Little Dog Book' and Mary Ray's 'Dog Tricks'. Both of these books will help you when it comes to your short training sessions each day and will ensure when you go to training classes you and your dog will be top of the class!!!!!

KENNEL CLUB GOOD CITIZEN AWARDS

Many of our dogs have taken or are taking the various Kennel Club Good Citizen awards. See them on congrats 2007 and congrats 2008. These are the requirements of each award.

EXERCISES FEATURED IN THE GOOD CITIZEN BRONZE AWARD
1. Cleanliness
2. Collar & lead
3. Walk on lead
4. Control at door/gate
5. Controlled walk through people and dogs
6. Stay down on lead
7. Groom
8. Present for examination
9. Return to handler
10. Responsibilty and care

EXERCISES FEATURED IN THE GOOD CITIZEN SILVER AWARD
1. Play with the dog
2. Road walk
3. Rejoin handler
4. Stay in one place
5. Vehicle control
6. Come away from distractions
7. Controlled greeting
8. Food manners
9. Examination of the dog
10. Responsibility and care

EXERCISES FEATURED IN THE GOOD CITIZEN GOLD AWARD
1. Road walk
2. Return to handler’s side
3. Walk free beside handler
4. Stay down in one place
5. Send the dog to bed
6. Stop the dog
7. Relaxed isolation
8. Food manners
9. Responsibility and care

MUZZLE TRAINING
by Helen Fayers, 2007
www.abcdogs.co.uk

The advantage of muzzle training a dog should not be under valued.
The situations that necessitate a dog being muzzled can be varied and not necessarily always related to aggression. However the prime reason is usually to maintain the safety of the public and or the safety of other dogs.

It is important to understand that the responsibility of controlling a potentially hazardous dog sits squarely on the owner’s shoulders and as such the owner has a duty of care towards the public. Failure to implement this effectively can result in the dog being removed from its owner, prosecution of the owner and ultimately a destruction order being placed on the dog. NO-ONE wants that!

There is also a duty of care to the dog which, in my opinion is just as important.
If a dog has to wear a muzzle then we owe it to him to make it as stress free an experience as possible.

In a situation when muzzling is required, chances are, the dog is going to be experiencing increased stress levels already; to then “slap” this “thing” on his face, often ill-fitting and uncomfortable, can only increase his stress and make a difficult situation even worse! Next time he is in the same situation, the stress will be greater and even sight of a muzzle can trigger further anxiety, fear or aggression and so it becomes a vicious circle …poor dog!

So, if we can help a dog become comfortable with his muzzle, if we can get some pleasant associations attached to his muzzle then we can help him feel more secure in an already stressful situation. If you think about it - introducing a dog to a muzzle is no different than introducing a dog to any piece of training equipment. Whether it be a head-collar, harness or even a dog coat – the procedure is still the same – a step at a time and only moving on when the dog is comfortable with each step.
All too often the dog’s first experience of a muzzle is when it is put on in a hurry when the dog is already in a state of arousal, leading to fear or frustration and anger,

N.B; Please ensure, to the best of your ability that you get a muzzle that is suitable for your breed. The best muzzles to use are the basket type ones, not the fabric, you need to be able to get small treats through the mesh. The basket ones also do not inhibit the dog’s ability to communicate - we still need to observe his facial gestures to determine whether he is offering submissive lip licks or aggressive lip “pull-backs” etc.

If you are not sure, do some research, via the internet or contact breed rescues etc. It is important that once fitted the muzzle is comfortable and very secure. Remember you can’t try it on for size until you have followed the procedure so be prepared for the fact you MAY have to purchase several until you get it right.

First arm yourself with really tasty treats and I mean REALLY tasty treats!

If your dog is not treat orientated, then you are going to have to go back a stage further and get him “switched on” to food rewards, se attached sheet.

So, you’ve got your treats. Now get out the muzzle and show it to your dog, let him have a good sniff, then praise and treat him. AH! Now you’ve got his interest!
Put the muzzle away, out of sight, under a cushion or behind your back. Then get it out and repeat the procedure several times.

Do this at regular intervals thro the day, you could use your dogs daily food ration to do this. Make sure that you present the muzzle only 3- 4 times at each session, keep sessions really short ( if you are watching the telly then do it at every ad break, then when the programme resumes – stop) Yes that short a time!

Once your dog is associating the muzzle with yummy treats or his meal you will see him “perk-up”, maybe wag his tail or get quite animated when he sees “his” muzzle, “oh, this funny looking thing means I get treats! Oh this is a GOOOOD thing!” You can only move on when you see him react like this. For dogs that have had a bad experience already with a muzzle this will take some time, be patient!

Assuming the dog is now reacting positively to the sight of the muzzle, now move on:

Place a treat inside the muzzle and place the muzzle on the floor, or if the dog is a large one, place it on the sofa next to you. Allow the dog to take the treat out of the muzzle, make no movement towards the dog maintain a relaxed expression and body posture and try hard not to stare at either the dog or the muzzle but praise him as he takes the treat.

Again short sessions often are better than “going for it”. Once he is happily pushing his nose into the muzzle you can then repeat the procedure, this time holding the muzzle in one hand.

Get him used to collecting his treat from the muzzle in one hand and try poking another treat through the gaps in the muzzle whilst his nose is still in there … make this a GOOD game.

When he is leaving his nose in the muzzle expecting another treat to appear through the bars, you can then move on to the next step.

Try offering the muzzle to him and see if he puts his nose into it without a treat in there. If he does give him a big reward, you can do this through the bars or if he jerks his head out praise him quietly and give him a small reward,. Make sure he gets a bigger or tastier treat if he leaves his head in the muzzle and doesn’t “spook” himself.

If he won’t place his nose into the muzzle without evidence of a treat go back a stage, he may not be ready yet.

If he is shoving his nose in and waiting expectantly, try withholding the offer of a treat for a couple of seconds, pay close attention to him and try to gauge it before he removes his nose.

Once he is happy to wait for a couple of seconds begin to increase the time. If you can get him comfortable with 5-10 seconds, gently draw the straps up around the back of his head … do not fasten at this point, just get him used to the sensation of the straps.

Again move on when he is easy with this, clip the fastening close around the back of his head; treat through the muzzle and release.

Repeat until this is easy for him.

Once he is accepting of the muzzle being fastened and is taking treats through the bars, gradually accustom him to wearing it for very short periods of time, start with 1 minute and slowly build up your time. Reward him intermittently whilst he is wearing the muzzle. Perhaps indulge him in some massage intermingled with treats, keep those good associations going with the muzzle.

If your dog knows a “SIT” ask him to do this before you remove the muzzle, this will help to keep a controlled atmosphere around muzzle wearing. Reward him again for sitting nicely to have the muzzle removed.

As soon as the dog wears his muzzle with ease around the house, try taking him to the garden; treat him through the bars as before.

Try to take him for a very short walk, no more than a few paces, praising and rewarding as you go. Do the same for car journeys too.

If your dog is being trained to wear a muzzle for the vet, ensure the muzzle gets put on before you even leave for the vets. Do not attempt to take your dog to the vets and then put the muzzle on, you could undo all your hard work …. Dis-associate the muzzle from negative experiences; he should be as comfortable with the muzzle on as he is with his normal collar.

If it is possible have a few “dummy runs” to the vets prior to treatment – just pop the dog in offer a couple of treats and leave.

If the muzzle needs to be worn for aggression issues ensure that he is so comfortable in his muzzle that no attempt to remove it be made by him, please ensure it is secure, so that anyone working with or around the dog is safe at all times.

If Aggression is your problem, use this same procedure to accustom your dog to a Gentle Leader, or other head collar (I personally prefer the use of the Canny Collar and most dogs accept it more readily than other types of head collar.)This will give another point of control for you with your dog.

REMEMBER; Take things slowly and work at your dogs pace, don’t be tempted to rush this ,if you take it slowly you will be doing your dog a big favour and making the transition to muzzle wearing as easy as possible …… it could in some cases be a matter of life and death! Good luck!

©2013 Irish Retriever Rescue