Normalizing muzzles

Pate and jme discuss muzzles and why they can be a literal lifesaver for some dogs- and how it's important we begin to normalize them rather than judge dogs who wear them.

Original music by Matt Setter and friend Sean!

Original content by Matt Setter and friend, Sean!

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Hi, I'm Jme, and this is Pate., with Motley Zoo Animal Rescue. This is our podcast, Rescue Shit. Dino, Nino. Today, we're going to talk about muzzles. I wrote a blog once called, What's the Problem with Muzzles? And the problem is that people don't use them, especially when they should. So we're going to talk a little bit about that, why they're important, what kinds to use, and different applications of them, but namely not to be afraid of using them because they could be a lifesaver. Yeah, we definitely need to normalize muzzle wearing. Instead of having a preconceived prejudice when we see a dog wearing a muzzle, thinking that dog is automatically quote unquote aggressive, doesn't necessarily mean that a dog in a muzzle is aggressive. When I see a dog in a muzzle, the first thing that I think of is, you know what, that's fantastic. That dog's owner is advocating for that dog and making sure that that dog is safe from others and possibly, they're poor decisions. Yeah, from their own behavior. Exactly. And it's not, necessarily an aggressive thing. It could be a medical thing such as like pica that they want to eat everything on the ground. Rocks. Nails like whatever. I mean, it's just like a little Hoover vacuum and it's just not a good thing because everything goes in and Unfortunately as we know with dogs everything that goes in does not necessarily go out. And then when you muzzle, you want to condition them to the muzzle first, if a dog is reactive, When a person is helping to train the reactive dog, you want to make sure that you don't just slap on a muzzle. You need to condition them to wearing a muzzle, to feeling that muzzle on their face. It's just kind of like how we condition a dog or a puppy, to have a collar. If you've had a puppy. And you put a collar on it the first week that puppy is scratching at its neck we've had puppies go to foster homes or adoptive, you know foster to adopt homes and They're gonna ask me if the puppy's been on flea medication because it's scratching like it has fleas And it's not as the, the puppy's like, I don't know what's around my neck. Let me like scratch it off. Like get it off. It's so weird. It feels weird. Same exact thing with a muzzle. It's going to feel weird. And like, what are we doing here? We work hard on training the puppies, especially to, you know, colors and leashes, but we also. Can't have them wearing them all the time, especially when they're together and they're playing together because, you know, sometimes their jaws can get stuck around the, the collar and, you know, there's a lot of things that can happen. So sometimes when they are going to a new home, it's still a little bit of a new experience, at least each time you put it on until they start to get used to it. It almost never fails that when a puppy goes home and they've got a collar on the people are like, are you sure they don't have these? And we're like, It's the collar. Yeah. Why don't we talk a little bit about what kind of muzzles there are? Because, if you're thinking about the kind of muzzle when you take your dog to the vet and they put a muzzle on to cut their nails, this is not the kind of muzzle we're talking about, using for, reactivity, or anything like that, namely because the dog can't pant, it can't breathe, that kind of muzzle is meant to force their mouth shut so that they can't bite you, but it's only going to be worn for a very short period of time. When we're talking about muzzles that are going to be used for reactivity or any other kind of scenario, you need the kind that's an open weave kind of, Mesh almost. It looks kind of like a catcher's mitt. Baskerville has a good starter one that a lot of people use. They're pretty easy to find in the pet stores and on Chewy. But they are the typical kind of starter muzzle and it's what we call a basket muzzle. Why don't you talk a little bit about how you kind of acclimate them to that or, or some resources for that. Right. So, ah, I gotta stop saying so, right sorry. Right. You are correct. Thank you Jamie. I'll take it from here. Basketball muzzles are. Your baby steps when you're training a dog to wear a muzzle. We call it muzzle conditioning because basically what you're doing at first is showing them, you know, this Hannibal Lecter like face mask and asking them to put their face, their muzzle into the basket and you give them a treat on the other side. And before you actually strap on the muzzle. Yeah, basically you're handing them treats. Through the muzzle. Through the muzzle, with your hand on the muzzle. You put it on their face, you take it off. You put it on their face, they take it off. And if you do that for a little while, then you put it on and leave it on for a little bit longer, and then take it off. And, and then eventually they're not freaking out and you can get to the point where you can, actually secure it to their face. There's actually a really good muzzle conditioning video by Method K9. So if you Google Method K nine with a KAK nine method, canine muzzle conditioning, it will pop up a video and there's a part one and a part two. And that will show you the basics of how to get your dog used to a muzzle before you even put it on them. Yeah, and Stephanie is a really skilled trainer. She's works with a lot of very, difficult dogs. She's turned dogs around. And, this video is a really great, in depth way about how to train your dog. There's also a website called the Muzzle Up Project, which has some different videos and, information. And basically is It's advocating to normalize muzzle wearing, especially for dogs that could get themselves in trouble. So there's a couple different resources that we refer to, both of them are really great. Um, but I, I think that's what you kind of have to think about, is that you're protecting your dog by putting a muzzle on them. It's like wearing a seatbelt. I mean, you're not gonna go in the car and let your kids just be bouncing around in the backseat You're gonna tell them they have to Wear their seatbelts and you know, even if they're like, oh, it's so constricting and I can't stand it You're like, I don't care because that's what's gonna keep you safe. Well, it should be the same thing for dog muzzles If your dog has a problem, especially with reactivity, or it could, end up biting somebody or getting in a fight, you want to protect them. Some people are going to say, well, if my dog's in a fight and they have a muzzle on, then they can't protect themselves. But, then likely your dog isn't going to be the one in the muzzle because it's going to be the dog that's starting the fight that should be in the muzzle. But think about it, you just don't know what's going to happen and who's going to come up on you when you're walking. Some doctors are just really fearful and Even irrationally so, because we don't maybe know what they've been through, or they just have very timid personalities. There are some people that are like that. Some people are really introverted. Some people are not. Some people are really fearful. Some people are not. The same thing goes with the dogs. Your dog could be just kind of a fearful, timid dog. And their reaction might be, even when startled, to potentially snap. So, this can be a great way to help socialize a dog too, and help them overcome those fears in a productive way that doesn't put them in danger. Especially when you have a herding dog, for example, their first reaction is to nip. Because That's what they do. They nip cattle, they nip sheep, they use their mouths a lot. And it's very common for herding dogs just to be a little bit more on the, I don't want to say neurotic side, but a lot of them don't have jobs, right? They're just being a pet. And. Sometimes walking down the street, you just have no idea when someone's going to run by on a scooter, on a bike, or just run by, period, and startle the dog so that they're going to whip around and potentially nip someone. And we get this a lot. I mean, we have had a lot of emails from people. about their Aussie mix, their cattle dog, et cetera, nipping someone when on the street, and now they're in trouble and their dog has been labeled a dangerous dog. Our first recommendation, of course, is to muzzle condition your dog. While you're teaching him that the streets are safe. I got you. I got your back I am building up your confidence so that we can Alleviate some of this high strong startle reflex that they have Well, and think about it that If you can help them get through these situations without having to react that way, because you're managing the situation, you're in control, they're on a leash, they have the muzzle, that's how you build up confidence. That's how you show them, Oh, this is silly. You don't need to be afraid of that. You have to help them find that level of comfort and to look to you for Those cues, you know, if the bikes coming up and they're scared, they should look at you, they should ask you, Hey, what do I do here? And you'd be like, Oh, it's okay. You can step in front of them and you can advocate for them. That's what you're doing. You're advocating for your dog. You're helping them navigate the world safely. And securely so that they can grow and become more confident and happy in their own skin. Talking about the different muzzle types. You have, what Jme talked about, the muzzles that you see commonly at the vet, they're wraparound muzzles. They keep that mouth entirely shut. The vets are drawing blood, they're giving shots, etc. Their faces are close to the dog's, so you don't want, you don't want to get bit in the face. You don't want to get your hands bit, etc. Those muzzles are strictly very, very short term, so that you can Accomplish one task or a couple of tasks or whatever, and then you take off that muzzle, right? Do not use those at home. And if your dog is fearful, they're going to be panting. And they can't pant in that kind of muzzle and that's going to make them panic. It's just going to make them escalate. Yeah, hyperventilate. Yeah. So you have to understand that a dog that is nervous or a dog that is reactive, they need to be able to open their mouth. They need to be able to pant and breathe. And the great thing about the basket muzzles is that they can eat, drink, Take treats. They can even play with some toys with the muzzle on. And this is something that, doesn't have to disrupt or ruin, their life or be like prison for them, to just to keep them safe. So it's very important to recognize that they can still really enjoy a lot of things that they normally do just without the fear and the worry that they're going to bite somebody or they're going to get in a fight because honestly sometimes it's the people that have the biggest problem dealing with the dog's issues because they're so panicked that something's going to happen that they create such tension that the dog is on higher alert because the people are panicked and worried. And so it creates this kind of negative feedback loop that they just feed off each other. Sometimes muzzles are just the way to tone it down and get the person to calm down and be able to operate on a normal level where everything isn't, the end of the world. Dogs can definitely feel your nervousness and if you are taking your dog out because you know that your dog needs some enrichment, we need to go for a walk, maybe we live in an apartment, we have to go for potty breaks, your dog has to leave your house, but your dog is fearful, your dog is reactive. And potentially some random kid could run up to your dog, or some bike could drive by, or, a car like makes a weird noise, and your dog's going to Lose it for a lack of a better word, but knowing that your dog is in a muzzle What's a dog gonna do? The whole point of the muzzle is that they cannot bite They cannot nip they cannot get themselves into trouble in that way. So your guard You're a little more relaxed because your dog is now rendered impotent, so to speak. And it can, sometimes actually mitigate this behavior for them because they're like, Oh, yeah, I can't do anything about it right now. So I'm just going to relax and not. You obviously have to be careful that you've actually worked through the problem in that situation, you don't want to just take the muzzle off and be like, they never react anymore. So I'm taking the muzzle off. That's not how that works. You need to, work with your dog, but a lot of times when it comes to dog fights, a dog that has a muzzle on is less likely to try to instigate a fight because they know they can't do anything about it. And actually we've had daycare dogs. Including my own dog, who, felt like it was his, invisible cloak when we put the muzzle on him, he was calmer, he was happier, and he played better than when he didn't have it on, because when he didn't have it on, he was, he would get worried, or he would just get cranky and tired and go put himself to, to bed, which was funny because he grew up in daycare, so, it is very strange, but that's, that's a good example of a dog that, we raised him in a certain environment, but it was still stressful for him on some level, and we had to make sure that he wasn't getting prickly or upset with other dogs, and that we watched and made sure that if he wanted to get in the kennel so that he could rest, then he could do that. So sometimes it actually helps them calm down and relax. Then there's other things that you can try to work with your dog, when you're conditioning them, and you could try using some CBD, which will kind of tone down your dog's, likelihood to be a little prickly, and it'll, make them feel a little better, and then maybe that can help them get through the training and relax enough so that they're actually hearing the training that you're trying to give them and they are more receptive to it because their anxiety is knocked down a couple notches. And then if you're going to be out and about with your dog and it's going to take quite a bit of training. To ever have your dog off a muzzle, or if you're, stuck in a situation like in the UK where all XL bullies have to be in a muzzle when you're out and about, you want to make sure that you get the right muzzle. And not all basket muzzles are equal. So your Baskerville is training wheels. To muzzling. You're training them, you're getting them conditioned, but you do not want to hike with a Baskerville. You do not want to jog with a Baskerville. And you really like in the summer, even just walking out and about, you really don't want to have a Baskerville on. Jme mentioned pant room, which is extremely important because Baskervilles will let them open their mouths. To an extent, but they cannot open their mouths fully to pant Appropriately if they needed to lower their body temperature. Remember they do not have sweat glands. They lower their body temperature by panting. And so it's very important that you have enough pant room and you'll see a custom made muzzle will pretty much be, down almost, down their throat. I mean, past their, their lower jaw, almost, Like where it connects to their collar, like where their collar is? Past their collar, like where their shoulders are almost, like some of them, depending on how long their muzzles are, right? Cause it's really based on how wide they can open their mouth because you want them to be able to open their mouths fully. Well, and then there's a couple of different kinds of muzzles when you're getting into a more breed specific one, which is important if you're going to use this all the time, because, you know, this is something that your dog really needs, to protect themselves and you're not able to work through the problem, then you really need to make sure it fits. It would be like wearing shoes that are a few sizes too small. Everyone has like different size feet, right? So do you have a wide toe box? Do you have wide feet? Do you have narrow feet? Do you have long feet? So there's metal wire muzzles that are kind of almost like a cage, like a little bird cage almost. Then there are plastic ones. that are typically like brown plastic. I don't know why they're brown, and then there are leather ones or leather and metal. There's combination ones. Sometimes the leather over the bridge of the nose is the most comfortable that you can do for them because, the Baskerville you'll find, uh, it will rub their, their fur a little bit raw. But You also have to remember is it better to have a little missing fur on their nose, or is it better that they get euthanized because they bit somebody? You gotta really weigh the pros and cons here. And we found that moleskin, which is kind of like this felty stuff that you can get, for blisters and, you can get it in strips. You can put that on the inside of the muzzle and that usually helps. We've had a few different people customize the muzzles that they've used. The silicone ones are probably the most comfortable on the starting level. But the silicone bends and You can actually nip through them. Yeah. Sometimes they can actually nip through them, but often the weave. can break pretty easily with a silicone one. So the pieces will snap and then you could literally like put your fingers through the muzzle and then it's not really going to do you much good. So you have to inspect the muzzles too and make sure that none of the tines that keep the weave together are actually broken, which is more likely to happen with the silicone than the Baskerville and it's less likely to happen with the other kind, but you really should work on getting a custom fit at some point, and it is probably going to be around a hundred dollars. It's not a cheap thing, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than getting sued. It's a heck of a lot easier than watching euthanized because they did something bad, one too many times. It's all relative when it comes to stuff like that, but I think the biggest problem is people think they don't look nice. But we're talking like function over fashion, and this is, again, like a seatbelt. It could save your dog's life, and at that point, it should be worth it. It's not about how your dog looks, or that you don't like it, or that they don't like it. Even dogs that are muzzle conditioned will sometimes rub their muzzle on your leg or something. Maybe it itches, right? You gotta itch your nose. Yeah, so, I mean They still can live happy lives, they still can do plenty of things, and it's really not up to them whether or not they like the muzzle or not, it's just not up to them. Just like it's not up to them whether or not we use the leash, just like it's not up to them that they can't just behave however they want. It really is up to us to teach them to behave properly so that they can navigate our human world. Appropriately and safely and without heartbreak and injury. I had a dog that was a bait dog when I first got him. His name was Bones because, I like David Boreas and, so we didn't name him Sealy booth, but we named him Bones and because he was skin and bones when I got him, he was covered in wounds. He was just not great. And because of his history, he was a little unpredictable, like he'd be great 99 percent of the time, but then that 1 percent like he might snap and then go after another dog, which wasn't safe for the other dogs and especially because I foster so much. It wouldn't be cool to have any of that happen with any of our foster dogs, right? And when he was out with other dogs, again, It was so that he could be around other dogs. It was for his enrichment instead of he loved me so much that he wanted to be with me, but I was working with other dogs all the time and he wasn't always happy being stuck in a room with one of the kids or my husband because he wanted to be with me. So in order to be with me, you have to get along with other dogs. And in order to keep everyone safe, he had to wear a muzzle. And he would eat in that muzzle, drink in that muzzle, and like Jme said, play with that muzzle. He would actually grab stuffed animals and be great, and he would be out with the dogs, and we never had to worry, I didn't have to like second guess anything. And on the occasions when he would bluster, that's all it was. It was blustering and I'm like, Bones, give it a rest. And he's like, fine. Just gonna grab my ducky and go in the corner and no one got hurt. No one ever got hurt by Bones. And he was with puppies to seniors to everything like that. And like I said, 99 percent of the time he could be out with any dog. But that 1 percent you just didn't know when like something triggered. This PTSD from the past or whatever. He lived a great, wonderful life. And like I said, he wasn't muzzled 24 seven. He did have time where he was away from other dogs. Where he was with you by yourself. Yeah, exactly. When he was away from the other dogs that he wasn't muzzled. But, what was the option, you know, euthanizing him, but why, you know, so I made it work. That's something that people don't necessarily understand, too, is like, well, if he gets in fights with other dogs, then keep him away from other dogs. But that's not a solution, nor is that, maybe what the dog wants. Sometimes dogs They may not get along with every dog, or they may be cranky, but they still want to be with other dogs, that is dog nature. Dogs are pack oriented, and for whatever reason, he wasn't able to do that consistently and, without the muscle, but he still wanted to be with other dogs sometimes. As long as they weren't Basenjis. I had a Basenji and they did not get along. Yeah, they weren't out together even when he had the muscle on because the other dog instigated it too, just as much, so. It's a Basenji thing. That dog here, Basenji, he took my brownie. I was bringing it from the plate to my mouth and he grabbed it when it was like an inch away from my mouth and took the whole thing and just leaped in front of me and, and made off with it. It startled me so much because this dog just Went by my face and all of a sudden what I was eating was no longer in my hand. Yeah, yeah max max love food He got in trouble. He yeah, he loved food so much He was a grouch, but he was he was funny cantankerous. He was that's a good word. Yeah, but he was like he was yeah But yeah, so if you want to learn more about muzzles, there's the website muzzle up project, but there's also another website which has, what we talked about the custom made muzzles. Another. thing that they make muzzles out of is biothane. Oh, yeah. Yeah. But anyway, this one's called the muzzle movement and you can look and those are the muzzles that I'm talking about. If you go to the muzzle movement, those are the muzzles that give the dogs appropriate pant room. There's different types for different face sizes. Boston Terriers don't have a nose, but they can have an attitude. So they do make, they do make muzzles for that. You have to measure your dog just to get that right fit. For the, you know, the Brachiocephalic dogs, like, Boston's and Frenchie's, they don't have a muzzle on their face. So their muscles are different and they are actually more like a mask. And those do look pretty Hannibal Lecter looking. It's kind of adorable though, when you see a little 10 pound dog with that mask on and you're just like, okay, buddy. But we did have, some daycare dogs that needed help. Socializing with other dogs, and so they had to wear the mask type when they were in daycare because they behaved unpredictably sometimes. It started with the two of them, because the breeders suggested buying two, which, That's where the problem starts. So the two brothers weren't getting along in their own home, and then they were bringing them to daycare, and then the dogs started having problems with other dogs. We had quite a few dogs in daycare who were able to enjoy being in daycare, comfortably, but they needed a muzzle for, you know, that element of safety and security, but The muzzle allowed them more freedom than if anyone had just taken a chance. And obviously when we're dealing with multiple dogs that other people own, we're not going to take chances. So, why take the dog out of daycare and not have that outlet for them, not have that place they can play, exercise. Meet new people, meet new dogs, and, and work through these problems, pulling them out of there doesn't solve the problem. It actually usually just amplifies it. So, a muzzle can really be the first step towards changing your dog's life for the better and helping fix. the problems that they're experiencing, especially when it has to do with you and your anxiety because you feel like you can't trust them. So it is really important. Exactly. And that's why I say we need to normalize muzzle wearing. Think of it as a good thing. Think of it as advocating for your dog. Think of it when you see another dog that that owner cares about their dog, and wants to protect their dog. Yeah, if you want to say something compliment them on being smart and savvy and advocating for their dog. That's what we do. We always say, oh, thank you. We're so glad that you know about muzzles and that you're doing your best to protect your dog and everyone else around you. So be sure that you don't give that, side eye glance and wonder why that dog's so bad. Be glad that they care enough about their dog, that they're working with their dog, they're trying to fix the problem. I think this is the number one bit of advice that we give to people when they contact us. And they say, Oh, I can't trust my dog with my kids anymore. And I'm like, then you need to immediately put a muzzle on them. There is no question, immediately. But you have to work through it in this way. But 99 percent of the time, this is something that they can do right away that will dramatically impact their dog's life for the better. and help them manage the situation safely rather than continue to take unneeded risks. And few people want the dog that is reacting and nipping at kids or fighting with other dogs. So rehoming sometimes isn't an option. So sometimes you have to think about it that it's the difference between life and death. Are you going to euthanize your dog? Are you going to try muzzle training and Conditioning them and working with them in that way, because that is literally what it's coming down to, especially in this day and age with what's going on in animal welfare and the crisis that we're seeing. Right, especially, you know, a dog through no fault of its own, a really good dog may have to wear a muzzle just because other people are already prejudiced to that breed. Breed specific legislation is still out there. And instead of targeting irresponsible owners, it's targeting good dogs, dogs who haven't even done anything. But because of the way they look, they have to wear a muzzle. Muzzles are not a bad thing, and we need to really think about muzzles as a tool, as a, as an awesome tool for training, for socializing, for peace of mind, you know? It keeps their mouth shut, but it opens doors for them. It keeps their mouth shut. That's a, that's a good one. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's an opportunity. That's really what it needs to be seen as. Yeah. And there's an opportunity waiting for your dog. If you consider muzzle conditioning, especially if you're thinking about Trying to rehome them or euthanizing them for their behavior. It's not worth it until you've given that a try at the very least Exactly and again method K9 for muzzle conditioning and the muzzle up project and Muzzle movement exactly If you're interested in giving us some feedback or sharing your ideas or thoughts Please email us at rescue shit at motley zoo dot org And we'll be happy to, take a look and also if you have other ideas about topics that you'd like to hear, we'd be glad to have your suggestions. That's it for now. I'm Jme. I'm Pate. Rock on. Rescue on.