Today's blog is about one of the most misunderstood tools in the dog world - MUZZLES! Muzzles have a terrible reputation with the general public, and often elicit feelings of fear. I want to help give muzzles the reputation they deserve, and so without further to do, let's dive in! 

I posed this question to my personal friends, as well as customers - in order to see the kind of reputation muzzles have within my circle. A lot of the responses were in line with the kind of bad reputation I expected muzzles to have.

Here are a few of the responses:
​
- Bitey McBiterson
- The dog has bitten someone in the past
- Sadness
- Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, run
- :(
- Makes me sad!
- their owners are jerks!

Nothing here surprises me, this is the reputation muzzles have. It is how they are often portrayed in popular culture, and sadly it is often what we see in the news as well. Stories of scary dogs needing scary muzzles. 

However, I had a few responses that made me super happy! Responses that showed the reputation of muzzles isn't completely bad - and that the knowledge of what muzzles really are is out there. 

- Safety. Responsible dog owner.
- Good! His parents are being smart and responsible. Not afraid at all.
- Responsible owner! And they probably want some space
- That they're a biter (but have a responsible owner)

Literally each one of those responses touch on RESPONSIBILITY! I love it. 

Muzzles are, above all, a safety tool. A preventative measure. So yes, they are mainly used to prevent dog bites. However, not every dog who wears a muzzle is an aggressive or threatening dog. Let's talk about that. 

Muzzles for dogs with a bite history/aggression:
​- This is what most people think of when they see a dog with a muzzle.
- The dog has likely bitten a person or a dog, and has either gotten a muzzle on their own will to prevent future incidents (good for them) or has been given a muzzle order and is following it (good for them)
- The bite likely occurred due to the dog being fearful & therefore feeling the need to protect itself by acting aggressively
- The muzzle allows for the human to do appropriate counter conditioning training without fear of a repeat incident, allowing the dog to build confidence and become less fearful/less reactive/less aggressive
- Did I mention good for them? Because GOOD FOR THEM!

Muzzles for reactive dogs with no bite history:
- these are the real MVPs of responsible dog owners
- No bite history, but using .a muzzle as a preventative measure
- Not only does this allow for safely training of your dog, but because people are scared of dogs in muzzles - it will keep dogs at an appropriate distance and ensure you are able to train UNDER THRESHOLD which will make training more efficient and likely lead to quicker results
- Good for them

Muzzles for otherwise friendly dogs with poor bite inhibition:
- Bite inhibition is a dogs ability to bite without actually breaking skin
- Puppies begin to develop bite inhibition as babies with their littermates, and learn from feedback when the bites are too hard
- Puppies continue to learn through socialization at young ages, both through human interaction and playing with other dogs. Not all dogs get the appropriate interactions as babies and puppies and do not develop proper bite inhibition
- Some dogs are predisposed to having poor bite inhibition because in the past they may have been bred to have a strong bite
- All dogs mouth and bite, but not all cause the skin to break. Dogs with poor bite inhibition can cause damage with what appears to be very little trigger because they do not know what is too much. For example, at the dog park it is VERY normal to see 2 dogs get into a row after some rough play. We hear lots of growling and see lots of snarling teeth & contact - but neither dog comes out with any punctures. This is NORMAL dog behaviour. However, when a dog with poor bite inhibition gets into a normal row, they are likely to cause damage.
- This is difficult and dangerous to train as adults, as we do not want to expose humans or other dogs to bites, so management is the best way to go. By management I mean preventing the dog from having access to biting. So this either means remove all contact from the dog. No park. No group walks. No saying hi on the street. OR put a muzzle on the dog. Allow the dog to go to parks, be in the group, say hi to others! The chance the dog will get into rows is just the same as any other dog there - these dogs I am talking about aren't unfriendly - they just can't control the strength of their bite like others. This allows them to have all the same experiences, but keeps them and other dogs (and humans) safe.
- GOOD FOR THEM!! This one is tough, because you have a dog that is okay with socialization and you're looking out for them and the public.. but people are going to look at you like you and your dog are evil.

Muzzles for dogs who eat EVERYTHING off the street:
- There is so much on the sidewalks that can potentially be dangerous for our dogs to eat. Garbage, chicken wings, dead pigeons, sticks.. Some dogs are more likely than others to GRAB & SWALLOW
- Again, for dogs who have a history of eating things off the street (and potentially have resource guarding or a poor DROP IT command), managing the situation and preventing them from having access to the dangerous goodies the sidewalks have to offer is a lot easier than trying to deal with the dog eating garbage constantly. With a muzzle, you are preventing the dog access to eating this stuff. They can still sniff & enjoy themselves, but they can't actually consume the stuff. 
- At home, you can do training on the resource guarding/DROP IT behaviours, but can also rest easy knowing your dog is safe on their walks.

Muzzles for dogs who consume sticks/mulch at dog parks:
- omg, guys. This is a real thing! A little wood never hurt a dog, but there are dogs who will absolutely guzzle down sticks/mulch when off leash at a park, and this can get dangerous.
- Sticks can get lodged in dogs mouths. If you have a dog who is constantly chewing on sticks, your likelihood of this happening would be increased
- Sticks/wood doesn't get digested well (if at all) and can damage the digestive tract
- PREVENTION people, prevention. A muzzle would keep these wood guzzlers safe. Still allowing them to play and have a great time, while preventing them from going to town on all the wood out there. 

If you knew you should to do something that was the right thing to do (but optional), but were going to be judged by pretty much everyone you encountered, you would certainly think twice about it - wouldn't you? This is what happens with dog parents who's dog would benefit from a muzzle. They know wearing a muzzle would benefit their dog (and potentially other dogs/people) yet they are too scared to face the judgement that comes along with that, so they opt to risk it. What happens next is there is a dog that could encounter a stressful situation that may result in a bite because the world is so judgemental we are afraid to do what's right & what's safe.

Also, lets be real - there are some JERK owners out there... but they are not the owners of dogs who wear muzzles. They are the owners of dogs who would benefit or require a muzzle, but they don't give a shit and let their dog go muzzle free. These are the dogs who are likely to have repeat incidents, and are a danger to society. The people who do muzzle their dogs are RESPONSIBLE and WONDERFUL. Let's not judge these people for doing what is in the best interest for their dog (and potentially others dogs as well). Good for them for facing a judgemental society and doing what is best. Good for them for being responsible AF. 

The one wonderful thing about the bad reputation muzzles have is they let the general public know that this dog might need space. What I friggen wish more than anything is that the general public would take this logic and apply it to ALL DOGS. MUZZLED OR NOT. Any dog might require some space. My dog, Sadie, has never had a bite history - yet she can be fear reactive. There is nothing that makes me more frustrated than having to explain to offended dog owners why Sadie doesn't want to (or HAVE to) say hi. People often assume because they have a friendly & confident dog, that any (unmuzzled) will want to say hi. Sorry, but no. Sadie is happiest, friendliest, and confident at a distance. She doesn't want to say hi to every random dog. If I pull Sadie to the side, clearing the path of new & unfamiliar dogs - I think this is a pretty good sign that she doesn't want to say hi. Yet people will allow their dogs to run up to her & make her uncomfortable, even ignoring my "please give her space" requests. "Ohh but my dog is friendly!"  It has gotten to the point where I now respond "MINE ISN'T!" just to get the point across. Even though Sadie is fairly friendly, she is VERY uncomfortable/scared in these situations and at times may even become reactive. Although she has never bitten, any dog is capable of it. If a dog is put in a situation where they feel trapped, biting is an obvious way for the dog to make it clear they need space. Yet, if I put a muzzle on Sadie - I bet you $1000 I would never have to justify it to people that Sadie needs her space. I wouldn't even have to ask. Sadie would be granted the space & respect that ALL dogs deserve. 

Seriously, I have so much to say but I really just want people out there to take a second and realize that judgement toward muzzles is often unfounded and unfair. We should look at them as the wonderful safety tools they are, and praise the owners who are responsible (and brave) enough to use them. 

If you would like more information on muzzles (type to get, how to desensitize your dog to wearing one, more education) please check out the MUZZLE UP PROJECT. They are wonderful advocates, and their work needs to be shared and shared again!

So let's not judge a book by it's cover, or a dog by it's muzzle. I have said this many times - but becoming a dog trainer has made me a better person. I have empathy & understanding that I just could never have developed working with humans. This is because our dogs do not have a voice. So we have to be their advocates. Muzzles are wonderful. As are you all for reading this. 

Please share, and help change the stigma!

Hope everyone is staying warm in this treacherous winter (I know, I know.. It's Canada, what did I expect?). 

Today I wanted to talk about a really common, but extremely misunderstood behaviour in dogs: growling. When most people hear growling they are scared & think the dog is being aggressive, or is a bad dog. However, I think growling is a VERY polite behaviour - and I will tell you why. 

Hate to break it to you, but... Dogs can't talk. Not in english anyway. So they have to use body language & vocalization to express their feelings and needs with us. Not all of us are great at reading the more subtle body language signs - and sometimes we put our dogs in situations in which they are very uncomfortable. In these situations, if a dog's body language isn't being listened to - they know they have to step their game up a bit more - and this is when a growl comes into play. A growl is akin to a human saying "please stop, I do not like this." If this were the end of the story, we would all think growling is great. But unfortunately, we aren't always great at listening to our dogs - and growls quickly turn to bites or other acts of aggression. And so growling has a bad rep. But growling escalates because we quite often don't listen - and our dogs feel like they have no other choice to make their feelings clear. 

I think it would be easiest if I lay this out in a hypothetical scenario for you to grasp how important it is we listen to our dogs when they growl. I will do 2 approaches. Approach 1 will be not listening to growling & acting like growling is a bad behaviour, and Approach 2 will be listening to growling & thanking our dogs for doing it. 

Approach 1:

I have a dog. My dog is uncomfortable with men. I am not aware of this fear. I see my friend down the street, and my dog starts to let me know through subtle signs that he is uncomfortable. He starts to sink lower to the ground, his tail sinks between his legs, he puts the breaks on, and starts to get wide & shifty eyed. I don't notice these things, and I pull my dog toward the man. My dog tolerates the interaction, but continues to exhibit the fearful body language. This forced interaction happens several times. 

What did my dog just learn?
- that his human doesn't listen to his body language cues that he is uncomfortable, and that he needs to make it more clear that he is afraid. He needs to step up his game!

I am again out walking my dog, and we see another man! My dog is thinking to himself "OK. I have tried over and over to tell my human that I am very uncomfortable in this situation through my body language signals, but she ISN'T LISTENING! I need to make it more clear today because I am REALLY uncomfortable and I do not want to interact with this man." So as I get closer to this man, my dog emits a growl. Me, the human, is SHOCKED! And embarrassed. And I say "omg hes never done this before!" and I may force my dog into the interaction anyway. He's interacted with men a bunch of times before with no issues, he's probably just being moody today. And so it goes, this happens a few more times where dog growls & we either get mad, or ignore it!

What do you think the dog is learning? 
- He is learning that his human is A BAD LISTENER! He needs to REALLY REALLY step up his game. 
- This is where "unprovoked" aggression can come into play 
- This is where a shut down dog can also come into play

We are out walking, and I see my friend, the man, on the sidewalk. I walk with my dog over to him and my dog doesn't growl this time. I think OH GREAT! But my dog is thinking "why bother growling? It doesn't work." And 1 of 2 things will happen
1) My dog will completely shut down and accept defeat, interact with the man while feeling pure turmoil and anguish inside. They have learned that we do not keep them safe, and they have learned to be helpless. 
2) My dog approaches the man, with no cues he is uncomfortable. When the man goes to pet my dog my dog SNAPS and potentially tries to bite the man. They have learned that we don't listen, so they aren't going to warn us. They are just getting straight to business. They will make it painfully (literally) clear that they are not interested in this interaction. Even more, the fear may grow into not just fear of males - but fear of all strangers.

Approach 2:

I have a dog. My dog is uncomfortable with men. I am not aware of this fear. I see my friend down the street, and my dog starts to let me know through subtle signs that he is uncomfortable. He starts to sink lower to the ground, his tail sinks between his legs, he puts the breaks on, and starts to get wide & shifty eyed. I don't notice these things, and I pull my dog toward the man. My dog tolerates the interaction, but continues to exhibit the fearful body language. This forced interaction happens several times. 

(same first step as approach 1, because body language can be difficult to read and this is a very common error we all make with our dogs). 

I am again out walking my dog, and we see another man! My dog is thinking to himself "OK. I have tried over and over to tell my human that I am very uncomfortable in this situation through my body language signals, but she ISN'T LISTENING! I need to make it more clear today because I am REALLY uncomfortable and I do not want to interact with this man." So as I get closer to this man, my dog emits a growl. Here is where the change comes into play. I hear the growl, and I say "woah! I am so sorry male friend, but my dog is really uncomfortable right now - so he can't say hi! But have a great day." And we walk away without an uncomfortable interaction. 

What did my dog just learn?
- That his human listens to him 
What did the human just learn?
- That my dog is afraid of men
- I need to help my dog 

The next time I am out walking my dog, and I see a man - I look at my dog and know that he is likely very uncomfortable. I watch my dog, and I start to notice the subtle shift in body language. From peppy & silly to tight & nervous. At this point I realize that I can help him through this. I can offer treats for him looking at the men, and allow my dog the CHOICE as to whether or not he wants to get closer or not. Overtime - through positive association and having free will, I have the opportunity to help change how my dog feels when he sees men. He won't feel hopeless. He won't feel like he needs to resort to aggression to get his point across. And he will know I am here to be his advocate, and that we are a team! 

Summary:

• Growling is our dogs saying "woah now, I do not like this. Please stop/Please remove me from this situation".  
• Growling usually begins when dog's have tried to communicate their discomfort through body language, but we have missed the cues. So they need to make their discomfort a bit more clear.
• If we do not listen to growling, our dogs will learn they need to make it even clearer that they do not like what is happening, which is when aggressive behaviour begins to be exhibited. Or, our dogs shut down. They face defeat. They learn to be helpless.
• When we hear growling, we should thank our dogs for communicating to us their discomfort. I ALWAYS say that growling is polite behaviour. They are saying "please, back off." Growling is the human equivalent of asking politely. Whereas snapping/lunging/biting is the human equivalent of "BACK THE F OFF". Most humans don't start off the bat by telling people to back the f off, we only get to that point when we realize that our politeness isn't getting us anywhere. Same with our dogs.
• When we hear growling, we have the chance to help our dogs - and start training before the behaviour escalates. 

I am always here for any questions. This was a long winded post, but I wanted to use a real life scenario to show the value of the growl - and why we should listen to our dogs when they are trying to talk to us. We all just want the best for our dogs, but sometimes we don't know what that is. That's what I am here for.

And remember, it's a Dog's World - we're just living in it. 

Step 4: 

Using the index finger from the 2-finger hand, and guide the paw toward the boot. Take the paw and press it against the inner top part of the balloon (the part of the balloon closer to your face). Your goal is to make the balloon hole much wider vertically (with our fingers we just make it wide horizontally). Your goal at this point isn't to get the boot on. ​

Step 5:

With the middle finger from the 3-finger hand, press on the back of the paw and guide the paw into that nice big hole you've created. ​

Step 8:

PRACTICE. I have done this THOUSANDS of times, you will find the right angle to press the paw onto the balloon and the right finger manoeuvre to get the paw into the PAWZ.