23/07/2022
Listen up! 🚨
There are many reasons people might choose to muzzle their dogs. It’s okay if:
- You muzzle your dog to avoid them eating dangerous items, instead of teaching them to drop or leave
- You muzzle and avoid other dogs because your dog because they don’t like other dogs, without working on counter conditioning
- You muzzle and avoid other people because your dog doesn’t like people, without working on counter conditioning
- You muzzle and sedate your dog once a year because they don’t like vet handling, without working on cooperative care.
There are MANY reasons people might choose not to invest time in training specific areas, such as the need to invest in other, more important areas! Such as increasing their welfare in other aspects of their life.
As long as you, your dog and others are safe, healthy and happy.
Of course, in an ideal world we would always work on alternative behaviours and/or changing emotional responses, but no one else is responsible for living your life!
Don’t let society tell you that you (or your dog) are bad because you choose to utilise a muzzle as a management tool over investing time in behaviour modification. If you (and your dog!) are able to avoid risky situations, stay safe and maintain good welfare with the help of a muzzle in specific situations for the rest of your dogs life… that’s fine!! 😱
You don’t HAVE to have the end goal of your dog being able to be around other dogs without a muzzle, or walking past dangerous items on the floor without a muzzle. If you would prefer to avoid dogs and trash forever and use a muzzle alongside other management, to ensure your dog is safe should those situations arise, THAT IS OK! 😱
You either make a lifetime commitment to management, or you invest the time in behaviour modification. But either way, as long as your dogs welfare is at the forefront, you are doing just fine 💗
