13/11/2025
GPS tracking collar only, l’m a force free trainer.
I’m lucky that I have two Sunny Muzzle Movement muzzles in the van... most of the time. Today, I forgot Dipper’s custom one at home because we used it last night to hang out with the kittens.
But the other muzzle had an issue, the headband strap’s screw was broken/missing for the second time.
For Thursday morning hikes, the muzzle is nonnegotiable for Dipper, because there’s a lot of crazy and loud herdy energy at the start from the Aussies.
So, I had to do some quick thinking, while also understanding that whatever my fix was, l had to trust that muzzle wasn’t truly going to be necessary.
A muzzle isn’t an excuse to set your dog up to fail.
Knowing your dog could possibly do damage with a bite (play or aggressive) is enough for me to want a muzzle on a dog.
Dipper’s muzzle didn’t train him to not peck his friends or police them when they are being overly bossy and vocal. Our training did. Dipper’s muzzle didn’t give him his recall training, I did. Dipper’s muzzle didn’t give him his impulse control, I did. Dipper’s muzzle didn’t help him overcome leash reactivity, I did. And those skills are what we implement and positively reinforce to see the behavior change I want to see.
This blade of grass shows you that I’m not putting my dog in situations where his muzzle is the only thing that preventing him from doing harm. He is a sweet boy who wants to run with his friends and not be yelled at or chomped on by the Aussies, and being an intact male he would really like to tell them off, but I don’t want him dishing corrections out.
