What do muzzles give your dog access to?
Feel free to share far and wide. The video is also on my homepage as well www.trust-your-dog.com
Just added a few more big Ready to Ship muzzles that are ready for their new homes!
Which one is your favorite?
How important is a good fit when your dog needs to wear a muzzle? Well I think, and I’m pretty sure a lot of you agree, that fit is really important! Especially, if your dog is going to be in their muzzle for any length of time or with any frequency.
I absolutely love being able to create such a wide variety of muzzles. These muzzles are so customizable! You get to pick your model (Biothane or Vinyl), your strap colors (there are 30 of them!),your rivet colors (silver, black or brass), and your options (Treathole, nose style, forehead straps, extra straps, BLING, and more in the works).
So creating a #bullterrier vinyl muzzle has been on my list of things to do and I think I figured it out. This particular dog didn’t have a super sloped nose like most bull terriers but just enough that it was nice to be able to get the end of the muzzle out of his way.
Muzzle Specs in Reel:
Rainbow, Safety straps, covered Treathole (special request only), open nose
Lavender/Purple, Treathole, Forehead strap, open nose
Coral/Yellow/Sky, Treathole, forehead strap
Sky/Mint Gree/Coral, Treathole, forehead strap
Teal/White/Bright Pink, no Treathole, forehead strap, sloped
NOT ALL CYCLES ARE VICIOUS
People use muzzles for many different reasons:
💕pica - eating non-food items
🐾requests for space. People don’t approach or let their children/dogs approach dogs wearing muzzles.
🌟bite prevention
🧑🏻⚖️legally required (Court Ordered, BSL or public transportation in some countries)
👅prevention of wound licking (post operative or allergies)
🏅Sport - lure coursing
🦮To advance training safely when introducing a dog that exhibits reactive or overexcited behaviors to a trigger.
⚖️just in case. Things change constantly the majority of dogs will need to wear a muzzle at some point in their life even if it’s just for a minute or two. They might as well be comfortable.
It’s not easy to leave the house with your dog in a muzzle. The hate and judgment is real. But I’m here to tell you, keep on doing what makes you and your dog feel safe. Don’t let the haters’ ignorance bring you down. Someday, if/when they’re ready, they’ll see your truth. 💕
What do you use your muzzle for?
I will be taking a little bit of a break at the end of July to spend some much needed time with the family. This will not effect incoming orders though it means RUSH orders will be placed on hold starting July 6th and orders that have been assembled over my vacation will be shipped the week of August 8th.
I will occasionally check in to respond to messages, emails, and keep up on checking orders.
I hope you’re all having an awesome summer! If you happen to be in the Northeast Kingdom, Boston, or southern Nova Scotia and want to grab a cuppa hit me up! 💕
LET’S TALK MUZZLE MYTHS!
What are these myths and what is the reality?
1 Only aggressive dogs need to wear muzzles. WRONG!
-Humans’ fear of dogs in muzzles does help to create space for some dogs that need it.
-Prevent dogs from eating things they shouldn’t like poop, sticks, or food they are allergic to.
-Advance training SAFELY in an ever-changing AND UNPREDICTABLE environment, such as on a neighborhood walk.
-Medical restraint so the dog can get much-needed medical care.
-Introductions that can be a little intense
-Dog sports such as lure coursing.
-Breed Specific Legislation (BSL).
2 Muzzles are inhumane (def: without compassion for misery or suffering; cruel) WRONG!
-Well-fit muzzles that allow a dog to pant fully are quite comfortable for dogs to wear.
-Dogs that wear muzzles often experience an expansion of their world and opportunities for enrichment.
-Having restricted pant space can increase the odds of a dog overheating so selecting a well-fit muzzle is important. Additionally, dogs should always be monitored in hot environments regardless of whether they are wearing a muzzle or not.
3 If you trained your dog they wouldn’t need a muzzle. WRONG!
-Most dogs MUST be trained to wear a muzzle. This is not a tool that you can just apply to all dogs and expect them to be happy about it.
-Muzzles can be used to help advance current training scenarios safely so that criteria can be raised without anyone getting injured. ***I’m not talking about flooding here, muzzles are not an excuse to put any dog in a situation they are not comfortable with.***
-Regardless of training, there is always a chance that ANY dog will bite. Red Flag Alert: any trainer who makes guarantees.
4 Muzzles limit a dog’s ability to communicate. WRONG!
-A dog’s communication is so much more than just its face.
-Use a clear muzzle (like TYD Vinyl) so you can see their face.
THERES SUPPOSED TO BE LOVELY AUDIO THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS VIDEO BUT I'M SORRY IT GOT ERASED.
I’ve had a lot of new questions come in at Trust Your Dog. One of the most common questions is which muzzle should I pick for my dog?
Now the answer is: It depends! I base my recommendations on a few different things.
#1 What is the dog’s bite risk. Bite risk should take into account the dog’s bite history AND the dog’s size. Bite severity can be rated on the Sophia Yin Bitescale or the Dunbar Bitescale. Both are pretty similar but I like the Sophia Yin Bitescale because of the drawings :-). Any bite at a level 3 on either scale I highly recommend the vinyl muzzle over the biothane muzzle to prevent further injuries in the instance of an altercation.
#2 How big is the dog? Biothane muzzles get stiffer the smaller they are made AND smaller dogs can’t exert the large amount of force the larger dogs can. This makes itty-bitty biothane muzzles pretty biteproof for little dogs even though they will still provide plenty of panting space.
Notice that I did not make a recommendation based on WHY the dog is biting. This information is irrelevant when choosing a muzzle or management tool.
Choosing to muzzle your dog can be an incredibly emotionally trying experience. People are going to judge you. I’m sorry. It sucks. But also know that there is a huge community of humans and their reactive/aggressive dogs out there that are ready to cheer you on. I hope that you also count me in your corner!
🎉Getting Things Done over here at TYD!🥳
I just wanted to shoot this fun sample of a few muzzles that went out last week! A few of them had hearts and rhinestones added! I do so enjoy giving these pups and their owners something to show off!
This week I’m sending out 30+ Orders and really hoping to get shipping done on them sometime tomorrow as well as have some new and fun things to share with you all as well. For the moment enjoy these beauties though!
This muzzle is special for a few different reasons. One that I’ll tell you about now and one that I’ll tell you about LATER… 😈
My clients are super clever. I tend to leave straps long when I can because you can always cut them back when you get them home and fitted properly. However, it is impossible to add length to a strap that’s too short. So a lot of my clients asked why the cheek straps were so long and I told them just that. But a special few posted/sent photos of what they did with that extra length! I thought it was brilliant! They made a loop and ran a back up collar though the strap to make the muzzles even more secure!
Now all of my muzzles only come with one extra Chicago screw so you do have to add on the extra set option when you order and to make sure the straps will be long enough leave a comment in the order notes or color free text box. But otherwise I think this is a super savvy and smart 💭use of the extra straps that are there anyway!
🏳️🌈 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 🏳️🌈
Trust Your Dog is celebrating PRIDE month for the whole month of June!
📣 As a special way to offer support and help spread awareness any custom muzzle (Biothane or Vinyl) that is ordered with any of the LGBTQ Flag Colors all month can use discount code: PRIDE22 for 15% off!
When placing your order select up to 3 colors in the color checkboxes from your preferred flag scheme and then type the flag name into the color text box with any additional requests/instructions.
As a special way to offer support and help spread awareness any custom muzzle (Biothane or Vinyl) that is ordered with any of the LGBTQ Flag Colors, all month can use discount code: PRIDE22 for 15% off!
#muzzleup #tydmfam #gratitude #Pride #pride2022 #pridemonth #pridedogs🌈🌈🌈 #pridedog
Measuring Tip!
Measuring your dog for a custom sized muzzle is daunting. I know!
After making almost 1000 muzzles, each of which I’ve studied photos or video of each individual dog with and without a tape measure and gotten feedback after the muzzle is fitted to the dog. I’ve noticed a few trends but the biggest trend is that “most” dog’s full panting circumference is 0-3” less than a neck circumference that is taken high and tight behind the ears. 🤯
Now there are a few exceptions:
🌸 dogs that have a thick neck due to extra fluff or fat or breed characteristics.
🌸 dogs that have a thin neck can have a panting circumference that is larger than their neck circumference (though this is rare).
Don’t let measuring your dog keep you from getting your dog a perfect muzzle! I’m always here to help as well via zoom and I can walk you through it. You can book your Fitting session via my website!
Video(4522844931156037)
🎁Holiday Gift Card Deal🎁
Did you miss the deadline to have a muzzle delivered in time for the holidays? Have no fear! Put a Gift card in someone's inbox💌 or under their tree instead. Better yet #treatyoself and get yourself a gift card with a 10% discount 💵 using CODE: HOLIDAY21 when you check out!
🖤BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND🖤
From NOW through Cyber Monday 8pm don't miss the special Trust Your Dog offers! It's a lot so take a look!
💝 Discounted BF/CM Package DEALS:
Get a Vinyl or Biothane Custom Muzzle WITH a 10' EuroLongline and make sure your dog can enjoy their #sniffari safely and in style!
💌HOLIDAY SHIPPING:
Holiday shipping with be guaranteed to be shipped by 12/15/21 for the first 20 RUSH orders received from now until 12/1/21. After 12/1/21 or the first 20 rush orders, whichever happens first, Rush orders will be discontinued until sometime in January 2022. ❣️Make sure you submit your dog's measurement photos in a timely manner!!!❣️
🎁20% OFF ALL READY TO SHIP muzzles and EuroLeashes! Use coupon code: BFCM21 at check out.
💲GIFT CARDS💲
From NOW until December 25th use the coupon code: HOLIDAY21 when purchasing a Gift Card and receive 10% off. So purchase a $100 Gift Card for $90!
Link to All Muzzles: https://www.trust-your-dog.com/s/shop
Gift Cards are at the top of the page!
Next step in @marvelousmsmoya muzzle conditioning journey!
I wanted to get Moya moving in her muzzle before I started clipping her in so that when I do clip her in movement isn't inhibited. So we are working on the "follow the muzzle" step.
1️⃣ She puts her nose in and I start walking backwards while she pushes me along.
2️⃣ Start with short pushes and advance to several steps
3️⃣ Change location
4️⃣ Change how I hold the muzzle.
🌭All the while she gets to practice taking treats through the #treathole .
💥Muzzle Interactions!💥
So you’ve been feeding your dog in their muzzle for a week or so and they’re really interested in it now!!! Yay! It’s time to start helping them to wear it. These are my interaction steps that I like to follow!
1️⃣ Object item targeting. Doesn’t matter what it is. I used a child’s submarine bath toy in the video. The idea is just to get the dog interested in touching objects with their nose.
2️⃣ Bucket or cup targeting. Same idea as above BUT now they can eventually learn to put their nose INSIDE the object. 💥BONUS POINTS💥 if you cut the end off so you can feed thru it to build duration.
3️⃣ Muzzle Targeting. This is your generalization of a previously learned skill! Easy peasy!
4️⃣ Duration and feeding skill building. As your dog leaves their nose in the muzzle for longer periods you may start feeding your dog in the muzzle. This helps you practice the skill of feeding into a treat hole and the dog can practice eating in a muzzle. This isn’t easy for a lot of dogs, especially those who lack patience or the dreaded “impulse control”
🎥Video Notes:
-My clicker was broken in the first half
-This video does not even begin to show how many reps and sessions we’ve done over the last few weeks to get this level of enthusiasm. I would guess we’ve done about 10-12 muzzle-specific training sessions with 10-20 reps in each. Be patient! It could still take more for your dog depending on their temperament, learning history, and genetics
I like to take a hands-off approach for the initial muzzle training process. The goal is to build a positive association with the muzzle. I like this because:
1️⃣ Formal training sessions are time-consuming
2️⃣ My dog needs enrichment activities DAILY
3️⃣ I also need to feed my dog every day.
4️⃣ Training plans can be frustrating if they don't go as planned for both the teacher and learner.
❤️ Make sure you're offering your dog their meals during specific times during the day. This won't have as much impact if the dog is free-fed.
🧡 Pick up the food bowl and muzzle at the end of the meal and store them together with the dog's food.
💛 Don't leave your dog alone with their new fancy muzzle to avoid it becoming a chew toy.
💚 Jumpstart this process by using a yogurt cup or something similar.
💙 This is still possible with foods other than kibble.
🚩 Know your dog. If you're worried your dog will eat the muzzle stay close or skip this step.
🚩 If your dog is a severe resource guarder you might want to consider skipping this step. The concern is that if you build food-related value in a muzzle your dog might generalize guarding to the muzzle while wearing it. This would be counterproductive in any training plan. I would say this is uncommon and unlikely BUT it's a possibility.
This is how you can use your muzzle, your dog's bowl & meal, and a piece of cardboard to create not only a way to get you started on your muzzle training journey but also make an enrichment toy for your dog.
1️⃣ Trace your muzzle onto the cardboard
2️⃣ Cut out the tracing
3️⃣ Place the cardboard over the food bowl
4️⃣ Stand the muzzle up in the hole with the straps clipped out of the way
5️⃣ Pour the dog's meal in the muzzle
#muzzletraining #muzzleup #dogtraining #classicalconditioning #dogenrichement #foodpuzzle #dogfoodpuzzle
Let's be honest, muzzle training takes a bit of time and energy. There are a few behaviors, not associated with the muzzle directly, that may help to speed up your muzzle training journey. Three behaviors I've found really helpful are: Nose Targeting, Chin Targeting, and Head in a Thing!
What are some other behaviors that have helped you on your muzzle journey?
Enjoy Mica (working with protective contact), Moya (working on consent for toothbrushing), and Evey Lynn (having fun with a pumpkin)!
