Muzzle training advice/experience

Allelbowsandtoes · 2025-02-27T08:09:05+00:00

Hi all My dog (whippet) is a terrible scavenger, she's 4 years old, been like this since we got her nearly a year ago. Previous owners did f all training with her but that's a moan for another time! We've tried to train a "drop" command with little success - she's very food motivated and it's typical of the sighthound breed to be stubborn unless they think there's something in it for them 😅 obviously whatever high value treat we offer is no match for whatever she's found on the floor. We've now started muzzle training, only a week in so far. She's doing okay I think - I smear peanut butter on the inside of the muzzle and she'll happily stick her face right in to get at it. She's not happy with me doing the muzzle up yet which is fair enough but I've started holding the straps gently to the side of her face and she doesn't mind that. Any tips on next steps? Would be especially interested to hear experiences of those who have successfully muzzle trained and what all the steps are. I really want this to work as I'm sick of being scared that she's going to eat something that makes her really ill. Our local park is terrible for rubbish/dropped food and even on occasion human poo 🤮

User415373 · 27/02/2025 08:19

Have you started introducing a command? Every time you do it with peanut butter start saying 'muzzle'. Then you can start getting it out, saying the command she'll start shoving her nose in for the butter.
Zac George on TT has some step by step vids on this which are great.

Wolfiefan · 27/02/2025 08:27

We started with saying chin and getting her to rest her chin on my hand. Then she got a treat. Then put the muzzle on my hand. Said chin and she put her nose in. Then move straps and gradually get to doing it up. The issue with the peanut butter is they are forced to put their nose in to get it. The draw of the treat maybe stronger than the fear but it’s not a free choice IYSWIM. But all dogs are different. It’s what works for you. You’re clearly doing it nice and slowly.

Original poster

Allelbowsandtoes · 27/02/2025 08:57

User415373 · 27/02/2025 08:19

Have you started introducing a command? Every time you do it with peanut butter start saying 'muzzle'. Then you can start getting it out, saying the command she'll start shoving her nose in for the butter.
Zac George on TT has some step by step vids on this which are great.

Thanks,no I hadn't introduced a command, I'll start including that too 👌

OP posts:

Original poster

Allelbowsandtoes · 27/02/2025 08:58

Wolfiefan · 27/02/2025 08:27

We started with saying chin and getting her to rest her chin on my hand. Then she got a treat. Then put the muzzle on my hand. Said chin and she put her nose in. Then move straps and gradually get to doing it up. The issue with the peanut butter is they are forced to put their nose in to get it. The draw of the treat maybe stronger than the fear but it’s not a free choice IYSWIM. But all dogs are different. It’s what works for you. You’re clearly doing it nice and slowly.

Oh I hadn't actually thought of that but it's a good thing to consider. It was our vet who suggested putting in a high value treat like PB to get her to put her nose in.

We do have a behaviourist we're working with for other stuff so I'll run it by her and see what she suggests!

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 27/02/2025 09:09

It’s not a massive deal. You’re clearly doing it gently and slowly. One of mine wouldn’t be food driven enough to brave it and the other would run over burning coals to get food. 😆

Original poster

Allelbowsandtoes · 27/02/2025 09:12

Wolfiefan · 27/02/2025 09:09

It’s not a massive deal. You’re clearly doing it gently and slowly. One of mine wouldn’t be food driven enough to brave it and the other would run over burning coals to get food. 😆

Thanks, yeah I really want to go slow and get it right for her! She's also very much a run over hot coals for food dog 😅 what our behaviourist would describe as food motivated and I'd describe as greedy.....

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 27/02/2025 09:59

Good luck!! At least the food motivation will help with the training.

KeenOtter · 27/02/2025 11:26

The awesome Chirag Patel

muzzle training video.

redboxer321 · 28/02/2025 07:22

I've got a scavenger too @Allelbowsandtoes
Have thought about muzzle training but I don't know if it's right for her (various reasons).
But I just came to say, if you haven't got some already, get some clay and activated charcoal supplements. Really helps if they do eat something they shouldn't. Had to give mine some yesterday after she snaffled a Bourbon biscuit. I managed to kick the other one away and pick it up but she had one. As you say, no treat you can give them can compete with a find. It's pretty horrendously awful and you only realise how much discarded food and food wrappers there are in the environment when you have a scavenger.
Anyhow, the supplements help to avoid tummy troubles.
They obviously don't work on things that are poisonous to them.

Justkeepingplatesspinning · 28/02/2025 18:12

I wish we had trained ours to have a muzzle as pups. It's the only thing we didn't do, and the one time my boy did need one it was a trauma for us both. He was SO angry!
It's definitely worth training with a voice command and peanut butter to encourage the nose in.

Original poster

Allelbowsandtoes · 01/03/2025 05:47

redboxer321 · 28/02/2025 07:22

I've got a scavenger too @Allelbowsandtoes
Have thought about muzzle training but I don't know if it's right for her (various reasons).
But I just came to say, if you haven't got some already, get some clay and activated charcoal supplements. Really helps if they do eat something they shouldn't. Had to give mine some yesterday after she snaffled a Bourbon biscuit. I managed to kick the other one away and pick it up but she had one. As you say, no treat you can give them can compete with a find. It's pretty horrendously awful and you only realise how much discarded food and food wrappers there are in the environment when you have a scavenger.
Anyhow, the supplements help to avoid tummy troubles.
They obviously don't work on things that are poisonous to them.

It's so difficult isn't it, until I got her I didn't fully realise how much crap people leave everywhere, it drives me mad. Living in a city is a permanent obstacle course.
Fortunately she never seems to get an upset tummy from things she finds which is great, but she has eaten stuff like raisins before which obviously results in vet visits and worry!
My partner was reluctant for us to muzzle train her as he thought people would react differently to her which I understand to an extent but it has to be done now!

OP posts:

Original poster

Allelbowsandtoes · 01/03/2025 05:52

Justkeepingplatesspinning · 28/02/2025 18:12

I wish we had trained ours to have a muzzle as pups. It's the only thing we didn't do, and the one time my boy did need one it was a trauma for us both. He was SO angry!
It's definitely worth training with a voice command and peanut butter to encourage the nose in.

This is an important point too, yu never know if you might need it! Hope your boy is doing better now

OP posts:

kitkatkat · 01/03/2025 07:48

I followed the advice here https://muzzleupproject.com/muzzle-training/ my dog is a horror for scavenging

Justkeepingplatesspinning · 01/03/2025 15:44

Thanks @Allelbowsandtoes yes it was so the vet could clip his dew claw as he'd torn it. He would let me use an emery board on them, the vet? Not a chance! Thankfully a one-off.

noctilucentcloud · 01/03/2025 16:37

Allelbowsandtoes · 01/03/2025 05:47

It's so difficult isn't it, until I got her I didn't fully realise how much crap people leave everywhere, it drives me mad. Living in a city is a permanent obstacle course.
Fortunately she never seems to get an upset tummy from things she finds which is great, but she has eaten stuff like raisins before which obviously results in vet visits and worry!
My partner was reluctant for us to muzzle train her as he thought people would react differently to her which I understand to an extent but it has to be done now!

Show quote history

I have a scavenger too. There is so much dropped food and wrappers around. I'm amazed at how good my dog's nose is, we were walking past a hedge last week and he dipped his head in without breaking step - and came out with a banana! Luckily we live rurally so I'm fairly relaxed about what he finds on the pavements (unless its dangerous to him) but would really struggle if we lived in a town or city with takeaway stuff everywhere.