Muzzle Recommendation?

[Toffee's Mom]

I'll try to watch the video today and work on that as well. You know Bailey has terrible impulse control with everything...

I don't think it frustrates her. I conditioned her to tolerate the muzzle. I always kept it positive with treats. I also used the clicker to allow her to choose to put her nose into the muzzle to get treats. Of course, she doesn't enjoy it. She does rub her face on the carpet when we return home, but she during walks she acts like her normal crazy self.

Of course she does, good, I knew she'd be trained positively to take the muzzle for you! Very glad to hear she isn't frustrated with it, I was worried she was.
I tell you, it can be done, Leo just dropped a bone he found on our walk tonight, which he would NEVER have done a couple of months ago, he'd have RAN with it and ate as fast as he could, lol
Now when I say leave it, he comes running looking for his reward. Knock on wood we are going to get better and better at it, if I keep doing it
Good luck, I really think the video is great and it's a good thing you can teach while yer watching TV and it keeps the dog's mind busy, too

 

[BarbV]

I could add to the training suggestions but that's mostly been covered already.

If you truly think a muzzle is the final answer, then this is what I would recommend vs. a basket.

http://www.amazon.ca/Mugz-Nylon-Muz...TF8&qid=1369786136&sr=8-6&keywords=muzzle+dog

p.s. but like the others who responded, I think this is one of the easy things to train....OFF!

 

[take4roll10]

I certainly do need to work on the leave it command. No denying that, but leave it won't help me when she spots the food before I do. She's already chewing it before I even notice it. I do my best to to scan the ground as we walk, but I'm not perfect.

The nylon muzzle wont work because I cant feed her treats with it on. I bought a basket muzzle that I can feed treats through. I've been using it on garbage days. There tends to be a lot more food around on those days.

 

[Caro]

I get what you mean - Deska knows "leave it" all very well but I'd have to walk around with my nose to the ground as well to spot all the food he can.

 

[Tabitha]

I just had an idea! Maybe you could use a bearing-rein? Like with horses. There used to pull the horses heads up, but you could use one to keep your dog from putting its head down. You could make your own with just a small strap going from the collar to a harness that has D rings in the back. Then you could attach the lead to the collar or harness.Or if you have a double leash you could attach both ends to the dog, one on the collar one on the harness. Personally I don't like muzzles, but that's just me.

 

[take4roll10]

That's similar to a head collar, which I have and have used. It's a good idea, but I don't think it works for me. She's a dog and I think she needs to sniff. She needs to sniff the ground to go to the bathroom and it is mentally stimulating for a dog to sniff. I don't want to take that away from her.

The muzzle has worked out fine. It's big enough for her to pant and eat treats. She can sniff the ground all she wants, but can't pick up chunks of food. It is for her own protection. And I'm not using it all the time. Only when there seems to be a lot of food on the ground, like on garbage days.

 

[JLSOhio51]

...She's a dog and I think she needs to sniff. She needs to sniff the ground to go to the bathroom and it is mentally stimulating for a dog to sniff. I don't want to take that away from her...

I'm following this thread like I do most of them to learn as I continue my companion search. Something that you said has me slightly confused. The attached link is what came up when I did a Google search. Is this what you refer to as a "head collar"?

http://www.petfooddirect.com/produc...s?extcid=PLA&gclid=CIekmrzku7cCFegWMgodfC8AGw

If so, how does it stop the pet from sniffing?

 

[take4roll10]

I'm following this thread like I do most of them to learn as I continue my companion search. Something that you said has me slightly confused. The attached link is what came up when I did a Google search. Is this what you refer to as a "head collar"?

http://www.petfooddirect.com/produc...s?extcid=PLA&gclid=CIekmrzku7cCFegWMgodfC8AGw

If so, how does it stop the pet from sniffing?

Yes that is a head collar and it doesn't stop a dog from sniffing. I was referring to the horse halter idea that Tabitha suggested to keep my dog's head off the ground.

 

[JLSOhio51]

Yes that is a head collar and it doesn't stop a dog from sniffing. I was referring to the horse halter idea that Tabitha suggested to keep my dog's head off the ground.

Thanks. I'm following now. I thought that the "sniffing" part was associated with the head collar and I couldn't figure out what the problem would be.

 

[PreciousSheltie]

I'm not sure if you have thought of this or if the suggestion is too late. How about a Gentle Leader? Instead of taking a muzzle approach in that you try to physically stop her from being able to grab food, perhaps a better approach could be with a lead where you can control her snout/head more easily. In that, even before she tries to dip her head down to attempt to pick something off the ground, you can reguide her head back up with a gentle pull upwards. Or hold the leash short enough that she can't pull her down to the ground at all, and retrain her to heel walk with eye contact, etc?? Just a suggestion, hope that helps some!