Leerburg / Dog Training Articles / Equipment / Muzzle Warning: If you train with or use muzzles, you need to read this!

Muzzle Warning: If you train with or use muzzles, you need to read this!

By Ed Frawley

URL Copied!

WARNING: Graphic photos of a bad dog bite below!

I include this page as a warning to those people who use muzzles while training their dogs. A muzzle is only as effective as the people who use them. When they are not properly tested before training, bad things can happen.

These are photos of a good friend's leg. My friend is a experienced police K9 handler with over 20 years experience as a dog handler on a sheriff's department. He was accidentally bit during a police K9 training seminar.

The dog's muzzle was not properly tested before it was released to do a building search. The muzzle was too loose on the dog's head. I explain in detail how to properly fit a muzzle in Muzzle Fighting for Police Service Dogs.

My friend was hiding down under a desk. When the dog initially stuck its head under the desk, he pulled it back out. The muzzle caught on something and came off. The photos show what happened next.

This kind of thing can also happen to people who use muzzles for dominant and aggressive dogs. Muzzles are nothing more than training tools and as with every training tool, they can be improperly used. When muzzles come off at the wrong time, bad things happen.

The bottom line is if you're going to use a muzzle on your dog, you need to learn the correct way to put it on and just as importantly how to test it to make sure its on correctly and won't come off. When muzzles come off, it's a handler error and not a problem with how the equipment was made.

Shop Training Supplies

Enroll in Training Courses

About Author

Ed Frawley

Ed Frawley is the founder of Leerburg. He has been training dogs since the 1950s. For 30 years, Ed bred working bloodline German Shepherds and has produced over 350 litters. During this time, Ed began recording dog training videos and soon grew an interest in police service dogs. His narcotic dogs have been involved in over 1,000 narcotics searches resulting in hundreds of arrests in the state of Wisconsin. Ed now solely focuses on producing dog training courses with renowned dog trainers nationwide. If you want to learn more about Ed, read about his history here.