How to Muzzle a Dog

When a dog is injured or in pain from illness and requires treatment, often they will not allow you to work on them with out nipping. When ever possible use a basket muzzle as the chance of problems are reduced using a prefabricated muzzle. An easy emergency muzzle will prevent your injury and allow you to resolve what ever is going on with your animal. With a properly applied muzzle the chance of injury to your self or your animal are greatly reduced. Below are the simple steps that you need to know to safely and effectively muzzle your animal.

1. You can use a belt, a long scarf or a strong strip of fabric such as gauze or a wide ribbon, any strong fabric will do as long as it will not stretch. The fabric strip should be about fifty to sixty inches long depending on the dog's size. For a small dog a thirty inch strip might do. Use of rope for a muzzle is discouraged as it cuts into the dogs snout causing him unnecessary pain. Form your muzzle carefully as a poorly applied muzzle gives the user a false sense of security and may allow one to be bitten by the dog.

2. Before you approach the dog, put a loop in the center of the strip of material that you are using. Put a single overhand knot to form the loop and to hold the loop's position in the fabric strip. The loop should be about twice as wide as the dogs snout. The preparation of this loop before you approach the dog allows the user to keep his hands away from the dogs mouth and avoid a possible bite.

3. Slide the open loop around the dog's nose and mouth with the overhand knot on top surface of dog's snout, tighten it quickly by pulling on ends of the material. You should keep your hands as far away from the dog's mouth as possible while the muzzle is being applied. Placing a muzzle on an unhappy animal will probably require at least two people: one person to hold the leash and the other to apply the muzzle. With a third pair of hands, another leash would be held from the other side of the dog's head to further steady him.

4. Bring the ends of the material down under the dogs chin crossing it. Move quickly to avoid being bitten. With the ends crossed but not tied under the dog's chin, the muzzle can be removed quickly should the dog have difficulty breathing or should he begin to vomit.

5. Tie ends of the material up behind dog's ears in a bow. The bow should be directly behind and mid way between the dogs ears. Tie it snuggly as a loosely tied muzzle will allow the dog to open his mouth leaving your hands vulnerable as you need to care for the dog.

6. To remove the muzzle tug on one of the fabric ends of the bow to release it. A muzzle keeps the dog from panting and must be used with caution in heavy-coated animals or if the area is warm. The muzzle should be removed immediately if an animal has difficulty breathing or starts to vomit as he could die, choking on the vomit or with the inability to breathe.