Using soft muzzles properly

Any advice for using a soft material muzzle?

Cain has a Baskerville which he wears occassionally but it proves difficult to give him treats through it. Not good if I want to train him in a situation where he needs to wear it. As spring is coming I've decided to throw myself head first into socialising him with strangers. He's been doing very well and I think he's ready for this. I'm planning to take a big pile of treats on walks, approach suitable looking members of the public and asking them to give him a treat and a pat.

However, although he's been great with strangers lately, I still thunk I'd like to muzzle him purely as a precaution, in the beginning. But I need a muzzle where the person can feed him.

Can a dog open it's mouth wide enough in a soft muzzle to take a small treat? I'm aware of the risks like inability to pant etc, but he certainly wouldn't be wearning one for long periods, and hopefully only for a temporary period.

I have only used the Baskerville before. Any advice?

TBH I wouldn't do exactly what you are planning to do, it would put him in a position to fail. Better to have an "experienced"stranger. sit near him with a treat in hand & no eye contact, allowing him to take the treat in his own time & without stress, this sets him up to succeed & be rewarded for his success.

As my dad once said to me"Go fast, slowly"

id use a greyhound muzzle.. Tupac can drink with his on and theres ample room for treats..fits better than a baskerville and are more durable.

the soft muzzles u are describing are designed to do the opposite of what u want... to keep the mouth shut!.

Thanks And I do appreciate what you are saying, bit I really think he's past that stage and is ready for this. I won't flood, only one or two people per walk, and not every walk. He already greets most dog walkers well. On a GSD walk last weekend he happily greeted at least 10 strangers. He'll go over and push against their legs for cuddles Kast spring he rolled over in the park to let two children rub his belly. He's been with us a year now and is doing great. If someone sat on a bench and didn't look at him, I guarentee he'd go over and push his head in their lap I just want to sort of reinforce the "strangers are good" thing a bit more.

Yeah I thought they might do that I just wanted him to be able to take treats off a flat hand. Not sure how he'd feel about strange people shoving food through a muzzle, it would put pressure on his nose and might make him uncomfortable. I'll have a look at a greyhound muzzle and see how close Cain's lips come to the end of the muzzle.

I'm going to cut some of the squares open on Casper's new muzzle, if you want to try it on Cain (as it's a size 9 I bought) to see how easy it is to feed treats, you're more than welcome to next time you come over. It's a lot easier than trying to cram them in through the regular squares!

I only use a muzzle on Bella when she and Tom are running to prevent injuries but she can easily take treats through the muzzle and drink , Tom can also pick up some of his toys, they are real cheap too ,only £3 at the greyhound trust !

I have a Baskerville and cut some bars out, it worked well without compromising the strength or ability of the muzzle at all.

However I bought a lightweight racing greyhound muzzle at paws in the Park, from Countrymun - very strong nylon with metal rivets, it looks so much better than a Baskerville and althought it's getting a bit tatty now, very cheap to replace at £6ish.

PS: I also have a soft muzzle and would never use it on a dog outside as they can't pant... this type is really only suitable for grooming and/or medical examinations.

That'd be good thanks. I need him to be able to take treats quickly and easily. If it's too fiddly then it may freak Cain out or make it too hard for some people, I'd like him to be offered the treat and take it immediately. I'm happy to cut holes in his muzzle if it works well, just his mouth seems quote far from the end. Maybe he'll have to learn to lick them up

Thanks that's good to know. I'll definately look into the possibilty of greyhound muzzles. Yeah I know soft muzzles aren't ideal, hence why I don't already own one. I was just thinking that maybe as the tip of the mouth is exposed it would be good for treats. But I don't think he'll be able to open his mouth wide enough.

Awwww is that Bella? She's so pretty What sort of toys can Tom pick up? I wish I could find a way to muzzle Cain and play with his squeaky ball (he doesn't respond as well to food outside, much prefers his ball) but they are incompatible! I'd like to try and find a toy I could use with a muzzle.

The greyhound muzzles look interesting, nice light and spacey. Cain isn't likely to launch into a savage attack on anyone but it's handy to use sometimes "just in case" he might snap or something. If I could find a muzzle I could feed and use toys with, he could probably get a bit morefreedom. He's a good dog really, it's just for my peace of mind really as he is a tad unpredicatable on occassion - but mostly a good boy