How to Muzzle Train a Dog (and Choose a Basket Muzzle)
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Muzzle training teaches your dog to see a muzzle as a good thing, so they are relaxed wearing one when they need to. Done slowly, it takes short sessions over at least a few days, and it means a muzzle is never an extra stress in an already stressful moment. This guide covers why to muzzle train, how to choose and fit a basket muzzle, a step-by-step training plan, and the one muzzle in our catalog.
How we wrote this: the training steps come from Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home‘s canine behaviour team, checked on 31 October 2026. Fitting advice and hands-on notes come from Whole Dog Journal, where a licensed veterinary technician tried several muzzles on her own dogs for a guide published in July 2026, and from The Muzzle Up! Project. Product facts come from the maker. We did not test these muzzles ourselves, and we do not show prices or ratings.
Why muzzle train your dog
Whole Dog Journal‘s author argues that every dog should learn to wear a muzzle, even if they never need one, because even the sweetest dog can bite when stressed or in severe pain. Dogs Trust lists the main reasons a dog may need one:
- When frightened, ill or injured. Fear, pain or illness can change how a dog behaves. If your dog is already muzzle trained, Dogs Trust says a vet can give care quickly and safely in an emergency.
- To stop them eating harmful things on walks.
- To keep everyone safe if a dog has behaved aggressively in some situations, or has learned to chase and catch.
- When the law requires it.
A muzzle is a safety tool, not a fix. Dogs Trust says a muzzle will not change how your dog feels about a situation; even with one on, avoid situations that worry your dog, as being exposed to scary things can make behavior worse over time. If your dog is fearful or has bitten, work with a qualified behaviourist, and see your vet to rule out pain or illness.
Choose a basket muzzle
Both Battersea and Dogs Trust recommend a basket-type muzzle, because your dog can pant, drink and take treats through it. Dogs Trust explains that panting is how dogs regulate their temperature. Whole Dog Journal describes the two main types:
- Basket muzzles: a structured cage of plastic, rubber, metal or leather. They suit longer wear, such as walks and training sessions. The author prefers plastic, which is easier to clean than leather and hurts less than metal if your dog bumps you.
- Sleeve muzzles: a fabric or mesh tube that holds the mouth mostly closed. Panting, drinking and eating are difficult in one, and a dog may still nip, so Whole Dog Journal says they are for short or emergency use only, such as a quick procedure at the vet.
The Muzzle Up! Project adds that wire muzzles are heavier and can get uncomfortable in hot or cold weather, and that some leather designs make eating and drinking hard, both of which it calls essential for muzzle safety.
How to fit a basket muzzle
- Room to pant. Whole Dog Journal says the basket should be big enough for your dog to open their mouth and pant, while resting comfortably on the snout.
- A little longer than the nose. Battersea says there should be a small space between the nose and the end of the muzzle; Whole Dog Journal says the length should be just a touch longer than the tip of the nose.
- Not too wide, not too narrow. It should not squash the cheeks and lips, but should be narrow enough that your dog cannot wedge a paw inside (Whole Dog Journal).
- Clear vision, no digging in. Dogs Trust says a muzzle should not block your dog’s vision, dig into their face or restrict mouth movement. If it rubs, it suggests wrapping non-irritating fabric around the inside of the nose piece.
- Measure and check the chart. Most basket muzzles list snout length and circumference near the eyes. Whole Dog Journal says that if your dog is between sizes, it is usually best to size up. For the Baskerville Ultra, the maker says to go by nose length when the two measurements differ (Company of Animals).
- Head shape matters. Some brands suit long, narrow heads, others blocky ones. Flat-faced breeds such as Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Boston Terriers need a muzzle designed for their head shape. Try muzzles on in person if you can (Whole Dog Journal).
How to muzzle train a dog, step by step
This plan follows Dogs Trust, with notes from Battersea. Keep sessions short, in a quiet, familiar place, and spread them over at least a few days. Use small rewards your dog loves; both charities suggest a soft paste in a squeezy tube, which is easy to give through the end of a muzzle. For treats, see our sister site inthekibble.com. A marker such as a clicker helps; see how to clicker train a dog.
Throughout, let your dog take their face out of the muzzle whenever they want. Dogs Trust says this choice builds confidence and trust. Before you start: if your dog guards food, or struggles with having their face or head touched, Dogs Trust advises getting help from an accredited behaviourist first.
Step 1: Make the muzzle a good thing
- Bring the muzzle out from behind your back. When your dog looks at it, mark and reward, then hide it again. Repeat many times.
- Put the muzzle on the floor with rewards around it and just inside the opening.
- Hold the muzzle still at your dog’s nose height, with a reward at the edge of the opening. Do not push it toward your dog.
- Place rewards further inside, so your dog puts their nose in to reach them. Battersea suggests cupping the muzzle in your hand so treats do not fall through, until your dog sees it as a treat dispenser.
- Now wait, with nothing inside, for your dog to put their nose in. Mark and reward through the end of the muzzle.
Step 2: Build up time with the nose inside
Keep rewarding through the end of the muzzle while your dog chooses to keep their face in it. Dogs Trust says that if your dog seems unsure at any point, go back to a stage where they were relaxed, practice longer, then move on more slowly.
Step 3: Add movement
Take a step or two backward while holding the muzzle, so your dog walks with you, and reward them for coming. Always move away from your dog, not toward them (Dogs Trust).
Step 4: Get used to the straps
Do not rush the straps. Dogs Trust suggests first getting your dog used to the sound of the clip by fastening it at a distance and rewarding calm, moving closer each time. Then, with the straps let out to their loosest, touch and move them, and drape them loosely over your dog’s neck before letting them slip off. Battersea’s version is to lift the straps behind the ears without fastening them, reward, and repeat.
Step 5: Fasten the muzzle
Move the straps behind your dog’s ears as if to fasten them, then do them up and undo them straight away, rewarding calm. Battersea says that if your dog panics or tries to get the muzzle off, you may have moved too fast: go back a few steps and build up again.
Step 6: Leave it on for longer
Start with a few seconds and increase in very small steps. Dogs Trust suggests fun activities while the muzzle is on, such as simple find-it games or training your dog already knows. Battersea says to keep practicing regularly, for example putting the muzzle on as you get ready for a walk, so it becomes part of the routine and linked with good things.
Safety while your dog wears a muzzle
- Supervise. Company of Animals recommends full supervision while a dog wears its muzzles, and does not recommend leaving one on for long periods unless necessary (Company of Animals).
- Let them pant and drink. Only a well-fitted basket muzzle allows this; sleeve muzzles are for short use only (Whole Dog Journal).
- Check for rubbing. The Muzzle Up! Project notes some dogs get chafed above the nose; padding or fabric strips can help.
- Use the extra straps at first. For the Baskerville Ultra, the maker recommends the collar loop and head strap early on, for security if your dog tries to remove it. On walks, clip the lead to a harness or collar as usual; see our best dog collars and best dog harness for pulling guides.
The muzzle we list
The Baskerville Ultra Muzzle is a basket muzzle made of thermoplastic rubber, designed so a dog can pant, drink and take treats while wearing it. It can be softened in hot tap water and shaped to your dog, comes in several sizes, and has a collar loop and head strap for extra security (Company of Animals).
Whole Dog Journal‘s author has used hers for many years and picks it for bigger, boxier heads: it leaves ample room to pant, eat and drink, but it does not suit her long, pointy-nosed dogs, has no padding on top of the snout, and a determined dog might still nip. The Muzzle Up! Project calls it the gold standard for a safe, comfortable basket muzzle, while noting that some dogs get chafed above the nose.
Other muzzles Whole Dog Journal liked we could not match to an Amazon listing from an independent source, so we name them without links: the Full Grip Supply basket muzzle for long or average heads, the Coastal soft basket muzzle, the JAFCO clear muzzle for dogs that eat things they should not, and, for short emergency use, the CollarDirect and PetSafe nylon sleeve muzzles.
FAQ
How long does muzzle training take?
Battersea says to train in short sessions over at least a few days, letting your dog get used to the muzzle on their own terms before they need to wear it out. Some dogs take longer; go at your dog’s pace.
Can a dog drink with a muzzle on?
In a well-fitted basket muzzle, yes. Battersea and Dogs Trust both recommend basket muzzles because dogs can pant and drink in them. Sleeve muzzles make drinking and panting difficult.
How should a basket muzzle fit?
With room to open the mouth and pant, a small gap past the nose, no pressure on the cheeks or eyes, and too narrow for a paw to get in. See the fitting checklist above.
Will a muzzle stop my dog being aggressive?
No. Dogs Trust says a muzzle does not change how your dog feels. It keeps everyone safe while you work with a qualified behaviourist, and your vet can check for pain or illness behind the behavior.
Can my dog wear a muzzle all day?
No. Muzzles should be worn under supervision, and the Baskerville maker does not recommend long periods unless absolutely necessary.
For more, read how to use a long line for recall training, how to trim a dog’s nails and the dog leash, harness and carrier buying guide.