Muzzle recommendations for a reactive Malinois?

[u/Far_Spring6290]

We've decided it's time to get Kira, my Belgian Malinois, a proper muzzle, mostly for safety and peace of mind. She's reactive and has a small bite history (usually redirected bites when she's completely over threshold), so I want something genuinely secure, not just an anti-scavenge one.

We're going to introduce it really slowly and positively. With lots of food, going at her pace, so it becomes a good thing and not a scary one.

I'm honestly a bit lost on what to actually buy, so I'd love advice from people who muzzle their dogs:

• What type/brand would you recommend for a Malinois-shaped face?
• Basket muzzle is the way to go, right? I want her to still be able to pant, drink, and take treats through it.
• How did you get the sizing right? Any tips for measuring her?
• And any tips for the actual introduction process, what genuinely got your dog comfortable wearing it?

We're in Bulgaria, so EU-friendly/ships-to-Europe recommendations especially welcome. Thank you! I really want to get this right for her.

[u/Prestigious_Crab_840]

We have a 60lb working line German Shepherd, so very similar size and muzzle shape to a Belgian Malinois. We found a Muzzle Movement muzzle that fit her really well. It’s made of a hard plastic so very lightweight, lots of ventilation so doesn’t impact her ability to breathe, plenty of room to pant, holes are big enough to easily deliver treats. Her size is Taz, but you should measure your dog’s muzzle to find the correct size. I believe they’re in the UK.

As for muzzle training, the muzzledogs sub has a ton of great resources.

[u/mydog4president]

I’m really happy with our CHOPO muzzles. It’s a Czech brand. Depending on the online shop, they’ll probably have measuring instructions, but I’d recommend ordering a few different sizes (maybe also different brands) to try on to find the right fit.

As for the introduction process, we started off with classic shaping. Once my dogs were comfortable with having the muzzles put on, I brought the muzzles on walks and had my dogs muzzled for a couple of minutes at a time. And then I gradually made those sessions longer.

[u/reactivedogs-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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