The whole point of muzzle conditioning is to make the dog form a positive association and enjoy the process of learning to wear the muzzle.
As long as you properly motivate your dog with food/play/praise and go slowly enough, muzzle training never needs to cause stress.
If your dog is showing signs of stress during muzzle training, it means you’ve moved too fast and not broken things down into small enough steps. In that situation, it isn’t wise to keep trying the same strategy again and again hoping things will change for the better – the stress will only continue and your dog will form a negative association with the muzzle. Instead, readjust what you’re aiming for and how quickly to keep things positive and fun and rewarding.
For tips on how to get off on the right foot with muzzle conditioning, I recently posted a 3-part video series on my Instagram page showing the 3 exercises I like to do when I introduce a muzzle for the first time.
