Do Muzzles Stop Dogs From Barking? (Nope! Here Is WHY)

For pet owners, there are few behavioral issues more frustrating than barking. It can be challenging to discourage loud dogs from voicing their opinion, leading many dog lovers to wonder: does a muzzle stop barking?

Muzzles can be a good tool for curbing behaviors such as biting or aggression. However, misusing a muzzle may cause your dog stress and discomfort. It’s important to know when it is or isn’t appropriate to muzzle your dog.

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do muzzles stop dogs from barking — Do muzzles stop dogs from barking? (Nope!)

Here, I’ll discuss whether a muzzle will stop your dog from barking when you want some peace. Read on to learn more about proper muzzle use and safe ways to discourage your dog from making too much noise.

Why Do Dogs Bark?

Barking is a natural behavior for almost any dog. It’s how they communicate with their owner and sometimes with other dogs. However, when barking becomes excessive, it can be stressful for everybody in your household.

There are several reasons your dog might be barking more than you’d prefer. But while some barking is unavoidable, other times, it’s your dog’s way of telling you something is wrong.

aggressive Yorkshire Terrier — Yorkshire Terrier is being aggressive by barking continuously.

Excitement

Plenty of things can excite your dog to the point of barking. Even just walking through the door after work may be enough to trigger a reaction.

If your dog is barking from excitement, its body language will be happy and relaxed. Their tail will be wagging, and their ears alert.

happy dog jumps — A happy dog at the park is jumping.

Attention

Most dogs learn early on that barking is the best way to get their human’s attention. Both negative and positive attention can encourage dogs to vocalize anytime they feel neglected. Body language may be happy and excited or tense and frustrated.

Pomeranian puppy on the couch — Pomeranian puppy barking and whining on the couch.

Boredom

All dogs need plenty of mental and physical stimulation throughout the day, especially highly active or intelligent breeds. If your dog doesn’t have enough environmental enrichment, it may start barking to entertain itself. A bored dog may have excited or neutral body language.

Dachshund barks — Dachshund incessantly barking outside the house.

Fear or Anxiety

If your dog meets a new face or encounters a new situation, it may react with fear. Separation anxiety is a common issue in many breeds as well.

Barking is a common behavior in dogs that feel defensive. It can also be a territorial display if your dog sees a new person or pet in its space. A scared dog will display body language such as raised hackles, a lowered head, or tucking the tail between its legs.

Pain

If your dog is in discomfort, it may bark to alert you that something’s not right. When living in packs, dogs use barking to stop behaviors that cause pain. If your dog is sick or injured, it may bark at a higher pitch than usual or whine between barks.

Its body language will likely be nervous, and it may shy away from touch.

barks beside the owner — Dog barks at a stranger beside the owner.

Surprise

Like many of us, dogs may yelp or otherwise vocalize when surprised. A surprised bark is often higher pitched than a normal bark and often singular. A surprised dog’s body posture can vary from excited to scared, depending on the situation.

If your dog is spooked, make sure to approach slowly and offer plenty of reassurances.

do Boston Terriers bark a lot — Do Boston Terriers bark a lot? [How to stop?]

Dementia

Older dogs may start to show signs of cognitive decline as they age, including forms of canine dementia. A dog with dementia may see or hear stimuli that aren’t there, leading to unwanted barking. Dementia-related barking often happens at night, though you may also hear it during daytime hours.

Other signs include disorientation, lethargy, sleep disruptions, and behavioral changes.

Understanding the source of your dog’s barking can help you to tackle the root of the issue. You can decide the best approach to take with your pup to discourage loud or disruptive outbursts.

an old dog — An old dog looking at the camera.

Does a Muzzle Stop Barking?

If your dog is barking excessively, a muzzle is usually not the best way to discourage the behavior. In fact, muzzles may cause more harm than good when improperly used.

Using a muzzle for barking is not only ineffective, but can also cause stress and discomfort for your dog. A muzzle clamps their jaw shut, making it difficult to eat or drink when needed and lead to a hungry, dehydrated, and often irritable dog.

A tight muzzle also prevents panting. Unlike us, dogs don’t sweat—they release heat through their mouths. On a warm day, a dog with a tight muzzle can easily overheat, leading to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or even cardiac arrest.

Muzzles can also cause other health issues in dogs with improper use. Some of the most common complaints include:

Difficulty breathing
Nausea, vomiting, and possible aspiration
Pain and discomfort around the jaw
Chafing along the snout
Stress and anxiety

While you can find special no-bark muzzles, these often cause the same issues as other muzzle styles. No-bark muzzles are slightly looser than standard models, allowing dogs room to pant. However, any type of muzzle will still restrict movement and make eating, drinking, and breathing more difficult.

Even if a muzzle stops your dog from barking, it does nothing to address the root of the issue. Your dog will not learn to bark less frequently when the muzzle is off. In fact, the stress from wearing a muzzle may encourage unwanted behaviors and vocalizations.

dog wears muzzle — A muzzle can prevent a dog from excessive barking.

Why Use a Muzzle?

The only reason you should muzzle your dog is to prevent biting, snarling, or other forms of aggression. Muzzles should fit snugly around a dog’s snout to limit jaw mobility. With a muzzle in place, dogs won’t be able to open wide enough to bite, snap, or engage in other dangerous behaviors.

Dogs with a history of aggressive behavior should wear a muzzle when out in public until properly trained. Nervous or sensitive dogs may need a muzzle in new or stressful situations to protect nearby pets and pedestrians.

In most cases, aggressive dogs will only need to wear a muzzle for a limited time. As an owner, your goal should be to train and socialize your dog to behave around others. You should stop using a muzzle only once your dog is calm around other pets and people.

are Border Collies aggressive — Are Border Collies aggressive? (Guide and Tips for Problem Temperament)

Safe Ways to Stop Barking

Devices such as muzzles don’t do much to stop excessive barking. Fortunately, there are plenty of other tricks that you can try to discourage loud outbursts.

Get Plenty of Exercise

Many dogs bark simply because they have pent-up energy to release. If your dog doesn’t get enough exercise, it may turn to behaviors such as barking to stay active.

One of the best ways to discourage barking is by giving your dog enough exercise every day. Wearing your dog out through walks, playtime, and more helps to curb compulsive barking and also keep your dog in good health.

Jack Russell Terrier playing — Jack Russell Terrier running with a wooden stick in his mouth.

Enrich Your Dog’s Environment

A bored dog is often a loud dog. Even if you walk your dog once to twice daily, it still needs entertainment during the stretches in between. You should ensure that your home environment offers plenty of interesting mental and physical stimulation for your pooch.

Interactive dog toys and puzzles can keep your dog occupied when you’re too busy to play. With plenty of exciting games to try, your dog is less likely to spend its free time barking.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi playing with his toy!

Use a Command

If all else fails, you may be able to teach your dog a “quiet” command to let it know when things are getting too loud. It takes some time, patience, and persistence to train instinctual behaviors such as barking out of dogs.

The best way to teach the “quiet” command is through consistent reinforcement. Tell your dog to quiet down, and reward it with a treat once it listens. Over time, your dog should be able to master the command.

Remember that it may be harder to curb barking in some breeds than in others.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed training — Training a Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed by his owner.

Wrapping Up

Excessive barking can be difficult to discourage, especially in vocal breeds such as Beagles or Yorkies. Many owners who are looking for some peace wonder: does a muzzle stop barking?

While a muzzle can help with issues such as aggression and biting, they don’t typically curb barking. Improper muzzle use can cause pain, stress, and frustration for you and your pup.

Instead of limiting jaw mobility, the best way to stop barking is through training. With patience and persistence, you can teach your dog to limit barking at home and in public.