Best Dog Muzzles 2022

With a growth in behaviour issues, and muzzle stigma finally leaving, what are the best muzzles on the market?

With so many to choose from, it’s really hard to know where to start.

Whether your dog is reactive, whether they scavenge, or they get nervous at the vets or groomers, or maybe you’re just super cautious! Having a dog muzzle trained is one of the single most practical pieces of training you can do.

How I’m Comparing The Muzzles In The Best Dog Muzzles For This Year.

Value – Not all muzzles are made equal, this metric is to describe how valuable these muzzles are vs others in their price point.
Bite-Proofness – Surprisingly, not all muzzles are biteproof! This is a way to show you how secure the muzzle is if your dog is a bite-risk.
Comfort – Whilst I can’t ask my testers (Aka Indie!) how comfortable it is, I can get an idea of how comfortable it is for him.
Robustness – is the muzzle able to take a hit? Is it brittle? Is your dog likely to chew through it?
Security – Can it be slipped easily? Is it secure? Or is it likely to fail you? High stars means it’s secure!
Weight – Is it heavy? Ideally we want it to be lightweight so that we can intrude upon our dogs in a minimal fashion.
Treat Delivery – It’s important as a part of training that we can deliver treats to our pups!
Mouth Movement – the ability to pant, drink and vomit is critical when looking at muzzles for safety reasons.
Airflow – the ability to breath is … not really an option is it? But some designs can be more restrictive than others.

If you want to read more into these and how I’m structuring these scoring points? Check out 9 Considerations To Make When Buying A Muzzle For Your Dog.

This said, there is also an element of personal preference that’s hard to nail down, per se.

Why Are There No Cloth Muzzles On This List?

Well, that would be because they’re no an appropriate muzzle. Many of them refer to them as “Emergency muzzles” or “Groomers muzzles” or “Vet muzzles” – but they are not designed to be worn for considerable periods of time.

Why Is The Muzzle I Was Looking At Not On The List?

Well, likely because I’ve not gotten to it yet! One of the cruxes of testing all of these muzzles myself with my dog, means that we can only do so many at a time, but if you’re looking for anything specific, let me know! I’m always happy to take recommendations because goodness only knows there are a lot on the market and its hard to know everything that’s available at all times!

Tried and Tested

These are all muzzles I’ve tried out with Indie. Unlike a lot of lists online of the best muzzles or whatever product – this one isn’t based on amazon reviews, or whether I’m getting sponsored, but actual hard testing and facts and experience! It’s not limited by the fact that I have sponsors, or by who will pay me a commission (ever seen those listicles that only list stuff on their own site? Or only on Amazon? Yeah, that’s not me!).

This is based on my genuine experiences with these products. It’s also made with a knowledge of canine behaviour, understanding of motion.

A Set of strong muzzles, these are some of the muzzles I’ve been testing – but this is not all of them! Just the start…

The Goal Of These Rankings

Is to give you an unbiased view point of how I find these muzzles. We (Indie & I) give them an incredibly thorough testing, and will continue to adjust the reviews and this list with our findings together.

How should you use it? Take my learnings and find the most appropriate harness for you and yours. Just because I love a product, doesn’t make it ideal for you! But it does give you a benchmark to work from. That’s my goal. Let’s make informed decisions!

Note! This is a live document! I’ll be adding things in and changing ranks on a regular basis with every Muzzle review that I add to the list. Which means that if you go away and come back? It may have changed.

Whilst I’m doing the note-thing, some of these will be affiliate links – because I deserve a little payback for all the work I do on this blog haha! But you can see that I’ve already tried all of these! These are genuine thoughts. None of these rankings have been bought, none of them are paid for. I have not been swayed or influenced in any way – which is why as many of these as are affiliate links, aren’t affiliate links.

The Shortlist:

Ray Allen Wire Basket Muzzle, Review; Show Ray Allen
JAFCO Two Strap, Review pending; Shop Pet Expertise or Amazon
Ray Allen Agitation Muzzle, Review pending; Shop Ray Allen
Baskerville Ultra, Review; Shop Amazon

Whilst this is the list so far? Keep tuned! More will be added as they’re received and reviewed!

This is one of my favourite muzzles at the moment, it’s affordable, lightweight, and comfortable for your dog. That’s why it’s now in Indie’s regular kit! The Ray Allen Wire Basket Muzzle gives me extra confidence that Indie cannot make a mistake because I slipped up.

1 – Ray Allen Wire Basket Muzzle

Incredible Fit

Comfortable

Adjustable

This is the best balance of being virtually biteproof, a great price, incredibly strong and to have very, very good ventilation.

Since testing this muzzle? This has become my absolute go to muzzle for all things. It’s very versatile, it’s light too, but ultimately well finished and dependable.

Frankly, I love it.

2 – JAFCO Two Strap

Comfortable

This one is one of the most stylish muzzles – in my opinion – on the market. The see-through nature of the clear ones, is something that I just cannot see being beaten in terms of making your dog look less threatening, and enabling them to communicate clearly with other dogs and humans. There are plenty of sizes

There is a 3 strap variety if you feel you need this too!

3 – Ray Allen Agitation Muzzle

Adjustable

This muzzle is a totally next level, and if you have a dog who is going to be wearing a muzzle and it needs to be categorically sturdy? That will not yield?

This is your muzzle.

Indie the German Shepherd wearing a baskerville ultra muzzle — Choosing a well fitting muzzle can be a really beneficial thing for you as a dog parent when you parent a reactive dog.

4 – Baskerville Ultra

Easy Maintenance

These chafe just a little and can be awkward to fit properly. But it’s easy to customise and make fit comfortably. it is dark, which i don’t like but the airflow through it is great.

It just doesn’t perform as well as some of the others on this list.

Your Muzzle Questions Answered

How Do I Fit A Muzzle?

So, Different muzzles are designed to be fitted in a different way, but typically I will always advise that a muzzle for reactivity/vet visits etc and long period use gives full pant room, enables your dog to drink, take treats, to vomit, is properly ventilated, enables communication between dogs/humans, and can fit two fingers below the jaw just for comfort.
But if you want a more full response? Head over to How To Fit A Muzzle.

Do Muzzles Make Dogs Aggressive?

When used properly, no.
Muzzles are designed to help dog parents protect their dogs from potential accidents by blocking the mouth from being used fully.

When Is It Appropriate To Use A Fabric Muzzle?

Almost never. But. I do keep one in the car in case of emergencies. The one I keep is the Ray Allen Mest Muzzle – this is highly adjustable, and made with some level of ventilation which means that whether I’m using it because one of my dogs broke a limb on a hike, or I’m picking up a stray that may represent a bite risk – this will work. But it’s used for short periods and only in case of emergency.

Will a muzzle stop my dog barking?

A well fitted muzzle will not stop your dog barking. It’s there to stop the use of the mouth for biting and scavenging. The only thing to stop barking? Is training.

Can A Dog Muzzle Be Left On The Dog?

I would never recommend extended periods of time unless absolutely necessary.

Are Dog Muzzles Cruel?

No, when properly densitised, and properly fitted, there is no reason for a dog muzzle to be cruel.

What is a Muzzle Punch?

So, a dog who cannot bite, a dog who cannot defend itself may feel forced to ‘punch’ with it’s muzzled nose, in a “muzzle punch”. It can be really painful!

Are All Muzzles Bite Proof?

Nope.
Common misconception, but not all muzzles are biteproof. If a dog is left to their own device they may manipulate a way to push through the muzzle just enough, but typically it takes time, it takes patience and practice from your dog, as well as them being an active problem solver. So, no, not all muzzles are biteproof, but I do try to highlight where the muzzle is not biteproof!

Muzzles are important!

Muzzles keep our dogs safe.

They’re a great thing to train for. They’re a fantastic back up plan. Remember, regardless of your dogs temperament, a dog in pain is unpredictable and can be dangerous. Desensitising a muzzle, and having a muzzle that fits your dog ready, will make a potentially traumatic event just a little less stressful.

If you want more input as to trying to find the best equipment for you and your dog why not book a Bark Day and we’ll discuss everything you might want to know and I can guide you through what will be best for you and your dog.

Author, Ali Smith

Ali Smith is the Positive Puppy Expert, dog trainer and is the founder of Rebarkable. She is passionate about helping puppy parents get things right, right from the start. To help create a puppy capable of being a confident and adaptable family member and keep puppies out of shelters.

Ali has won multiple awards for her dog training, and has had her blog (this blog!) rated as 2021 & 2022 worlds’ best pet blog!

Link to Rebarkable