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By PSI Staff | May 19, 2020

You may hear from clients that they are worried about their dogs reacting to them (or others) wearing face masks. If you are wearing face masks on your visits, you may also have concerns.

Dog trainer Meg Marrs, founder of K9ofmine.com, shares these tips for pet parents and pet professionals:

“The key to getting dogs used to individuals with facemasks is the same way that any dog needs to be adjusted to new stimuli—basically, desensitization and counter-conditioning!

Start out by putting on a mask yourself and seeing how your dog reacts. If they seem relatively comfortable, you can toss them a few treats. Show them that good stuff comes from masked people!

If they seem a bit nervous, toss the treats far away from you so that the dog isn't forced to come closer to the scary creature in order to get the treats, potentially pushing them over their threshold.

If the dog is really scared of you wearing a mask, have a friend wear a mask while standing far away from you, and feed your dog treats while they look at the masked figure.

Once you have that down, just apply the same principles out on your walks. If you see a masked individual, give your dog plenty of distance to feel safe and reward her with treats. Build up the positive association with masked people and your dog won't mind masks in no time!”

Amanda Gagnon, founder and head trainer of Amanda Gagnon Dog Training, says dog walkers can do the same by giving the dog treats when they begin working with them. She also explained that “if [dog walkers] know the dog well, they should reassure the dog that it is them by using their voice, allowing the dog to sniff them without forcing the issue, and using any known cues or routines.”

Texas veterinarian Sara Ochoa, DVM, has experienced dogs’ negative reactions to masks already in her practice, and said they’ve seen dogs begin to growl as soon as they saw one of her staff wearing a mask. In these cases, she explained that the staff member will remove the mask to let the dog see the “person behind the mask” and smell the mask, before the staff member puts the mask back on. Her staff uses treats to gain the dogs’ trust as well.

If you enter a client’s home and feel you need to temporarily remove your mask so the dog will recognize you, keep this tip in mind from Katenna Jones, ScM, ACAAB, CCBC, CDBC, CPDT-KA. In her free PSI member webinar, “Post COVID Stress: Recognizing and Helping Dogs,” she recommends holding your breath to prevent the spread of germs while you quickly remove and replace your mask so the dog can see who you are.   

Should a dog’s discomfort persist, recommend that the pet parent consult with a professional dog trainer, either in-person or remotely, to explore possible solutions.