Muzzle

Question
Hi
i have had a silver lab who was born may 7 2007, and i have had him for 5 months now he eats purina pro, and is not nuture yet  in a couple of weeks he will be and I cant get him to be outside by himself.  every time I put him outside he will not stop barking.  He will also pee and poop no more then @ feet from where he is standing barking.  I got him a muzzle today because my wife stays home all day and she like to put him outside while she takes a shower and he barks the whole time.  he's not exactly completly potty trained. we have a 60 kennle for him that he sleeps in and he would bark all night.  the muzzle seems to help but i dont like it.  how long should i muzzle him and how long can i keep this stupid thing on him.  also what other suggestions do you have about the barking.  No shock collars or Sonic devises.  Do the Spray collars work?  I need him to stop barking it is driving my wife insane which is driving me insane.  i love the dog except for the barking and the once a day pee in the house for no reason. PLEASE HELP.

Answer
Nick, for the housebreaking issues, I'd suggest that you read through my many previous answers on the subject and try what I've mentioned already to others. At just 5 months old, your dog needs to be taken outside at least once every 4-5 hours to potty. He cannot go all day, but should be able to hold it all night as long as you take him out last thing before bed and first thing in the morning. When you let him outside to potty, you should go with him so you can praise him for pottying outside.

Regarding the barking: Dogs are pack animals; they don't like to be separated from their family - hence the barking. Is there a particular reason he is put outside? Why can he not stay in the house/in a crate while your wife takes a shower?

You did not say what kind of muzzle you're using, but I'm assuming it's the kind that does not allow him to open his mouth. This type of muzzle is NOT designed to be left on the dog for extended periods of time, because the dog cannot pant with it on, and can easily and quickly overheat. This type of muzzle is designed to be used when there is a chance of the dog biting someone, either for veterinary exams, nail cutting, etc.

Aside from not putting him outside alone, I would have to recommend a bark collar. I know you said you didn't want to use one, but they do work well, and are very humane. In my experience, the spray collars do not work all that well, nor do the sonic ones that emit a shrill beeping sound when the dog barks. I have had the best luck with the Innotek BC-200 and the Dogtra YS300. The Innotek is best suited for smaller dogs because the collar is smaller, but I've used it on large dogs as well. The Innotek collar automatically adjusts to the level that your dog responds to. The Dogtra collar has a dial on it that you adjust. The Dogtra collar also has a vibration-only setting, which does not use any electrical stimulation at all. Both run about the same price.