There are some tactics the agitators should follow when engaging a muzzled dog:
The "act", the "performance" is very important. Pretend that someone has just pealed all your skin off and the muzzle is made of salt. Learn the signals of submission and make the dog feel like a winner when the time comes. Perform the role realistically.
The hands should not be used on the muzzle during combat. This frustrates the dog and may teach him to target the hands when the muzzle is off and the arm is presented. Also, fingers may get caught in the muzzle in an area susceptible to the dog's snapping jaws (dogs do maintain the biting reflex while wearing the muzzle).
Generally, keep the hands and arms in-close to the body so that the whole body becomes the target rather than just a limb. Be careful not to hit the dog in the eye with an elbow.
The hands may be used by the agitator to slap his/her chest in order to encourage the dog to hit high on the center of the agitator's body. The hands should not be viewed as the target, but rather as a means to get the dog to refocus as it makes the decision to strike.
When encouraging the dog to target the upper body, sometimes it is helpful for the agitator to get on his knees to work the dog. Placing the dog at a higher level than the agitator can work too.
Care should be taken to absorb as much of the muzzle hit as possible in order to minimize any possibility of discomfort to the dog. This can be done by falling away on impact, by deflecting the hit, or angling the body so that the dog slides up (instead of jamming his neck).
Protect your face, groin and kidneys. The impact of the muzzle can hurt (although less so than having those areas gripped by a vise of teeth.
