Dog teeth brushing

How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth:

Find a quiet, convenient time when you and your dog are both relaxed. The best time to begin is when your dog is very young. Don't be too serious - make it fun. Start with gently teaching your dog to being accustomed to your placing your finger in his mouth on his teeth. Do this every day or two until your pup is comfortable with you touching his mouth and teeth.

For the first few sessions don't even use a toothbrush or finger brush. Hold your dog the same as when you are cuddling him. Gently stroke the outside of his cheeks with your finger, or you can massage the pet's muzzle with your fingers. When there is no resistance to having their face rubbed, lift up their lips and rub their teeth.
After he becomes comfortable with that, place a dab of toothpaste on your finger and let him taste it. Most pets love the taste of the special canine toothpaste.
Or you can dip your finger in something good like soup and then rub your finger along his teeth. Rub it against his gums. Only do this for a minute or two. Then stop and praise your dog.

Later, you can wrap a piece of gauze around your finger to make it feel a little different and rub that against his teeth. After awhile, you will feel comfortable enough to put a toothbrush into your dog's mouth.

Next time, place a small amount of toothpaste on the brush. Let your dog taste the toothpaste before attempting to brush his teeth. Allow him to lick the toothpaste off your brush. Yum! Introducing a toothbrush is a process of building confidence and trust so gentle encouragement works best. When he has tasted the toothpaste, reapply paste to the brush and start brushing in a slow circular motion brushing gently on one or two teeth and along the adjoining gum line. The purpose of this step is to get your dog accustomed to the feel of the brush.

Another way of getting your dog used to a toothbrush is to take some garlic salt, mix it with water, and dip an old toothbrush into it. Hold the brush, and let your dog lick or chew the brush. The dog will realize that a toothbrush is good and that it tastes good.

You can do this a few times so the dog won't be scared of the brushing process, and will let you brush daily. It is important to keep your dog calm and relaxed by praising him and stroking his neck area. Over the next several days, gradually increase the number of teeth brushed.

It is important to eventually brush the rear teeth where plaque and tartar have a greater tendency to accumulate, so when he is relaxed, gently pull back his lips and cheeks to gain access to the premolars and molars.
Go slowly and gently. Stop brushing when you decide to stop, before your dog begins to fuss. If he learns to dislike the procedure and finds out that more fussing makes you stop quicker, then this brushing business is going to get harder, not easier.

Build up to about 30 seconds per side. Dogs don't get much tartar on the inside surfaces of their teeth, so you only need to worry about the outside surfaces Be sure to brush the big teeth way in back. And always praise him for good behavior. Gently brush teeth and gums using short, back and forth strokes. No rinsing necessary.

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